“LIBRARIES STORES THE ENERGY THAT FUELS THE IMAGINATION. THEY OPEN UP WINDOWS TO THE WORLD AND INSPIRE US TO EXPLORE AND ACHIEVE, CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE”-
SIDNEY SHELDON
DHARMADAM OF KERALA HAS ACHIEVED A RECORD OF FIRST COMPLETE LIBRARY CONSTITUENCY IN INDIA, CM PINARAYI VIJAYAN’S CONSTITUENCY DHARMADAM. OUT OF THE TOTAL 138 WARDS IN THE CONSTITUENCY, THERE WERE NO LIBRARIES IN 63 WARDS. DHARMADAM REACHED THE ACHIEVEMENT WITH OPENING OF LIBRARIES IN THESE WARDS TOO.
KERALA WAS THE FIRST STATE TO ACHIEVE 100% LITERACY STATUS IN INDIA AND RECENTLY ON DECEMBER 26,2022, DHARMADAM, KERALA CHIEF MINISTER PINARAYI VIJAYAN’S CONSTITUENCY HAS ALSO ACHIEVED THE POSITION OF THE COMPLETE AND FIRST LIBRARY CONSTITUENCY IN INDIA.
REMARKED AS THE DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF PUTUVAYIL NARAYANA PANICKER, IN 2017, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI ALSO DECLARED JUNE 19, KERALA’S VAYANADINAM (READING DAY) AS NATIONAL READING DAY IN INDIA AND THE FOLLOWING MONTH IS ALSO OBSERVED AS NATIONAL READING MONTH IN INDIA.
PUTUVAYIL NARAYANA PANICKER IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF THE LIBRARY MOVEMENT IN THE INDIAN STATE OF KERALA AND LED THE POPULAR CULTURAL MOVEMENT, THE GRANDHASALA SANGHAM.
THE GRANDHASALA SANGHAM, INITIATED BY PUTUVAYIL NARAYANA PANICKER IN KERALA, PRODUCED UNIVERSAL LITERACY IN 1990’s IN THE INDIAN STATE.
PANICKER LED THE MOVEMENT AND THE THIRUVITHAMKOOR GRANDHASALA SANGHAM IN 1945 WAS FORMED WITH 47 RURAL LIBRARIES AND THEN HE GAVE THE SLOGAN OF “READ AND GROW'' , LATER ON IN THE STATE IT WAS DECLARED AS KERALA’S GRANDHASALA SANGHAM. HE TRAVELLED, VILLAGE TO VILLAGE OF KERALA PROCLAIMING THE VALUE OF READING AND HE SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING SOME 6000 LIBRARIES INTO THIS NETWORK.
GRANDHASALA SANGHAM WON THE 'KRUPSKAYA AWARD’ FROM UNESCO IN 1975, HE STARTED WITH ABOUT 50 SMALL LIBRARIES IN 1945 IN KERALA WHICH LATER GREW INTO A LARGE NETWORK OF THOUSANDS OF LIBRARIES.
CHIEF MINISTER PINARAYI VIJAYAN’S SAID THAT OUT OF THE TOTAL 138 WARDS IN THE CONSTITUENCY , THERE WERE NO LIBRARIES IN 63 WARDS. DHARMADAM REACHED THE ACHIEVEMENT WITH OPENING OF LIBRARIES IN THESE WARDS TOO.
HE ALSO STATED THAT LIBRARIES AND PUBLIC SPACES HAVE A UNIQUE PLACE IN SOCIAL PROGRESS, THE CHIEF MINISTER SAID THAT THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HAVE GONE AHEAD WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF ESTABLISHING LIBRARIES IN EVERY WARD. THE MEETING WAS HELD AT WARD AND PANCHAYAT LEVELS TO IMPLEMENT THE OBJECTIVES. “ AS MISSION WAS FORMED TO CONSOLIDATE OPERATIONS. THE DISTRICT LIBRARY COUNCIL AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNING BODIES, WHICH ARE PART OF MISSION, BECAME ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE ACTIVITIES”. AND A PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED WHICH PROVIDED LOCAL LEADERSHIP FOR THE ACTIVITIES. LET THE BUILDING OF LIBRARIES BE AN INSPIRATION TO THE WHOLE OF KERALA THROUGH THE PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
DID YOU KNOW?
o LIBRARIANS USED TO HAVE TO LEARN A SPECIFIC STYLE OF HANDWRITING CALLED “ LIBRARY HAND”.
o THERE ARE 150 LIBRARIES AROUND THE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN CHECK-OUT HUMANS AS A LIVING BOOK AND LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES.
o AT MARSH’S LIBRARY IN DUBLIN, IRELAND, VISITORS HOPING TO PERUSE RARE BOOKS IN THE 1800s WHERE LOCKED IN CAGES UNTIL THEY WERE DONE READING! SO NOW THAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF LIBRARIES!
BY -
HERNISHI KAUR & HEMANT SINGH
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