Rose Garden library frozen in time

Gurvinder Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 12

The MC library at the Rose Garden seems to have freezed in time. The only new thing in the library is — magazines and daily newspapers.

Lagging behind

The library was started in early 80s, but seems to have lagged behind in time, with its dilapidated building, broken furniture, rusting racks and old books. While the other two MC libraries have been upgraded, library at Rose Garden has been completely overlooked by the MC. No fresh books have been added to the library for the past seven years. Most of the books are worn-off, with yellowed, dog-eared pages. Just a fraction of the books have been newly rebound.

Wearing off

With the seating capacity of few people, the central table is wobbly and with the broken table top. The chairs are a mix of old plastic chairs, five metal cushioned chairs and a wooden chair, and an old wooden chair-sofa on the side. It seems ages since the building has been white washed.

Books

Housing about 6,200 books, in English, Punjabi and Hindi, most of the books at the library are about literature and history. The rest of the books at the library are about different subjects including public administration, sociology and general reading books.

Membership

There about 30 members enrolled with the library, most of whom are senior citizens. Even the visitors are senior citizens. The annual membership fee has been revised to Rs 100, and security fee has been hiked to Rs 250 from this year onwards. Members can get books 2 books issued for two weeks and two magazines for a week. The library subscribes to 25 newspapers and 16 magazines. The timings of the library were revised to 7 am to 2 pm last year.

Needs restoration

The library has been a victim of sheer neglect on the part of the Municipal Corporation. Nothing has been done to upgrade the library, except changing the timings. Though located in verdant environment of greenery outside, and chirps of the birds, it seems to have been forgotten by the corporation.

Visitors demand that the library should be rebuilt and expanded. “There is hardly any seating space,” said Harnek Singh, a resident. The seating space must be expanded with a new building, and some space should space should be made for sitting outside the library, like a verandah as well,” 81-year-old Sant Singh, who has been coming to the library for the past 20 years.

Many visitors are also displeased with library closing by afternoon. “It is all right that the library has been opened early for morning walkers, but what about people who come in the afternoon,” PS Gill, a regular visitor to the library said. Moreover, the library should rather be open seven days a week, as people have more time to visit libraries on Sundays. “May be more staff can work in shifts at the library, but it is not right to close the library so early,” another visitor said.

New books must be added regularly, demanded many visitors and members to the library. “The library is just an old stock of books. The latest books should be available in the library,” said one of the senior citizens.

Ramesh, a visitor said the library is like an old storehouse of old books rather that a library. “It is good that the MC has worked to upgrade other libraries, but this library not just needs repair, but should be completely rebuilt and expanded. New books must be added regularly at all the MC libraries, but this library has no new books at all,” said Gurmeet Singh, another resident.