BANGALORE: Lush green environment, pin-drop silence and plenty of books to browse and gain knowledge on any subject is what attracts book lovers to this spot. Yes, it is the State Central Library located in Cubbon Park. This library which is a known landmark in the city was inaugurated on May 15, 1925. Earlier, it was known as the Bangalore Public Library and was taken carek off by the local committee. After the enactment of the Public Library Act in 1965, the library was converted into the State Central library in 1966. This well-maintained library, built in gothic architecture not only lures the local readers to pick a book, but also people from various parts of the world, spend their time reading books about Indian tradition and culture penned down by various authors. Despite many facilities provided by the authorities, the library is not free from civic issues. The readers who spend their time in the library browsing through various books, face the problem of paid-parking. Speaking about the issue, R K Badigannavar, Deputy Director of State Central Library, Cubbon Park said, “The Department of Horticulture has auctioned the area to a private organisation for generating income. Readers who spend their time here have to spend money for parking their vehicles. We have been receiving complaints from the readers regarding the same.” The problem has been persistent for the past six to seven months.Badigannavar added that this issue will be discussed in the budget meeting to provide better facilities for the readers. The library also faces the constraint of space to accommodate new books. “Preservation of old books and the posterity of knowledge is very essential. The old books cannot be sold or put to scrap as they are the basis of knowledge for future generation. Library grows as a child grows in terms of the books and the readers who visit here.”When City Express interacted with the readers, some were content with the facilities provided and the environment in the library, while others expressed their disappointment over the lack of books on some particular subjects.Suggesting some modifications, Rajakumar, a student and visitor who spends an hour in this library said, “There are not many books on engineering subjects. I would request the library authorities to facilitate the visitors with Internet and computer facilities.”
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