Written by Blaise D’sa
Two months ago Bookworm revamped the library space at the Alban Couto Community Library in the hope of reorganising and refreshing the library collection. What catches the eye as you enter is a visually attractive space which houses three book shelves replete with diverse books. To the right of the room is a small area with a display shelf as well as a rattan stand holding books which revolve around a theme. Christmas being the theme of this month. This area also has a reference shelf with compact rows of books that includes Encyclopedias and Dictionaries.
Books are classified into two main categories Fiction and Non-fiction. In Fiction we have different types of books such as Picture books, Folktales, Readers, Series, Graphic and Authors. Within the Non- fiction category books are animals, space, human body, social science, autobiography, nature and environment. On a small stool in a corner sits two sets of books ‘highly recommended’ and ‘Indian authors’. Also there is a small collection of old favourites with Enid Blyton and Geronimo Stilton books.
When I asked members about the new setup and collection I’ve had mixed responses from them. One young member felt that the previous collection was better as it had more funny books. Artemis Fowl series has definitely been the flavour of the season among the young adults while the themed book display, a section that was missing in the old collection instantly draws visitor’s attention and they keep coming for more. An adult who has a library membership feels that the library should have something for parents too, especially the ones who visit the library with their children. We’ve paid heed to his suggestion and have started a subscription of a few magazines and newspapers. The picture pop-up books are a hit with our tiny tots in particular Elmo’s Big -Lift and- Look Book. 
There’s been a lot of excitement with children holidaying in Aldona. A good way of introducing them to world of books is through books of picture riddles and pillow books – our latest addition. What I’ve noticed is members spending more time selecting a book these days as they have a much bigger and better choice. Based on their interest Bookworm, Panjim makes it a point to send across some good reads. More cat books, magic books, books on sports, specific authors have recently made their way to ACCL. The collection has even inspired an eleven year old to write a story about his cats. I am also very pleased that many seniors in and around Aldona have taken to reading Children books, as one of them mentioned that she gets to experience her childhood reading these books. Another member felt that it would be lovely to have a few books in regional languages as it would make the space more inclusive. 
Colourful throw pillows and a jute rug are just some of the nice things that were added to create the right reading ambience. ACCL is making every attempt to encourage children to come and read and feel at ease and we can already see it happening.
