In my childhood, the only form of entertainment that I enjoyed was the walk to the local Murugan Lending Library. The lending library was a small dingy room with rows of shelves arranged for a single file walking and browsing.
The roads around my house were not filled with traffic as in the present-day scenario. Back then, my brother would single file walk us and take us to the library and bring us back safely. He has always been a responsible person.
Both my sister and I enjoyed going to the library especially to check out our quota of one comic book each. My brother equally loved to read comics and while he read chapter books we got comics which he would read out to us.
The trip down to the library was tricky stuff for him. But then, we are good followers and his little minions’ tails for all his act of defying rules. We were well warned by him, that we are not to run amok on the main road.
So, I remember spending time sifting all the comic books with my sister. Of course, eventually my brother would run above our quota of one book and get two more books for us anyway.
Our time together with the comic books that he read out to us and later my sister and I used to read together became our small tradition. I believe all three of us like the Asterix and Obelix series a lot.
Dingy Library and the Continued Patronage
The visit to the library even after my brother moved on to his college hostel for his bachelor’s studies was still a thrill. My sister and I used to go to the library amidst the heavy foot and vehicle traffic in the road where the library was situated.
For a few years, we were stopped from going to the library since my father didn’t want us to navigate the heavy traffic of the main road. That was when my uncle’s personal library collection arrived at our house. My uncle’s library didn’t come through, so, all his books were kept in our house.
That is when I moved on from comics to chapter books to Classic works of British writers. Works of Indian Writers on political topics, social topics, and other related stuff. Being a person who was one paper short of his law degree, he had a huge collection of books. Of which some were adult topics.
At almost the same time as I was reading the complete collection of Shakespeare’s plays and poetry in an unabridged form, I had chapter books in my school library too. It was a wonderful experience for me. It kept me well engrossed in the stories that were all around me.
School Libraries from Secondary to High Secondary
Once crossing from the junior assembly to secondary assembly, it was not a simple change from one place to another. But to hold different perspectives and read extensively was a given for me. During my 6th to the 8th standards, I used to read books from the lending library and then from my Uncle’s collection.
I was in eighth grade when I discovered the school library. The library would open during the lunch break. I would always rush to get my share of all those young reader books. I picked innumerable Agatha Christie mystery novels.
My favorites were Hercule Poirot, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. I usually solve the mystery before it gets over. I even tried one novel about a Greek Physician traveling to Rome. It was a wonderful story about the various medicine and surgery he performed enroute.
British Council Library & American Council Library | Chennai
I was so far only familiar with a dusty local library and maybe organized small area library books in school; but then, heck man, I love books whether dusty or clean or clustered or spaced-out.
My first spacious library was British Council Library during my college. I used to research for my essays and my class work. Being in a Literature class helped me to look at the various perspectives of the plot and character analysis.
G K Chesterton was my all-time favorite. I loved P G Wodehouse and Jeeves series was simply superb to read and enjoy. Later, I also joined American Council Library and read the American writers which includes The Great Gatsby.
Yishun Community Library | Singapore
Yishun Community Library even to this day, I feel thankful for their hospitality which I feel deep in my heart. This library harbored a lost soul in a new country, among new people and everything strange. I had lived a sheltered life until then and one item that connected me to my homeland was Singapore’s library.
The library would be where I would be after lunch and I totally enjoyed myself. I was a happy person there even though it seemed so lonely in Singapore at time. But with books and quiet nooks I used to crash down on the soft carpeted floor.
I was able to find volunteering jobs with the Library and my joy knew no boundaries. I enjoyed arranging books on the shelves as per their call number.
On Thursdays each week I would volunteer to tell stories in the library storytelling room for 10 mins in the beginning. Then in December, I got a chance to hold an entire 30 mins of the session. I was the happiest!!
I have this wonderful story from Yishun Library that is etched in my memory forever. I was on my fourth Thursday of story reciting stage when it was close to Christmas.
I wanted to pick a story about Jesus and the manger. But found a Santa Claus story which I happily recited to my little group of young listening minds.
When I finished the book one little Chinese boy got up and said can we hear the music attached to the book. There was a button in the book which when pressed gives out music.
