Thiruvananthapuram: As the year winds to a close, it would be nice to visit one of the good initiatives of 2016 – a library with no walls nor membership fee, at Manaveeyam Veedhi. “It has been six months. We didn’t think the library would last so long,” says Ratheesh Rohini, one of the persons behind ‘Nizhalattom Aksharaveedhi’, the open library. For one, how does one ensure that a book which is taken home comes back? “Well, some have not returned the books. We then thought this would not be successful. But that was not the case with most people,” says Ratheesh, who is also the creative head of the ‘Nizhalattom’ artists’ group.
The library was introduced as the small libraries were dying out, he says. “Moreover, in all other libraries, one has to sit quietly and read the book. Here, you hear the honk of vehicles. We had earlier conducted film festivals, so that it should not be confined to a building. This is an extension of the idea,” he says. The idea of a street library was sparked off when V.S. Bindu, an author, wanted to release her book ‘Nettiyil Murivulla Kallukal’ on the street. “One thing led to another. The first book was contributed by poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar,” says Aksharaveedhi coordinator Arun Samudra.
Books are lent only on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 pm to 8 pm. But even on other days, newspapers are available. The bookshelf, when not in use, is covered by a polythene sheet.Now there are about 90 people who make use of the library. This includes the autorickshaw drivers who visit the point in the morning to read newspapers. There are close to 1000 books, but the shelf can hold only 500. “We would be grateful if someone can contribute a shelf, or support newspaper subscriptions,” says Ratheesh.
