Kalaignar Centenary Library expands academic outreach through MoUs and inclusive programmes

Kalaignar Centenary Library expands academic and community engagement through MoUs with higher education institutions, promoting literacy and education.

Kalaignar Centenary Library is expanding its academic and community engagement through a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with higher education institutions.

Following a recent MoU signed with Lady Doak College, discussions are under way to formalise similar agreements with The American College, Thiagarajar College, and Madurai Kamaraj University after their reopening on June 16.

According to the MoU, the initiative aims to foster educational and literary development among students. The proposed cooperation includes reading habit campaigns that focus on nurturing a culture of reading, improving literacy rates, and expanding access to diverse literary resources for people of all age groups. It also plans to establish literary platforms for students to present their creative works, thereby encouraging expression and literary engagement.

Further, the MoU outlines provisions for interactive sessions with publishers, authors, and other literary figures, especially during international book fairs, along with facilitation of internship opportunities, faculty collaborations, and mutual academic exchanges. Partner institutions are entitled to institutional membership, a provision of 25 books, reserved seats for library programmes, orientation sessions for competitive examinations, and access to IT-based learning solutions and storytelling internships.

As of June 6, the library had recorded a footfall of 18,32,648 users which includes 227 international users and 6,548 registered members, said Deputy Chief Librarian and Information Officer V. Santhana Krishnan. Students preparing for competitive examinations have also been benefiting from the mock tests and lectures conducted by the library on a regular basis, he said.

Mr. Krishnan said that the library also provides translation services to support students facing language barriers while preparing for competitive exams.

“We help students by translating complex English news into simpler English and Tamil, as we believe that language should not be a barrier to education,” he said. He added that these translated materials are also being shared with other district libraries and questions based on this content have appeared in the TNPSC examinations, reflecting its academic relevance.