In Bengaluru, migrant labourers have a library of their own

Unlike many libraries, the Haadibadi Community Library located in Roopena Agrahara, Bengaluru is not enveloped in silence. Instead, it bursts with colour, chatter and curiosity — on the pages of books, on the walls and in the pictures that the children draw.

. Established at the start of 2019, the Haadibadi library intended to provide free access to books to the community of migrant labourers in the area. Three years later, it has not only become home to 3,000 to 4,000 book titles (primarily in Kannada and English), newspapers and magazines but also proved to be a safe space for many to explore and access books, read and participate in discussions and attend specialised classes and events.

. Geetha M, a co-founder and executive director of the library and an educationist, explains that such spaces foster independent learning.

. To encourage children to develop the habit of reading, Geetha explains that a network was set up with three schools in the area — Round Table School, Sadhguru Saibaba School and Government Higher Primary School, Kodichickanahalli. The purpose was to utilise the existing library systems and improve them by generating interest in children by engagement during the ‘library period’.

. Expanding imaginations

. Going to the library has meant that 11-year-old Anushka Devangi’s every day is chock-full of stories. When asked about her favourite book, she brims with many options.

. Finally, she settles on the story of two dogs — one belonging to a rich family and another to a poor family helping each other out. She is equally animated about all the other activities that happen in the library. “I love drawing, painting, playing and also made new friends here,” she says. Her mother Prema is delighted with the stories her daughter is reading and she is not only charmed by the library but can also understand how integral such initiatives can be for children. “Our area didn’t have such facilities. After school, many children would just while away time with mobile phones or televisions. Now I am happy that they are reading different books and building knowledge,” she says.

. The library is free for all visitors. Children are free to borrow the books they want to read. They are even encouraged to read and keep up with the news. The books are mostly donated through book donation drives in colleges or residential areas while the activities conducted in the space are driven by volunteering.

. The Haadibadi Trust also engages marginalised communities through theatre programmes, dialogues and art. Ravikiran Rajendran, co-founder director and artiste, emphasises the importance of such spaces. Having spent his childhood in the same neighbourhood, he recalls the acute lack of resources such as libraries. “I was lucky to have a mother who introduced me to reading through the children’s magazine Balamangala . It sparked my imagination,” he says, explaining that he has personally experienced what stories and reading can do.

. However, not many are fortunate enough to have such access to books or stories at a young age. There aren’t many public libraries, to begin with. According to a 2011 Census, there is one library for 11,500 people in rural areas and one library for every 80,000 people in urban locations. The public interest and access to libraries are only reducing. In such a context, Rajendran believes that community libraries like Haadibadi are experiments to see what a library could be.

. From hosting dance classes and film festivals for children to drafting their own constitution, encouraging chess and carrom matches and organising design workshops, the library has activities that can engage everyone.

. Every Sunday morning, Suriya Ravichandran (22), the library’s facilitator, also takes the children to a local park. “I persuade them to share their problems or we talk about some current topic. It is always an interesting interaction,” she says. Among many other things, Suriya also guides children to books based on their reading proficiency, checks their comprehension and helps them understand difficult sentences.

. Open models of learning

. In more than a decade of her experience in the field of education, Geetha feels that children have an in-built curiosity. “We just need to trigger this curiosity through our activities. Schools focus on a different kind of learning that often depends heavily on rote learning. Libraries can motivate critical thinking as they provide different points of view,” she says.

. Apart from promoting critical thinking, libraries also help strengthen foundational literacy skills. According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2018, only 44.2% of Class 5 children can read Class 2 level text. In this context, “Libraries encourage independent, open models of learning. They also help children develop consistent reading and writing habits as these are prone to disruption because of distractions, especially when there is a lack of follow up,” Geetha says.

. Manjunath Y, parent of two girls who frequent the Haadibadi library, shares that he has witnessed the transformation himself. “Both my children have shown improvement in spoken and written Kannada and English. They are more assertive in asking questions and more forthcoming in sharing their issues,” he said.

. “I don’t need to send them to the library, they go even before I tell them,” he laughs.

. Children are always open to learning but many don’t get a conducive learning environment and opportunities. "We can’t blame children for being glued to phones. We used to have at least grounds to play. Now, children are surrounded by concrete but their imagination may bloom if we give them opportunity,” adds Rajendran.

. Haadibadi Community Library can be contacted on 91644 54243 or at haadibadicommunitylibrary@gmail.com.

In Bengaluru, migrant labourers have a library of their own

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