Mariam, another member trainee, is in charge of the art exhibition section of the festival, which includes works by artists from three free libraries of TCLP in Delhi (South Extension, Khirki) and Gurgaon (Sikanderpur). All the artifacts were up for sale and Mary, a smiling and glowing teenager with roots Afghanistan, was confident buyers could be found—including one for her own brushwork! She dreams of becoming a doctor, but may be ready to take a course in computer science.
In this free library you will meet many Maryam and Shiva, curious young women and men who are attuned to the world around them, trying to understand its contradictions. Because, here’s a liberating place where the members—many of them migrant family Feel accepted, valued and secure – without privilege and agency as guaranteed by a life of dignity, a space where they can think, debate and express what is in their heart and mind.
Run by volunteers of all ages, TCLP – which was registered as a trust in 2017 and has over 5,500 members – is now back on its feet, having passed the trials of the past 20 months without much difficulty. In doing so, during that time it turned its activities online.
In fact, TCLP closed its libraries a few days before the national lockdown was announced. “All of a sudden, this important place in the center of the community, a place where people used to come to talk, share ideas and ask important questions, disappeared,” recalls Prachi Grover, director and curriculum coordinator at the library. “There was a lot of adjustment and learning that was happening so quickly. But, we have really grown a lot in this time.”
Back in March 2020, as members returned to their homes, TCLP faced the difficult task of transitioning from physical to virtual. It was also to address the lack of availability of non-English resources for online study.
“We urgently needed to make sure there was access to good quality education material and also stories that our members could connect with, in a way that they could relate to.” Thus was born ‘Duniya Sabki’ (DS), TCLP’s digital library of audio and video content. “One of the challenges was to stay connected with our members and keep our conversation going,” admits Shashank Samant, who has been volunteering at the Sikanderpur library since opening its doors in 2017.
At the same time, the TCLP felt that it had a greater obligation towards its members to be present with emotion for them if they could not be in person. Therefore, during the months ravaged by the pandemic, Duniya Sabki has also provided important and verifiable information for the community, including news and updates related to rations and vaccines.
including excluded
At TCLP, they take particular pride in their ‘read aloud’ sessions, a key element of the library’s culture. “We don’t just ‘read-aloud’ what we’re reading from a book, we actually ‘think-aloud’,” insists Grover, a teacher from the background who volunteered in 2018 was involved in the project.
Above all, the people of TCLP have committed to maintaining these libraries as safe spaces owned and operated by the community. “It was something that was always very important to our work, but now is the time we started to realize that a lot more needed to be done – how could the world be an important community-owned platform of all, but it Also how is it to be a place for members to share their voices,” insists Grover.
This concept was changed to another, an editorial board consisting of member leaders who could then become the voices of their community, to better represent themselves and their concerns. “We realized that we need to push DS towards being a member-owned space and this will happen only when members are trained on how to run those spaces. Therefore, we need to reduce our role in this and There is a need to increase the role of members in this,” she admits.
Still, one thing TCLP will not compromise on is its core ideas. “We advocate for free libraries because it says everyone is welcome,” argues Grover.
“If we want libraries and books to be accessible to everyone, they have to be free. And even if you can’t read, you’re welcome.” Because, for much of India’s history, most of the population has not accessed the benefits and pleasures of study, and the benefits of reading and writing books.
Samant believes that digital cannot be a substitute for brick-and-mortar. “An online library cannot replace the role that a physical library can play for our members, who have historically been excluded from the space of literature and reading and writing,” he says.
Grover agrees. “Recently, before reading aloud, a librarian asked, ‘Why do you think libraries are important to everyone?’ And a very young library member of ours replied, ‘Because here you can read and then you can write your own stories.’
“For them to begin to realize that they have the power to write stories, is exciting and empowering.”
community of equals
Samant has also been inspired by his experiences at TCLP. “I remember a group of young girls reading the book ‘Kasturba’ (by Tanya Vyas) and discussing together in the courtyard. When they read ‘Kasturba’, they thought out loud, ‘Women freedom fighters’ Why are there so few stories about it? Were there really few people who participated in the movement or were their contributions not valuable enough?'” he recalls.
“Discussions had moved to the question of who often wrote history books, and the girls realized the exclusion that has occurred in historical texts for centuries. We left the discussion with our younger members, ‘Hum Apni Kahani Khud Likhenge’ (We will write our own story).
With each passing day, the world is becoming one that, according to Samanta, “is a place owned by members and the community, where relevant information becomes accessible to them, where their voices and stories can be amplified.” ”
“My understanding of the meaning of community ownership has intensified as member leaders emerge to take charge of the library – they are running the library, they believe in the idea of what it means.” And there cannot be a more powerful proof of what these stores of knowledge should be.
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