: The U.S.-based International Book Bank (IBK) has sanctioned 40,000 bestsellers in English costing Rs.3 crore to the Palakkad District Public Library.

While 60 per cent of the sanctioned books are classics and fiction, the rest include reference volumes and non-fiction dealing with various aspects of life. “The first batch of 10,600 books has already reached us. The second batch would arrive by September last. Though the books are free from the IBK, we have to bear the shipping charges of Rs. 12 lakh. We raised the funds through local mobilisation of funds by book lovers,” said library secretary T R Ajayan in an interaction with The Hindu .

The Palakkad District Public Library has made major strides in improving reading standards of the people in the region. Ajay Shankarmath, a New York-based NRI, contacted the IBK and facilitated the sanctioning of the books. “The IBK has given us freedom to select the books. They will reflect our region’s preference and taste,” said Mr. Ajayan.

The multi-storey library, which was renovated recently and equipped with modern facilities, already has a collection of 1 lakh books. These include both Malayalam and English. According to Mr. Ajayan, the library has taken a policy decision to buy all the books available in Malayalam and has informed publishers that it would buy all the titles. A separate reference section has been started that caters to the needs of students of higher education. The library also subscribes 200 magazines and 18 newspapers. It has a Compact Disk library of 5,000 titles. “We are evolving it as a leading cultural centre by regularly conducting literary seminars, film screenings and get-togethers. A women readers’ collective has also been started. In a novel venture, we will start pesticide-free cultivation on our 30 cents premises and 20 cents adjacent vacant plot next week by ensuring voluntary participation of members,” said Mr. Ajayan.

“We started using solar energy recently with a book lover providing the necessary equipment. Though our monthly income is hardly Rs. 60,000, the library has expenditure more than Rs. 1,25,000 a month. It was local mobilization and help from NRI patrons that help us moving. We are expecting assistance from the State Library Council and the government,” said Mr. Ajayan.

A sum of Rs.2 crore sanctioned by the then MP, N.N. Krishnadas, helped us build the building. Legislators from the region and the district panchayat have helped us buy books by sanctioning funds. We are determined to make the 10,000 sq ft building and its premises the best library in the State,’’ said Mr. Ajayan.