Open Library At Bus Stop Turns Into A Reading Hub For Youth

KALABURAGI

A corporator's initiative to install an open library at the SM Pandit Ranga Mandir bus stop   is drawing the attention of students and youths. What began as an idea to install benches evolved into a Rs 1.5 lakh project featuring book racks, cupboards, and CCTV surveillance. Readers are now maintaining a logbook to borrow and return books. Sachin Shirwal, ward-44 corporator, told   that he pitched the idea of setting up an open library as a token gift to RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge on his birthday. There was an open space at Rang Mandir where people, especially college students, were waiting for buses. We observed that students were spending time browsing on their smartphones while waiting for buses. We thought if they are motivated to glance at good books, they can enhance their knowledge and shun screen time, said Shirwal, who is also chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Health, Education, and Social Justice at   City Corporation. Apart from furniture, we have planted some saplings to create a cool atmosphere for readers. Currently, the library has books worth Rs 50,000, and we have adopted the Any Body Can Donate (ABCD) principle to receive more books from enthusiasts,  he asserted. MLA Allamprabhu Patil commented that Shirwal's initiative is a model in the interest of commoners. This library enhanced the hunger for reading among youths, and that would play a crucial role in designing their future, he added. Students Pooja, Sushma, and Veena stated that they are reading good novels, storybooks, and fiction.