A store room under lock and key that was opened infrequently to take out Puja utensils now has become a centre of cultural exchange and camaraderie among neighbours.
Greenfield Ambition, a housing complex near City Centre 2, has opened a library that is by the community and for the community.
“From the furniture to books to the indoor plants, not a single item have we had to buy. Everything has been donated by residents,” said Amrita Bandyopadhyay, a resident who takes interest in running the library.
The library now has close to 1,000 books in its collection. “We stay open twice a week, from 11am to 12 noon on Sunday and 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Thursday. A core group take turns in volunteering as librarians,” she said.
“The reading habit is almost extinct in children. We hope to wean them away from the TV and the cellphone by providing them attractive books. Our elderly neighbours also are happy to get a haunt to meet others,” said Heleena Sengupta, president, Greenfield Ambition Apartment Owners’ Association.
A lot of thought has gone into arranging the books. “Children’s books are kept at the lowest levels so they can pick and choose their own books,” Bandyopadhyay said.
While readers are welcome to lounge on the mattress or sit on the chairs, they can take books home too. “We ask them to return a book in 10 days. But we do not impose fines if they fail,” Bandyopadhyay said.
Those who cannot climb to the first floor, are sent pictures of the racks and asked to choose. “I deliver the books at their houses as I want them to feel involved too,” she said.