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The lost reading rooms
Yesterday an uncle was telling me about how he and his friends used to visit public libraries when they were very young; how books and reading used to be one of their favourite pastimes. I kept thinking about how the concept of libraries has been lost through the ages and how these comfortable and cosy reading rooms have disappeared somewhere during the passage of time.
In the past, book lovers, both children and adults alike, sat in libraries for hours on end devouring one book after another. Reading for pleasure, researching for study or just going through newspapers — visiting libraries was a popular form of leisure. One also developed a reading habit by going to a library. Reading was an open form of entertainment for people belonging to all classes, whether it was the elite or the common man.
Nowadays, reading has become an expensive hobby as good books are available at very high prices and so only cater to a certain class of people. Because of the reduction in the number of libraries, those people who cannot afford to buy these expensive books have to resort to other means of entertainment like going to cyber cafes and amusement parks, or watching TV. We find that all of these constrained has contributed to the decline of the habit of reading.
Similarly, people have become so busy in their routine that they don’t usually get time to read books at home, let alone go to public libraries — if there were any.
Public libraries also give students a chance to do their research and study in peace and quiet. Many children cannot study with full concentration at home due to the lack of space and thereby fail to prove their worth. Libraries would help them have their own private space to study with full concentration and determination. An increase in the number of libraries may give students, specially college and university going teenagers, a place to unite for group study as well.
The introduction of the computer and internet has also reduced the number of libraries and consequently the reading habit as youngsters sit for hours and hours glued to the computer either playing video games or browsing the net. In the past, because there was no computer or internet children would spend their time in healthy activities like reading books and participating in sports for entertainment. Every technology has its advantages and disadvantages; likewise computer and internet also have their useful and harmful effects. It is our job to minimise these harmful effects and make full use of the useful aspects.
Instead of cyber cafés, libraries should be set up which could provide computers for research purposes. Also, we should not forget the real purpose of libraries i.e. reading, and borrowing books. While doing research, children and youngsters could be introduced to different books as well as the charm of reading for pleasure.
Although many children are now attracted to books — thanks to writers like J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton — one cannot under-estimate contributions of writers such as Shakespeare, Bronte, Hardy and Dickens.
Reading is one of the healthiest and most entertaining habits. In order to revive this hobby again, we must build more and more libraries, form book groups, clubs and committees. i
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