Stocked with thought

In a school in Matunga a teen is looking for Alaska No not the American state its a John Green book he is referring to After spending a minute browsing the library catalogue on the computer he finds it And thats what the Bandana Sen Library Award strives to celebrate mdash the effort of the school in building a reading culture Constituted by Delhibased One Up Library Bookstudio and Learning Lab the award is named after the late eminent librarian So we dropped by four city schools where the library isnt just a room with booksFinding satisfactionDenis Dabre has been a librarian at Malads St Annes High School for 19 years So when asked what keeps him going he replies When a student has a query and I can pull a book out and show them the exact chapter where the answer lies I find satisfaction knowing they are satisfied Although one can find anything from a Jane Austen to a Jeffrey Archer in the space the collection of 7500 books now solely relies on donations Dabre elaborates I pursued library sciences because a relative told me that there was job security The government has stopped giving funds for the past 10 years and even filling vacant posts of retired librarians I also do administrative work along with this This must change in aided schoolsArati Sriram of Don Bosco International School PicAtul KambleAn international edgeDon Bosco International Schools library mdash where Alaska was found mdash was inaugurated only in 2017 but boasts of a collection of 12000 titles These also include Indian publishers like Tara Pratham and Tulika Led by Arati Sriram a librarian with 23 years of experience students can also browse through Storyweaver mdash an online platform that offers books in multiple languages mdash inside the library on desktops Since we are starting an IB diploma programme next year were in the process of developing a collection of fictionnonfiction titles for that as well as teachers resource books Sriram saysKavita Dholakia of The Cathedral amp John Connon Junior School Fort PicBipin KokateThe teaching librarianFor Kavita Dholakia being a teacherlibrarian is the need of the hour At The Cathedral amp John Connon Junior Schools library theres a rug laid out with cushions where Dholakia sits with the kids and reads to them There are ample reading programmes that she has devised including one thats called 10 before 10 They have to read 10 classic books before they turn 10 They get a badge for that So one of them came to me saying Maam I just turned 10 yesterday I still have one classic left she laughs You can also spot titles on gender identity and expression and racism in both the Indian and international context As Dholakia says Everything is not rosy They need to know what is happening around the world and what they can do henceforthMallika George and Vaishali Dhawalikar of Gopi Birla Memorial School Malabar Hill PicAshish RajeTaking incentiveThe 66yearold library at Gopi Birla Memorial School in SoBo was renovated three years ago Their collection comprises over 40000 books Librarians Vaishali Dhawalikar and Mallika George have been helming it for 17 and nine years respectively Titles have been segregated according to grades mdash so you can find versions of a Shakespearean classic suited for different age groups Today it is better to be a librarian I remember my teacher would visit the library pick 10 books and distribute it in class We didnt get to choose Dhawalikar recalls while George mentions how patience is key Dealing with children in grades seven and eight is particularly challenging because they become withdrawn mdash its a phase she says The two also reward voracious readers with books or stationery out of their own money mdash which goes to show that although its a task to be a librarian this isnt just a jobDalbir Kaur Madan and Abha AdamsThe Bandana Sen Library AwardsAlthough only ICSE and CBSE schools are allowed to participate in the award the initiative hopes to create an imprint for others Schools send applications and the winner will get a cash prize of R50000 This will be allotted to the librarian and the school head to invest in the library Dalbir Kaur Madan of One Up says while educational consultant Abha Adams who is on the jury says that an important factor for her is the sincerity of intent It is not a question of resources but the willingness to create them she addsLog on to bslawebflowioCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates