Jagraon library lending books free-of-cost cries for attention

In an effort to encourage the reading habit among the community, senior citizens, union leaders, and veteran educators from Jagraon have come together to open a free library for locals.

In an effort to encourage the reading habit among the community, senior citizens, union leaders, and veteran educators from Jagraon have come together to open a free library for locals. Thousands of books are available for borrowing at no cost. The library, which was inaugurated in February, has seen limited visitors due to a lack of awareness. To address this, the committee is planning campaigns in schools and colleges to inform students and teachers about free resources.

Jagraon library opened by veteran educators in Jagraon, September 15, 2024. (Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times)

Joginder Azad, a retired teacher and one of the key members behind the initiative, shared that this library is a revival of a dream first attempted in 1976. “Back then, we set up a progressive library, but it had to shut down during the Emergency. Thanks to headmaster Satish Kumar, who helped relocate the books by driving a rickshaw all those years ago, we saved the collection. When I returned to Jagraon after being transferred to Khanna, we decided to bring this dream back to life. In February this year, we opened the library and formed a ten-member committee to ensure smooth functioning.”

Azad added that while they hope to expand the library, more interest from locals and a larger space is needed. Currently, most people borrow books due to the limited seating area.

“The library operates from 10am to 12pm, six days a week, but we don’t see many visitors during these hours as teachers are at work. We would like to open in the evenings, but we need more resources,” said committee member Malkit Singh who is also a retired teacher.

Ashok Kumar, another committee member, explained their plans for raising awareness. He said, “We are preparing to launch campaigns in schools and colleges because many locals are unaware of the library. Our goal is for people of all ages to visit and explore the collection of nearly 2,000 books.”