As I am working for the interest of senior citizens after retirement following news item is of special importance to me. Not many residents of old age homes are interested in reading books. About ten years ago we made some attempts to donate unused / second hand books to OAHs. OAHs are reluctant to accept book donations. Same is the fate of SCAs. In Kolkata a proper study of requirements is thought of. Results may be encouraging. We have to wait and see. ============= CM to inaugurate 44th Kolkata Int'l Book Fair on January 29 Kolkata: The 44th Kolkata International Book Fair will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on January 29 at Central Park in Salt Lake and continue till February 9. One of the most interesting parts of this year's book fair is that the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild has come up with an idea of donating books to various old-age homes across the city. According to the general secretary of the guild Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, they have taken a pledge to set up a library at various old-age homes so that the elderly citizens get an opportunity of reading a varied range of books. "A survey will be conducted at various old age homes to know what type of books the elderly citizens would wish to read. We would set up a library at each old-age home and the books would be donated according to the requirements of the readers. Reading books provides immense pleasure and the elderly people would be able to pick up the books they prefer," Dey said. Russia is the focal theme country of this year's book fair. H.E Kudashev Nikolay Rishatovich, Russian Ambassador to India, is expected to be present in the inaugural ceremony. There will be around 600 stalls and 200 little magazine stalls in the book fair, while there will be nine entry and exit gates for easy movement of the visitors. The theme gate will replicate the iconic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Two big halls of the book fair having mainly English publications have been named after Nabanita Dev Sen and Girish Karnas, who passed away in 2019. The little magazine pavilion, meanwhile, will be named after legendary poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay. As many as 20 countries will participate in the book fair this year. The Publishers and Book Sellers Guild has also focused on the event being an eco-friendly one. A number of steps would be taken to protect the environment during the fair days. The Urban Development department has also come forward to make the fair eco-friendly. Apart from a car parking area, there would also be a place demarcated for parking cycles. Those who will be interested to visit the place on their bicycles from the nearby areas of Salt Lake will face no problem in parking their cycles properly, assured the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild. The state Transport department will also arrange additional buses during the days of book fair to cater to the extra rush of passengers. === Source: http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/cm-to-inaugurate-44th-kolkata-intl-book... Dr P Vyasamoorthy 30 Gruhalakshmi colony Secunderabad 500015 040-29552016 / 09490804278 / 8179386472 A book in the hand is worth two on the shelf!