The boy showed it to me and I was totally unaware of it. I was doubtful whether the music would play; but still went along with his suggestion. We found out that it worked and the group of six children all took turns to press the button. That day, I felt I owned the world.
Woodland Public Library | Singapore
The Woodland Public Library was a sight for my sore lone eyes. Whenever I felt emotionally empty I would go to the library traveling by SMRT and guiltily enjoying an egg puff.
There was huge water fountain in the library which blended with the ambiance completely. I would spend hours with a book in my hand in front of the fountain. It was almost like Zen meditation for me.
I picked some wonderful adult graphic books and the children’s section was divine. I loved sitting in the short chair observing all the children run around while the quiet ones reading a book by themselves under the artificial tree that was kept in the middle.
There could be any amount of discomfort in my life; but it would all melt when I am in the library. Life is filled up with moments such as these in plenty. These moments are all surrounded by good books. I often read or emoted while I am reading them, I am deeply involved in the story.
Mission Library | San Francisco, Calif.
When I went to San Francisco to study MFA (Writing) 2010, I was heart-broken and trying to heal myself. The daily living took away some pain but what healed me was the library on the corner of Bartlett street.
I was not really checking out for places near a Library to stay, but then magically, I found that the street where I lived had a library and I would ever so often, walk down the street and pick some books from the Mission library.
I was fascinated with the Spanish section and I would pick those books and just flip through the books to feel the printed language. I so desired to pick a Spanish book and read it. Since the words were close enough to English.
It was also here that I lost my credit and clipper cards. But a quick call from the bank and my call to Clipper customer service, made sure both my cards were replenished with new once and the spent money returned to me. So, I am still a Wells Fargo bank and Clipper fan to this date!
Larkin Library | San Francisco, Calif.
One fine October Sunday in 2010, my mood swings were bad. I needed to get away from a problem with the story plot. I swung by Mission library and found that the specific book was in Larkin Street Main Library.
Googled for routes and Muni-Bart timings and got to the place much earlier than it originally opened. So, I had to hang out until the library opened for the day.
Out there at the location, I found a Sunday market and hung around to look at things being sold in temporary stalls. There was this sense of places mixing in my head and I remembered markets of Singapore and Chennai.
All my commerce day lessons came rushing to my mind. Sometime, the places that we think are new and unfamiliar can sometimes be heart wrenching for a lost soul like me when they look similar. From that day, I never felt like an alien in a stranger place. I could accept all!
My first impression of the library could be summed up in a word – Palace. The architecture of the library was a mix of Roman and French style. I felt like Alice floating in the air. Any moment now, the bottle with a label “Drink Me!” would appear magically! 😊
For the first visit, I was just hanging out there on polished floor and tall rooms. I felt I might have lost a few inches, since I felt the rest of the people were taller than me. Maybe that is true.
I remember the grey shades of the library warmed by brown shades of desks, shelves and splatter of colors that were the bound books. The first visit was just spent walking around the place.
It was only my second visit, that I even tried to take out the book that I had searched in Mission Library. After borrowing the book, I asked the library assistant if I could return the book to the Mission library since on the return week I would be out of station.
The person was so generous and gentle to answer my questions and clear my doubts. I returned the book to the Mission library branch. I loved this idea of the State council being responsible for the library and they shared resources and responsibilities together.
Chennai Libraries and Changing Faces
Things are changing in Chennai Libraries too. The Anna Centenary Library is a place that gave me the opportunity to see books that stationed many of my cultural heritage. I remember seeing books in my Mother-tongue Tamizh and I was fascinated with the Jain movement and records in Manimegalai and Alwar’s literary Tamizh works.
I found myself a couple of books and when I went to borrow them, I didn’t have sufficient cash to get borrower’s card. So, disappointedly I returned home and kept thinking of getting the card, maybe next time, but sadly I haven’t had an opportunity so far.
Now I am getting Kindle versions of the books or hearing from Audible. But the reading has not stopped for me. These days my stories are either audio, video, or digital versions.
I am still involved in reading to a single student who comes for English tuition. Together we explore the world of stories. The joy and happiness with the book for a company cannot replace the actual writing of a book.
Itinerant Storyteller 