Unfolding chapters of a pioneering library in the hills
D.S. Senanayake Memorial Public Library: Making a worthy contribution to literacy in the Central Province
September is known as the reading month or literature month and making a worthy contribution to literacy in the Central Province is the century-old D.S. Senanayake Memorial Public Library in Kandy. In past years many programmes were arranged during the month, but with the COVID-19 pandemic activities have been curtailed. Still with their centenary celebration approaching in October, many events are being planned.
Opened in 1841 as the Central Town Library, originally a subscription library for the English educated local and foreign readers, in 1920 it was handed over to the Kandy Municipal Council as financial constraints crippled its functioning. It was opened on October 1, 1920, in a small building on Trincomalee Street as the first free public library in the island.
Librarian Mrs. H.M.P. Herath said the library was inaugurated as the D.S. Senanayake Memorial Public Library in 1962. The main library has seven sections- Lending, Reference, Children’s, Reading Rooms, Study Hall, Mobile and Binding Section. The Library has six branch libraries in Wattarentenne, Mahaweli Uyana, Mawilmada, Navayalatenne, Mahaiyawa and Nelumpokuna.
“The main library has a large collection of books numbering around 300,000 in Sinhala, Tamil and English.The Reference section has rare books which are used mainly by students, scholars, historians and writers,” Mrs Herath said.
Lending section
Now fully automated using the KOHA Integrated Library System, the library has all the technology and on-line information facilities for the use of members and the general public, Mrs Herath said.
On June 13, 1983, the E.L. Senanayake Children’s Library was inaugurated and it has many activities such as the ‘Kala Ulela’ and Art competition with the Kandurata FM Broadcasting Station and ‘Story Hour’. With schools now reopening, the Library is ready to get back into full gear.
The Kandy Municipal Council has pre-schools under its purview and the Librarian has submitted a request to the authorities to enrol children of six years of age as members. She said, “This is to encourage children to get used to the reading habit from a young age as now children and young adults are less interested in reading due to their addiction to mobile phones and playing games.”
The Mobile Library started on March 29, 2002 meanwhile provides a valuable service with some 22 service points with 9180 books and 2144 registered members. It serves elders’ homes, children’s homes, Prisons, Government and private sector office staff, villages and destitute people who are unable to come to the library. The membership fee is waived for those from the Deaf and Blind School, elders’ homes and children’s homes.”
Library Assistant Vimukthi Herath is in charge of the Braille Section which was started on September 8, 2010.
There are many CDs and a unique method of a taped voice for the visually handicapped. The Braille books can be borrowed and read at leisure. This is the only active Braille library section in the Central Province.
The day’s newspapers can be accessed by anyone by producing their National IDs or any other authentic identification. There are also magazines, local and foreign in English and Tamil for reading.
periodical section
The membership fee is very nominal. For adults in the Kandy Municipal Limits it’s a deposit of Rs.250 and an annual subscription of Rs.150, while children have a Rs.100 deposit and an annual subscription of Rs.50. “Every year the library selects four students from low income families attending small schools in the city and gives them free membership,” Mrs Herath added.
“The library staff visits schools and home libraries and instructs them how they should maintain a library in a proper manner, according to a library system. Some homes even have a system of lending books to their neighbours and others,” said the Librarian.
The library has had international assistance over the years. “On February 2, 2007 a fire destroyed the Auditorium. The American Embassy which helped us to establish the ‘American Corner’ in the library renovated the auditorium with a capacity to seat 700 people. They also started English and IT classes for students. There is also an ‘Indian Corner’,” Mrs Herath said.
In 2001 under Japanese aid, the reference and lending sections were expanded with more facilities.
Celebrating 100 years in Library service, on October 19, there will be an all-night ‘pirith’ ceremony and ‘heel dana’(breakfast) the next day for 25 Buddhist monks.