Chennai Anna Library is revived by M.K.Stalin after a decade

Chennai: Tamilnadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin revived the Anna Centenary Library after a decade. The Library very recently organised the 'Chennai Literary Fest' which received a huge appreciation from the great scholars of the country. Kerala Writer Paul Zacharia was invited as the Special Guest to the event. The entire fest was coordinated by the State School Education Department. Tamilnadu had never witnessed such a grand literary fest so far.

Tamilnadu Directorate of Public Libraries took a tremendous step to introduce Amazon Kindle to the public library. As per the MoU signed with Amazon India, Tamilnadu Public Libraries will provide Kindle with more than 10 lakh books for its readers. Anyone can avail of this in any public library in Tamilnadu.

Just a month ago, the Tamilnadu government organised an International Book Fair where International Publishers were invited. This event was a brilliant step to be taken by a state government in the country. Through this event, the state Government announced special subsidies for Tamil books to be chosen for international release. Even Global books received subsidies when it gets translated into the Tamil language. Tamilnadu is a pioneer state in the country to take such a step for the literary world.

Facility to read nearly 10 lakh books:

Since M.K. Stalin took over the government, many public libraries in the state are getting revived. Providing Amazon Kindle with more than 10 lakh books is an outstanding step initiated by CM Stalin. Initially, 500 libraries in the State will get an Amazon Kindle facility with free Wi-fi. As a First step 140 public libraries in the State were upgraded with E-Library services. To provide Digital library services, these libraries will provide their readers with more than 10 thousand books in PDF format. Also, the readers can avail of e-magazines in these Public Libraries. Through tamilnadupubliclibraries.org anyone can use the digital library along with amazon kindle free of cost.

Magsters' reading site facility is provided to read Newspapers and Magazines free of cost. For the first time in Tamilnadu 'Noolaga Nanbargal' (Library Friends) scheme was initiated by the Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh. So far 350 volunteers had joined this scheme. Minister Anbil Mahesh distributed the identity cards for the volunteers and said, "Creating an intellectual community is the main agenda of this 'Noolaga Nanbargal' Scheme".

Free International trip for students:

The volunteers in this scheme will get 25 books per person. These volunteers will take those books and reach out to the targeted readers. This will enable the volunteers to understand the needs of the readers and then provide those books by engaging them in a bigger reading circle. After the DMK government took over the rule, Government School Students were provided with the opportunity to explore the Dubai International Book Festival. All the students were from economically backward families and they travelled to a foreign country for the first time. On that occasion, the Minister of the State School Education Department Anbil Mahesh donated nearly a thousand books to the Dubai Library.

Very recently Minister Anbil Mahesh also inaugurated a scheme called, "Reading Movement in Schools" to encourage school students to read more than their prescribed school subject books. Furthermore, the state government offered to take government school students abroad through the 'Read books and fly abroad' scheme.

'Your Library in your hands' app:

In 2021, the School Education Minister introduced the 'Ungal Noolagam Ungal Kaiyil' (Your Library in your hands) app. Through this app, anyone can get any kind of information on Public Libraries in Tamilnadu. To encourage school students to read more extensively, the entire everyday schedule of the schools was altered. Every day the school would provide nearly 20 minutes of reading time in their school library. The state government believes that only when a student develops his/ her reading habit apart from scoring good marks, can create their own identity in the future.

The government is also conducting competitions regarding reading books and offers foreign trips to those who excel in these competitions. Every week a student will be provided with a new book. The student should express what they imbibed through that book in the form of an essay or a painting or even a skit.

From Taluks to State level competitions:

The competition will be held from Taluk to the State level. Winning foreign trips will provide a huge experience for government school students. On one hand, the government is moulding young students to read more and on the other hand, it also upgrades the status of Public Libraries in the state.

From young school students to job-seeking youngsters each and every category of the public is getting benefitted from the upgraded hi-tech facilities of the state Public Libraries. Even international newspapers and magazines are available to the students in a small village of Tamilnadu through the E-library service. In the Tamil language alone, a student could get to read nearly 323 magazines and 23 daily newspapers.

The E-library consists of books in nearly 40 categories including Economics, Business, Travel and Tourism. Readers could avail both in Tamil and English languages. More than 5 thousand Indian and International magazines, Newsletters, and Daily Newspapers are available. Whatever Amazon Kindle publishes any reader can get access to the 10 lahk and above books through the Tamilnadu E-library.

Tamilnadu is the pioneer:

Writer Pa.Raghavan shares that "This Scheme by the Tamilnadu Government is a wonderful initiative. I appreciate the Government and the Chief Minister. Apart from the readers, the authors who are constantly suffering from royalty issues will also get benefitted from the Tamilnadu government's initiatives. No other state in the country will provide this much of facilities for a Public Library. Tamilnadu is the pioneer state".

Revolution in the Public Library sector:

Writer N.Chokkan says, "Amazon kindle is offering nearly 10 lakh books from Tamil to very many international languages. This unlimited service will be available to any reader free of cost. The Tamilnadu government is paying for the subscriptions. When a book is released in a paperback format, it will take at least a year to reach public libraries. But through amazon kindle, the government will give any new publications immediately to the readers. This is an amazing scheme. I can term it a Tech Revolution in Tamilnadu. I highly appreciate the Tamilnadu Government for this scheme".