Comeback story of a library in Kerala that has lived to fight another day after 2018 floods

The comeback story of a library in Kerala that has lived to fight another day after 2018 floods

The nearly 100-year-old Nair Samajam Public Library, near Chendamangalam, has lived to fight another day. Drowned and nearly lost in the devastating floods of August 2018, the library has made a glorious comeback and replenished its stock of books and periodicals, thanks to generous donors and book lovers. The library was founded by the Chendamangalam Nair Samajam and has the backing of the State Library Council.

Librarian Joy P.T., who was seen downcast and nearly inconsolable at the library premises in 2018 immediately after the floodwaters receded, is today a cheerful and optimistic caretaker who believes that the word has spread its wings. Nearly 14,000 volumes of books and periodicals were damaged irreparably by the floodwaters. However, an almost equal number of books have now arrived at the library, making it rich, not only in terms of its readership but also the lessons learnt from the unprecedented floods.

As the State celebrates a week of reading in memory of the doyen of library movement K.N. Panicker, the Nair Samajam Public Library, close to the Paliyam Government Higher Secondary School, is celebrating a new lease of life. “The pangs of rebirth were long,” says Mr. Joy who has been with the library, taking care of the books and helping eager readers, for about 35 years.

He recalled that recently, a generous reader from Delhi donated 500 books to the library which has been rebuilt with the support of a lot of people. For a library that bore the pangs of the great losses of the entire collection of bound volumes of Harijan, published by Mahatma Gandhi, the revival is an occasion for more celebrations.

Mr. Joy said that though the total library membership is around 6,000, there are only around 1,000 active members. The daily footfall at the library is around 50. “In its heyday, the library used to see 100 to 150 visitors a day,” he says, adding that new technology has helped children access books on their own from various sources.