A year ago went I had gone to Singapore, one of the first thing that my host wanted me to see was the Library. According to him, the big public library of Singapore was one of the biggest perk of staying in Singapore was that library. I knew him as a learned man, but since I never would classify him as a bookworm, naturally I did not share his enthusiasm.
Its only when I read this article by Gurcharan Das did I realize that we Indians are so much deprived of these basic amenities that we are not even in the position to comprehend what we are missing.
10 replies on “State of libraries in India”
True
i was just readg atanus blog and he has been time and again focussing on the worsening education scenario in india
remember times says we still send a record no of studnets to the us
HI Ankur,
Nice to read this short posting. I am an American who earned an undergraduate degree in US and a graduate (Master’s) in India. My experience is limited and of course 10 years dated, but the two things that struck me was- The books in the college (Madras Christian College) library were dusty, stuck together with cobwebs and most of them never opened. Secondly, books were not so favored in any case, students went for the tried, true and cheaper xerox copies passed down from the seniors. I was the only ‘bloak’ there who bought any books, but then again I was an American 🙂
@prax…
we send a record number of students because the students are inherently bright.. just that they were not trained properly.
@Jennifer…
exactly.. I am not able to understand that libraries are underdeveloped because students don’t attach much value to it or students don’t attach much value to it because good libraries don’t exist….
It seems that I am getting lost in the circle.
You are so dead. You don’t consider me as a bookwork. 🙂
On the other hand the National Library in Calcutta used to be awesome.
Also the British Council library.
wait ur host was Suri or me 😀
sandip….
ok u both co-hosted me there.. but except calcutta, there are not many cities that have a popular library culture…
Exactly – students are bright but seats in colleges are very short in supply then again we have reserved quotas
librarys are used here but for leasure books
college students dont study for knowledge here unlike in us or europe
but to pass exams – that too the mug and spit ones- didnt u have a post on that
so the notes are most coveted
you made a valid point but i don’t agree with you completely. I’m from hyderabad and currently stay in us. students do understand the value of library and books. our group of friends always considered reading books as the prime passtime activity. the old city is generous enough to accommodate bookshops that lend us the books!
@dolphin
thanks for the comments and welcome to E-Nagar.
i agree the second hand book stores and lending of books by some traditional book stores does solve some of the need gap because of the lack of library.. however they are not proper substitutes.