Kids' library reopens after facelift

KOLKATA: Apeejay Anand Children's Library, which started off in 1992, has become a familiar destination for young people on Park Street a place to nurture dreams and aspirations between the towering bookshelves. Now, it has been given a vibrant makeover to make it all the more appealing to youngsters.
It is a total overhauling of the space, with a special performing stage and interesting artwork all over.The renovated and revamped space was inaugurated on September 8. Special guests present on the occasion were C V Muralidhar, IPS, IG, BSF Eastern Zone; Amit Choudhuri, the well known novelist and musician; Sikha Mukherjee, member-representative, Apeejay Education Trust and Maina Bhagat, chief of Oxford Gallery.
The event started with a presentation by the library children underprivileged kids from the Mullickbazar slums exploring their emotional and social attachment to the library. Rita Chatterjee, principal and administrator of Apeejay Schools, Kolkata, welcomed the guests and spoke briefly about the library activities.
This was followed by a chorus performance by the library children and the main schoolchildren. Amit Choudhuri shared his thoughts about libraries and got nostalgic remembering his own school library. There were four dance performances by the library and schoolchildren. The parents of participating children were also present, along with librarians and students from city's three premier schools.
The library was originally designed and founded to accommodate and cater to the needs of underprivileged children, along with others. It organizes activities, training programmes and workshops for slum children at regular intervals. Reputable trainers and star performers volunteer to offer such trainings. Shiamak Davar, Rudraprasad Sengupta, Alokananda Datta, Shaonli Mitra, Shuvaprasanna and others have often provided a guiding light to the library kids.
Apeejay Schools, Kolkata, has been a friendly associate from its time of inception. The school students are present every Monday with their "Each one Teach one" programme to teach slum children.