JOIN USA festival for book-loving teachers
Visitors carried huge bags and covers filled with books purchased from the exhibition.
For the first time in Chikkaballapur district, the Department of Public Instruction had organised a book exhibition exclusively for various schools.
School teachers and presidents of the various school development committees visited in large numbers to purchase books for their schools. Most of the books which were useful in the interests of the children were discussed and purchased at the exhibition. They exchanged opinion and also sought suggestion from other visitors and shopkeepers who have put up their stalls at the book exhibition.
The book exhibition has fixed day and date for the staff members and presidents of the various school development committees for the purchase of the books. On Friday, staff members and presidents of various school development committees of Bagepalli taluk had arrived in the City. On Saturday, the teachers and presidents from the Chikkaballapur taluk will be purchasing books at the book exhibition.
20 publication houses
More than 20 publication houses have set up their stalls at the book exhibition, including Navakarnataka Prakashana, Sapna Book House, Bharat Jnana Vignana Samithi, Vasanth Prakashana, etc. People flocked in large numbers to almost each and every stall. The Department of Public Instructions had also opened its separate stall. A stall for the writers and publishers of Chikkaballapur district has also been set up.
Chief Executive Officer of the Chikkaballapur Zilla Panchayat B S Shekharappa inaugurated the book exhibition. For the sale and purchase of quality books, it was necessary to organise such programmes regularly.
The event provides a platform for a number of books on different subjects, under one roof and thus helps for the easy selection and purchase. Students and staff members alike must make use of this occasion, he said.
As per the instructions by the Department’s central office, about 196 publication houses had contacted the district Department. Since several book exhibitions were being organised at the respective districts State-wide, it was difficult for all the institutes to take part in the book exhibition.
As present, more than 20 institutes had set up their stalls. The district was expecting more publication houses to take part in the coming days, said Deputy Director of the Department of Public Instructions C U Chandrashekhar.
A few problems here and there
The Department of Public Instruction has instructed the junior primary schools and the higher primary schools to purchase books worth Rs 3,000 and Rs 10,000 each.
Those schools which had made bulk purchases at the book exhibition had a tough time to find their way out of the exhibition. And those who had come unprepared, found it extremely difficult to carry a large number of books.
While most of them relied on the sacks, borrowed from the shopkeepers, some of them said that they had not expected that they would be purchasing so many books. It was difficult to carry even books worth Rs 500 or Rs 1,000. While some teachers expressed their helplessness that they could not carry purchases worth Rs 3,000 and Rs 10,000.
While another visitor quipped, “They should have opened a sack stall too. Could have earned a huge profit.” Some said, they should have made transport arrangements also.