From shelves to knowledge hub, Kerala Lok Bhavan’s public library with 10,000 books opened

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 (IANS) Turning a rich but largely scattered collection of books into a living resource for society, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday inaugurated ‘Thunchan Smrithi’, a special library at Lok Bhavan housing more than 10,000 books.

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 (IANS) Turning a rich but largely scattered collection of books into a living resource for society, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday inaugurated ‘Thunchan Smrithi’, a special library at Lok Bhavan housing more than 10,000 books.

Named after Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, regarded as the father of Malayalam language and literature, the library has been set up in the new building adjacent to the main entrance of Raj Bhavan.

The initiative seeks to make the Lok Bhavan collection accessible to readers, researchers, students, teachers and writers.

The collection, built up over the years through books received as gifts and those acquired by Lok Bhavan, includes more than 4,000 Malayalam books and around 6,000 books in English, besides works in several Indian languages.

Literature, history, culture, philosophy and science are among the subjects represented.

Many of the books had earlier been kept at different locations within Lok Bhavan.

They have now been brought together, systematically organised and catalogued, transforming what was once a dispersed institutional collection into a dedicated library intended for reading, study and research.

Arlekar said the vision was to develop Thunchan Smrithi into a knowledge and cultural centre reflecting Kerala’s rich heritage and diversity.

The books, he added, should not remain merely a collection preserved within the Raj Bhavan premises but should be put to meaningful use by society.

The presence of some of Kerala’s leading literary and cultural figures added significance to the inauguration.

Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan said the decision to name the library after Ezhuthachan was particularly meaningful, given his seminal place in the history of Malayalam language and literature.

Poet V. Madhusoodanan Nair hoped the library would grow into an important knowledge centre for scholars and students researching Kerala’s history, literature and culture.

Writer George Onakkoor said the Governor’s interest in reading, language and the promotion of the regional language had been a major inspiration behind the initiative.

Rosemary said efforts to bring books, reading and literature together could help create more vibrant cultural spaces.

With Thunchan Smrithi, Lok Bhavan has given its book collection a new public purpose, opening a new space in the state capital where books, scholarship and Kerala’s cultural memory can meet.

–IANS

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