Kitabon ka ghar

As the festive season has already begun, in one of our monthly meetings, at work, the agenda was - De-clutter your workspace.

And a meeting involving about 20 people is bound to be full of discussions and distortions on what is essential and what not.

Amidst all this, one person suggested we get rid of the library.

For an avid reader like me, it was a shock. How can anyone even say so!

But he was not entirely illogical. His reasons were -

1. Over time, number of people issuing books to read, has reduced.

2. Many books are old and in a tattered state.

Given today's technology dependence everyone wants everything on/in their mobile.

Old books are classics but now no one wants to indulge in them.

According to the dictionary, library is - a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals for use or borrowing.

When I was in school, we had open book shelves and we could take a book and get it issued to take home and same was in my PG college.

But my graduation college had books in looked cupboards and same is so with my office. In both these places, the books are issued but kept locked all the time.

We all know - knowledge increases by sharing, then why we need locks. Infact, for that matter, why a library needs that issuing system. Anyone who wants to read should be free to choose a book and read at one's leisure without the boundation of a finishing date.

This is one reason I love the concept of free open libraries.

People, institutions have kept their collection of books out in open for a reader to pick up and read.

This actually helps in making people read who think either they cannot buy books or don't want to.

I know of a person, who is a book lovers but never shares them with anyone. His theory is, if you want to read one of my books, do it at my place, only.

Yes, we all book lovers get possessive about our books but it's a great feeling to share a book you loved with someone and then discuss about it. I have been part of such discussions and I enjoy them the most. Especially when it is a thriller.

Well, I even know a person, who is an avid reader and who wholeheartedly shares each and every book that he has, with everyone. He loves books but more than that he loves talking about what's written in them.

My affair with reading has been on and off as usually any relationship is. I started reading in primary school by looking at the pretty picture books and a few fairy tales that I got as presents then found video games and our relationship was over.

Then took on reading again in highschool with the draw of Nancy Drew's and Hardy Boys and we broke up again.

In senior school, a few classmates introduced me to Mills and Boons and Sidney Sheldon and the rise in hormones pulled me back to my past relationship.

With the busy and tiring work life, reading was also a gone by.

A few years later, met few like-minded reader and reading and I are back again. And this time, this one is forever. If you keep coming back to something, means  that's very very special. And this is the reason I want everyone to read.

I like how people read in different styles. Some draw pictures along, some use highlighters to highlight what they like, some scribble around their opinion, some dog-ear their favorite pages And some want to keep it as clean as new.

But all of this make them so personal and so having a library, whether at home or office is a must.

I have a Kindle library and a mini library at home too.

It's a surreal feeling when you are reading something as it takes you to a different world all together. It opens the imagination and relieves one from the mundane. And this is why I not only want to read but share it with others as well.

To all those wondering, what happened in my office....we still have books and the library...but without locked cupboards. It is an open library now, for everyone to read. 

Besides the management has added few new books as well. :)


P.S. Every alternate Wednesday is dedicated to stories or instances or learnings that I learn or implement at work. So stay tuned for #WorkWednesdays