An overarching mission

Bookspace at CEEBROS Boulevard in Thoraipakkam is for all age groups. But it is particularly alive to the need to reduce children’s screen time. A close look at the community library as it is parked in its milestone tenth year

The library at CEEBROS Boulevard in Thoraipakkam bears a name that almost gives away a recondite information, an information lodged largely with those who have seen the facility assume the character it now flaunts. Bookspace, as the library is called, was forged in a space glaringly atypical of a reading room. It was something of a by-place, seemingly built just for the purpose of being rudely ignored. The first thing one noticed about this ill-lit, uninviting room was how it hosted drainage pipes and electrical wiring, celebrating them as one would a childhood buddy who shows up after time immemorial. Viewed in the glow of this backstory, the name Bookspace seems bent on erasing the space’s rather lacklustre past, doesn’t it? It actually need not try that hard: since its birth in 2015 (with the space smartened up beyond belief), its processes have left nobody in any doubt about what it is — a delectable space for books and even community, particularly for its young residents.

Not too far from its milestone 10th year celebration, Bookspace is grappling with the questions that interest and vex every other community library — how to ensure it stays relevant to the younger generations in the community?

The library’s design makes one objective stand out like an obese tome among thin-as-air booklets: getting children to reduce screen time. The library sports a dedicated children’s section with tables and chairs encouraging young readers to not scoot after borrowing a book, but stay put and read it on-site.

“Books can shape young minds, but it is the space and conversations around them that create lasting memories,” says Shyamala.

Shyamala observes that while children aged up to 13 are a regular presence at Bookspace, older children are a rarity. The latter drift away due to increasing screen time. 

There has been an episode in Bookspace’s history when children and young adults stepped up to kept its operations running — yes, you have read that right. It happened when the community faced difficulties in appointing a permanent librarian. In response, residents — including children aged 12 and above and young adults — volunteered to take on librarian duties. Initially, adults intended to manage the library themselves. However, the unexpected enthusiasm from children, teenagers and young adults prompted a more inclusive approach. A message seeking volunteers was posted on the community forum, resulting in six to seven teenagers and four to five young adults stepping forward. The system remains in place, with young volunteers filling in whenever the current librarian, a college student, is unavailable due to academic commitments, Shyamala recalls. 

Volunteers such as Dhana Raghavan, Ragini Raj and Shyamala have made sure the library is promoted is a creative hub, particularly for children and young adults . Book Club that meets every Friday has on its bill of fare, storytelling sessions, book narrations and even games structured around the printed word. Even more for the benefit of young readers, every four to five months, the library organises quiz, drawing, painting and essay writing contests.