Some of the public libraries in Tiruchi have voluntarily extended their working hours to help aspirants preparing for civil service exams and regular visitors from suburban and rural areas.

The Branch government libraries in Thendral Nagar, Ayyappa Nagar and Adavathur usually function from 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. However, seeing the demand from those preparing for competitive exams, the librarians have decided to keep these institutions open throughout the lunch break.

“We get around 70-75 visitors per day. Of this, around 10-15 male and female students come to us just for exam preparation. We have to keep the library throughout the day, because many of them come from distant locations. With the approval of my seniors, I have been permitted to appoint an assistant on my own expense to help manage the library,” Shakeela Begum, librarian, Branch Library, Thendral Nagar, told The Hindu.

The library has 8,000 members, and an active Readers’ Forum that works towards its maintenance.

“Most of public library buildings in Tiruchi need to be upgraded. We are now catering to a new type of readership that expects digital content and internet-ready material in libraries. The world has shrunk into the mobile phone, and reading rooms give a chance to break that dependence,” Ms. Shakeela said.

At the Branch Library in Ayyappa Nagar, which has 6,000 members, at least 10 students come regularly for exam preparation. “They come at around 9 a.m. and leave by 7.30 p.m. everyday. I manage the daily operations and keep the library open during the lunch break as well, because this is a safe space for young people who are engaged in long-term studies,” said A. Vijaylakshmi, the librarian.

The library has over 28,000 books and five computers with free internet connection. “Due to the summer heat, air-conditioning has become a must. We are trying to raise donations for this through our Readers’ Forum,” the librarian added.

The government library at Adavathur attracts at least 10-15 exam aspirants every year, and many of those who study here have passed them with good results. “We have 15 students who are here from morning to night for studies. We are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the students who come from nearby hamlets such as Koyyathopu, Thayanur, Pallakadu and Sunnambukkaranpatti, cannot go home for lunch and return. So the library is kept open for their convenience,” said librarian P. Devaki.