Government Public Library, Kovaipudur Branch Coimbatore District "To Find Yourself, You Have to Lose Yourself in Service of Others."
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The Rendezvous of Minds Igniting A Revolution Govt of Tamil Nadu, Department of Public Libraries Government Public Library, Kovaipudur Branch Coimbatore District N A "To find yourself, you have to lose yourself RI in service of others." A — Mahatma Gandhi RDE LIBRRDE A NT-G A Revolution in Self Library Movement AN AV AN Innovator, INELI - India Vijayan, Librarian, Govt. Public Library, Kovaipudur, Coimbatore Dist., Tamil Nadu, India Revolution in Self lt was Gandhiji who said: “Be the change you wish to see in this world.” oolagar (Librarian) Vijayan who took over the Government must be inculcated in everyone. This would ignite the minds of young Public Library in Kovaipudur, Coimbatore way back in 2014 did and old. Activities in the library should go beyond library hours and Njust that. He first believed in the axiom that ‘Change is a good working days. There should be programs which would inform, educate, thing’. It prevents stagnation, it prompts improvement and it links directly enlighten, entertain, amuse and change the thought process of people to the ongoing success of the individual first and then the institution he on a continuing basis. A library can bring about the much needed steers. Vijayan changed his attire, his attitude, his outlook. He worked transformation in people, in society, in state and in the country. on himself. Noolagar Vijayan worked on these lines and brought a paradigm shift in the perception of people about a library. The results are magical and Vijayan believed that a library should not be just for lending books. It showing! u should be a pot-pourri. It should be like a beehive. It should attract people of all age groups. It should attract minds. It should create compelling reasons for people to come to the library. Reading habits Discipline and decorum to the core Revolution in Self Library Movement . in the Library Movement More than a LIbrary... hen you talk of a library, the image that conjures up is of a dust laden community learning center and it cannot be closed even for a day. Things will cubicle where books, newspapers and magazines are stacked. But change in our country as well,” states Noolagar Vijayan. As an INELI Innovator, Wthe Kovaipudur Branch of the Government Public Library has a he attended the International Convening organised by the M. S. Swaminathan different image today. It is more than a library. It is a place that beckons everyone Research Foundation (MSSRF) in regardless of age, class, profession or pursuit. The library established in 1993 Australia during 7-12 March 2017. has a brand new look. It is in placid place and has a salubrious atmosphere. Vijayan is striving to bring in a Everything is spic and span. The library as such is open from 9 am to 12.30 revolution in library movement. noon and 4 pm to 7 pm. It has a collection of 18,675 books as of now. These He wants everyone to come to include newspapers in English and Tamil, 800 books in Malayalam, 2000 books and make use of the library. He in English and the rest in Tamil. You get to see a variety of books on literature, has implemented this by making fiction, short stories, history, auto-biography and biography, medicines, non-users also to come to the science, religion, law, self-development, cooking, yoga and books for children. library to attend various programs. The collection includes preparatory books for competitive exams like Banking, “At times the library can also go literally to colleges. Recently we organized a TNPSC, UPSC, Railways, UGC-NET / JRF / SET, JEE Main & Advanced, TET mass book reading campaign at Hindustan College for Reading Mission 2022. and so on. The library has separate sections for ladies, students and others. I am sure all our efforts will lead us towards achieving the 17 Sustainable The Library has computers with Internet facility. Students have free access to Development Goals laid down by the UN. Further, the reading habits should Internet and digital communication. The membership fee is nominal. go home so that the crime rate will decrease in the country,” says Vijayan. u “US considers library as people’s university. And in Australia a library is a Value systems upheld Revolution in Nurturing Values & Virtues . Nurturing Virtues & Values in Students Moulding young minds he Library holds several awareness programs for student has to say about the transformation found in her child: "My son Mari groups. It has formulated a ‘Student Library Club’. The Club Selvam is going to the library regularly. Ever since, his reading habits Tmeets on last Sunday of every month, from 5-7 in the evening. have improved. He is borrowing books useful for his studies. He is The program is aimed at teaching moral values like respecting parents also using internet and the digital route for improving his knowledge. and elders, saving environment, avoiding use of plastics, saving water, After coming from the library, he shares what he has learnt from the tree plantation, avoiding junk foods, fostering good habits, and above programs, especially the moral values. One visible change is that all maintaining individual discipline which is a must for building a good he is touching the feet of his parents every morning. His father is society and better country. This is done through talks and story-telling. very much moved by this behavioral change and I have seen him Story-telling has proven to be an excellent tool for making children wiping his tears.” u understand the do’s and don’ts. Mari Selvam, a 9th Standard student from the CBM Shakundhala School, Kovaipudur attends the club meetings regularly. This is what his mother Explicit and tacit knowledge sharing Empowering Society Caring for Nature Healthy Food Insight & Awareness . in Empowering Society The happiest are the ones giving s the saying goes, ‘when you teach a man, an individual benefits; tangible benefits from such programs. They also share their experiences but when you teach a woman, the whole family benefits…and the with friends and relatives. Talk and workshop on ‘terrace gardening’, for Asociety’. That speaks volumes for any program involving women. instance, have helped many to replicate the art at their places and enjoy the benefits. u We have formed a Ladies’ Library Club which has some 320 members as of now and the membership is ever growing. Under the banner of this wing, we hold several programs month after month for empowering women and increasing their insights and awareness. These programs are held on the first Sunday of every month. The talks and workshops cover wide ranging topics including ‘organic terrace gardening’, ‘saving and safety aspects of using LPG’, ‘food is medicine (unave marunthu)’ and so on. We get eminent guest speakers to enlighten the participants on virtues & values, good upbringing of children, self- motivation and allied subjects. Our members and attendees have got Straight from nature Revolution in Self Employment . in Promoting Self Employment The enterprising duo his is a true story of how our Library can help people who have as ‘Makizhchi Eyarkai Unavakam’ (Happy Organic Food Center if you an entrepreneurial spark in them. It is a story of Jaya and Jaya - translate), started functioning from 4th Dec. 18. Our Library members Ttwo young women who attended our program ‘Unave Marunthu’ have already got a foretaste of the healthy and delicious dishes from (food is medicine) some time ago. Cherma Jayam and Jaya Mani to be Makizhchi prepared by the duo with their own hands and served post precise. Cherma Jayam, already armed with a diploma in organic food each ‘unave marunthu’ lecture program. “We shall ever remain grateful preparation from Madurai was toying with the idea of doing something and indebted to the Kovaipudur Govt. Public Library and Noolagar of her own. That’s when she met a like-minded person with the same Vijayan Sir for the motivation and support ever forthcoming from them. passion, Jaya Mani. Our library was instrumental in bringing them The library connect and the resultant networking have immensely together and giving shape to their idea of making a career in starting helped us in developing this business line in a cozy place like an outlet for serving organic food. Thanks to the timely help that Kovaipudur where people are health conscious. We hope to serve the came in from ‘Self Helping Group’ a joint initiative by the Union Govt. community by providing healthy organic food without ‘oil and boil’, and the Government of Tamil Nadu, they could get financial assistance say the enthusiastic entrepreneurs Jaya and Jaya in one voice!" u for taking a shop on lease for starting the business. The outlet known Touching the right cords Revolution in Counseling & Career . in Counseling & Career Guidance Read for life, learn for work book is always your best friend, and a library better than the best. career- related issues. After all it is a treasure-chest of knowledge and information. Hundreds of aspirants have benefited from our counseling and Our library is one up when it comes to counseling and career A guidance. We are happy to mention about three beneficiaries who guidance. We not only have books on career development but also have undergone our counseling and orientation programs and got on guidelines to prepare you for various competitive exams like UPSC, gainfully employed in the industry. One is Mr. D. Sivaramakrishnan TNPSC, Banking, Railways, UGC-NET/JRF/SET, JEE Main & Advanced, who has joined the IAS Academy in Coimbatore as UPSC Aspirant & TET and so on. History Faculty. The second is Mr. Adi Selvam who got placed as an We conduct evening classes for preparing aspirants for IAS and other Officer at State Bank of India, Tallakulam Branch, Madurai.