Beyond words

Claudia Lux talks to SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY about how to make a roomful of books vibrant

Photos: V.V. Krishnan

Of untapped potential International Federation of Library Associations President Claudia Lux in New Delhi

How many of us go to a public library these days? Honestly, not many. If you ask yourself why, the answer might vary from shortage of time for such luxuries, to easy accessibility of the Internet for information, to how such libraries are often full of only old books, many of which might be sitting on the shelves for years as someone tore off their vital pages.

And then, there are the better run private libraries to rummage through or say those run with excellent facilities run by the likes of The British Council, The American Center, Max Mueller Bhavan, etc. Plus the convenience of having specialised libraries these days, some even digitalised, with multiple services for members with an interest in medicine, arts, culture, and so on.

Stemming the tide

Claudia Lux, President, International Federation of Library Associations, understands the times the public libraries are going through the world over in the age of immediate responses, specialisation and the IT revolution. But Lux also knows how this tide can be stemmed. "What you need first is a positive attitude," she says. And that is what, adds the German native, "I have told the delegates here." Lux is in New Delhi to take part in "Libraries on the Agenda!", an international seminar on library advocacy, organised by Max Mueller Bhavan this past week. The seminar emerged from the National Knowledge Commission's recommendations to turn our libraries into resource centres to help India become a knowledge hub.

The NKC's list of recommendations also includes a library commission.

"Such a body to look into library affairs can be useful, but what is also required is the coming together of library operators, private and public, to send out one voice to the commission to usher in changes," she feels.

Talking about possibilities, she cites the Parliamentary library in Buenos Aires which has 24 hours free Internet facility for the public.

"It has got four awards for creating possibilities for citizen participation."

Then, there is a small library in one of the remotest corners of Malaysia with no phone connection. "With the help of the regional library, it now has Internet facility for the villagers besides providing information to farmers about special crops, market prices, etc."

The possibilities are many, she says. "You can do a lot by connecting rural libraries to the regional ones."

Though India has a culture of community libraries as in Kerala, "one needs more of that. Finally, all you need is Rs.60,000 to set up a good community library and Rs.30,000 annually to maintain it."

On her second trip to India after a gap of over three decades, Lux has visited some city libraries.

"The specialised libraries here have excellent competence," she feels, referring to the digitised library at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. She liked the Parliamentary library too. "Do you know, it has a children's corner too?" she asks excitedly. But what she saw in the Delhi Public Library was far from satisfactory.

"Its children's corner particularly needs a change. It is too dark, has too many old books. Also as a central library, it is very small," she comments, adding, "It however has just started an Internet facility."

Lux sums up with a clincher. "To make public libraries popular, more than policy designers, we need dynamic heads of libraries."

Libraries on the Agenda

Stefan Dreyer, Regional Director, Max Mueller Bhavan

"The National Knowledge Commission's emphasis on making India a knowledge resource is extremely interesting. Taking this as a cue, we thought of providing a platform for exchange of ideas and also to bring perspectives on library advocacy from Europe. What followed is the international seminar on library advocacy, "Libraries on the Agenda". We hope to have created a new network, and maybe there will be follow-ups on the ideas discussed here."

 

 

 

 

Getting it right

Germany's Wurzburg public library director on how a promotional strategy restored its popularity

Photo: V.V. Krishnan

The strategist Hannelore Vogt in New Delhi

Hannelore Vogt doesn't have that typical look of a staid librarian sitting behind an old table at a dank public library, with the hum of a lazy ceiling fan for company. She has a spring in her step, a wide grin on her cherry red lips, and a success story to relate. A story that many public libraries can learn from. If at all those who man them want to take the pains to make people see a library as much more than a mere house of old books.

A bubbly Vogt, sitting on the lawns of New Delhi's Max Mueller Bhavan, takes out a file of computer printouts to illustrate her tale — how she, as the director of Germany's Wurzburg public library, turned it around.

"We could have put our hands up and requested the Government to help us. But this would have given an impression to the public that it is an old library of no use. So we took the reins in our hands," says Vogt, here to share her experience at an international seminar on library advocacy.

Brainstorming sessions with her staff led to an effective marketing strategy, to bring the public back to the once-popular library.

Companies and cash

Flipping the pages, she shows what that strategy was. "We went to some local companies. That included a popular roast chicken outlet and a well-known winery. When it comes to giving cash, companies often cringe, but they love to give their products," explains Vogt.

So what worked out is this: "The winery pasted a picture of our library on a Riesling wine bottle, and we got 25 cents from every bottle that sold. Wurzburg is a tourist destination and it helped our cause, as people liked the picture of that place's library to take back home."

The 25-cent strategy worked with the chicken outlet too.

"We roped in the city mayor, and the local newspapers carried her picture selling chicken for the library." Children's events were also organised, and the prize was a night stay at the library. "We didn't have money, so we thought of that and made it exciting with activities like storytelling, etc." Also, a company made bags for plays that were mounted in the local theatres.

With such schemes, Vogt and her staff turned a forgotten library into a public hub. "We used the money to give people more and more facilities. The continuous activities kept us in news," she states.

So, it was only natural the Wurzburg public library was given the German Library of the Year Award in 2003. And became for the staid public libraries, a much-needed example.

S.B.P