Work to construct a permanent building for the Ranipet District Central Library commenced on Saturday, bringing an end to the long-standing demand of readers in the district.
Accompanied by Ranipet Collector J. U. Chandrakala, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the project.
Officials of the School Education Department, which funded the ₹3.72 crore project, said the library was functioning in the District Central Library complex in Vellore since the 1950s. The library was later shifted in 2019, to a two-storey building near the police station in Ranipet, when the district was created after trifurcation of Vellore.
The library is located in a 2,500 sq. ft building. Among the English and Tamil books on various subjects, novels are a key attraction. The subjects covered include history, politics, law, economics, philosophy, agriculture, computer and mathematics. “Books on kolam are a big attraction in the library. Kids section draws readers, especially mothers who spend their time with their children,” said B. Shoba, a reader.
Reference books, especially for examinations conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), UPSC, and other competitive exams are available. The first floor of the library building comprises the newspaper and magazines sections, that has good patronage, especially among students and aspirants.
“The permanent building of the central library will have e-books and virtual library facilities. Around one lakh books will be accommodated in the new building as against the existing 50,000 books,” S. Chandrasekaran, librarian, Ranipet Central Library, told The Hindu.
The new building will be built on 35 cents of land that belongs to the Ranipet municipality. The two-storey building will include a lobby, newspaper and magazine sections, separate sections for women and children, and research section. Each floor will have washrooms and drinking water facilities.
The new facility will also receive a copy of all new publications, adding to its existing stock of book collection. The entire work will be completed in 2025.
At present, Ranipet has 71 libraries including 55 branch and village libraries.
Meanwhile, the Tirupattur District Central library is expected to get a permanent building soon. A land parcel of 38 cents near the Tirupattur town police quarters has been identified by the district administration. At present, the library is functioning in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School. Tirupattur Collector K. Tharpagaraj has directed education officials to speed up the process.
Published - October 05, 2024 11:33 pm IST
