MyVoice: Views of our readers 7th January 2025

Libraries can help nurture informed citizens

Apropos, “In India, libraries still creating community reading spaces” (THI, Jan 6), the editorial rightly draws attention to the quiet but vital role libraries continue to play in an age dominated by screens. While digital access has expanded knowledge, it has not replaced the need for shared physical spaces that encourage reading, reflection, and community interaction.

The concern, however, lies in uneven support and maintenance. Many public libraries suffer from poor funding. Governments and local bodies must ensure steady budgets, updated books in regional languages, and basic infrastructure. Partnerships with schools, resident associations, and volunteers can help libraries host reading clubs, discussions, and learning activities. Modest investments can yield lasting social returns. Libraries can help nurture informed citizens and sustaining a reading culture that technology alone cannot provide.

Avinashiappan Myilsami, Coimbatore-641402

Boosting reading culture,bridging digital divide

This is further to your editorial “In India, libraries still creating community reading spaces,” (THI, Jan 6). Public libraries function as vital community reading spaces in India opening doors to the world of knowledge for every age-group, including students, casual readers and lifelong learners. More than repositories of print, they serve as inclusive spaces for quiet study, curiosity, and discovery across cities and towns.

For many first-generation learners, libraries reduce financial barriers and bridge the digital divide through shared resources. Children discover reading habits, elders stay connected to current affairs, and citizens engage with literature and ideas beyond textbooks. Library reading rooms often host talks, clubs, and cultural activities that strengthen community bonds. In doing so, these great institutions help promote and sustain a reading culture.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru-560056

Community reading spaces need sustained govt support

This refers to “In India, libraries still creating community reading spaces” (THI Jan 6). The editorial rightly highlights the quiet persistence of public libraries in building reading habits, especially among younger people from less privileged backgrounds. Yet the gap between the promised 622 new libraries and the current reality remains wide, and delays in fund transfers continue to hamper progress.

A practical step forward would be to simplify the release of central grants and allow states greater flexibility in utilising them. Regular monitoring and public updates on the scheme’s status could also build accountability. With steady support, libraries can remain vital spaces for learning in an increasingly digital world.

Abbharna Barathi, Chennai-23

A boon for even rural India

This refers to your editorial ‘In India, libraries still creating community reading spaces’. It is heartening that the reading habit persists in the country, thanks to millions of people who swear by the reading habit.

The growing influence of visual media and several short-cuts to easy learning, has not dented the advantages or dampened the spirit and pleasure of reading in rural India, which boasts of 46, 746 public libraries across states and UTs. Additionally, there are ‘reading rooms’ in innumerable villages, having a stock of books.

K R Venkata Narasimhan, Madurai

SC interventions augur well

It is with reference to the editorial page article “Rule of law in 2025: Upholding rights of common man” (THI, Jan 6). In 2025, the Supreme Court significantly intervened to uphold the Constitution and rule of law notably by seeking timeline for Governor’s assent to State Bills, among several other such landmark decisions.

A notable ruling under article 21A, ‘compensation for a transgender person denied employment’, highlighted gaps between legal promises and implementation. These rulings demonstrate the apex court’s active role in interpreting and enforcing constitutional mandates, amid evolving governance challenges in India. Last year, SC resolved major disputes, and initiated cases (suo moto) to address injustices, making them crucial for democracy and justice delivery.

P Victor Selvaraj, Tirunelveli-627002