The Community Library Project believes all people should have access to books. We are an anti-caste people's initiative. We are committed to the work of building the movement for a publicly owned, free library system that is accessible to all. Access cannot be built without reference to the history of excluding people from reading. It is important to critique the normalisation of the lack of libraries in India as a first step toward the argument for creation of a public library system.
The Right To Read We need to reimagine public libraries as inclusive spaces
The idea of a free library exists in sharp contrast to India’s long history of gatekeeping knowledge, where communities have been excluded from reading and learning because they are the wrong caste or gender. At the same time, the myth that excluded groups have no interest, aptitude or need for reading is so widely perpetuated that India currently has no public library system which proactively invites them. With the majority of Indians left out of reading for generations, it’s no surprise that we find ourselves a billion strong population that cannot discern real from fake information, articulate their oppression within the framework of other oppressions or find freedom in the world of ideas.
Full Article by Purnima Rao, Director, Free Libraries Network - FLN published in The Indian Express in the link below.
We have found that many of our members can read words, but do so very slowly. We’ve developed ways to help build reading fluency. Several of the practices we used could be easily adapted for use in schools, even ones with poor teacher:student ratios. They are easy to implement for teachers, research-proven, and all it requires is time, books and commitment.
Detailed program notes and evaluation summaries are available from the link below.
Student Leaders and Core Group members are committed leaders and advocates in the library movement. They are responsible for the circulation program, for doing read alouds, for creating and implementing programs with the help of staff and volunteers.
