Watching a Community Library Begin

 
It is Sunday morning. We have rain in short bursts that render the green and the red sharper to the eye. I walk through a narrow lane, escaping a large buffalo ( if the buffalo would write, he might say the same thing!) and approach a plastic covered verandah. A low hum of voices greet my ears before I see.
Settled in two neat rows are 17 children. Girls arranged on one side, boys on the other, each one clutching a book in their hands. No adult in sight.
“Why are you here “I ask ?         Silence.
“Whom are you waiting for ? “, I ask.
“Sir” is the resounding response.
Sir, is the gentle, active library educator from Goa’s Krishnadas Shama Central Library – Kedar Gaude.
Sir, is also my mentee on the Library Educator’s Course and I am here in Khazan Wado, Veling, Priol to observe Kedar explore a project around setting up a community library practice.
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Library practice in the absence of a course like the LEC often means collection – cataloguing – record maintenance and such. From the LEC perspective, it begins with relationships.
Kedar and mine are no different. Over the past five months, we began a relationship of understanding each other. Kedar was terrified when he learnt I would be his mentor. He imagined me to be a hard, driven woman who speaks English is fast disconnected stretches occasionally pausing to cry over a child who reads her/ his first book or a parent who has high hopes for the library to change their lives.
We have met often enough to now understand each other better. We laugh together more than we cry. Kedar has worked hard on written assignments with me, pushing himself to read and find recourse to improve his writing. He has never said anything is impossible even when I slyly raise the bar on this young man.
In a mid-course reflection, Kedar writes this, “After joining the LEC course I have started reading children’s books, which I was not reading before. Previously mostly I was doing copy and pasting work to complete my assignments. But now I got little confidence to express my own views.”
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Before beginning his field project in Veling, Priol, Kedar and his colleague Padmaja, both extended themselves to understand what and how a community program may be. They attended Bookworm’s outreach program session, took copious, thoughtful notes. Observed everything, including the plastic boxes that hold stationery and got themselves prepared. Quietly.
There were days I heard nothing and I wondered but I should have ceased to worry. In his own way, Kedar was laying the ground for his relationship with the proposed community. He identified a site, networked with a key community member, endeared himself to the children and a month later I am observing a session of pure joy.
***
Right from the greetings of entry to the greetings of exit, Kedar, Rashmita and Padmaja were caring and present. Kedar prepares a careful plan for each session. He internalises this plan. He prepares his material carefully and in a startlingly organised manner thinking of eventualities like additional children and such and he does this with grace.
I watched children who four weeks ago had never had a library practice, return books, borrow fresh ones – use their own library cards.
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I watched them listen and respond to the difference between a magazine and a story book, thinking of merits and such between both.
I watched them listen with rapt attention and participate with whole hearted joy in a read aloud.
I watched them browse and try to read a fresh story, noting difficult words and sharing these with Kedar and the team for support.
I watched them create, draw and participate in games and extension activities that will stretch the joy of the library class long after the mats are folded and we walk away.
I watched this all on a Sunday morning and I know library practice works as does Kedar Gaude.

2 comments

  1. Usha Mukunda

    This was such a moving account, I cried too as I looked. More so because I remember how Kedar came to us in the first LEC session. Shy, hesitant, almost fearful and now look at him!!Sujata, I must say,so much credit goes to you for having built this relationship with him which has inspired, enriched and transformed his view and his vision.And credit to Kedar too for having opened himself to a new and life-changing experience. I laughed and I cried!!

  2. raghini

    Wow Kedar way to go.

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