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The School Library The place I loved most during the later half of my school days, once I stepped into Senior School. The reasons were simple :  It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.  It was the neatest and cleanest place in Mount Hermon with out the ubiquitous decoration of used TP that one saw displayed all over the school.  It was also one of the brightest places with windows all around and potted plants in the window sills and old pictures, shields and trophies placed here and there.  With reference to the above …the perfect place to read, study, daydream, compose letters…depending upon the mood and situation. We weren’t allowed to enter the main library till we were in Class 7, but Mr. Johnston created a special opportunity for me to have access to the main library. How proud I felt with my own library card in Class 6. Teachers like Mr. Martin , Mr. Soggee guided me in my quest for “good literature” throughout my years in senior school. I remember some other voracious readers like Ramteii (Lalramliani) and Trishna Gurung. I remember our library had a collection of these glossy coffee table books on the cities of the world (each book was based entirely on one particular city) and we would pore over these books imagining glamorous lives for ourselves when we grew up in one city or the other. Even today, I can sometimes recall where the encyclopaedias were kept, on which shelves the Nancy Drew series were located and in which corner of the library would I find my favourite book, “The Far Pavilions”. Some of the most memorable books that I read from our library that come to mind are Gone with the Wind, L.M Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables/ Avonlea /Island etc., Roots, Thornbirds. At that time my biggest grouse was that the library did not stock Sidney Sheldons ! I do not remember which year it was, but I did become a Library Prefect and I proudly went around wearing my badge which said “Library” , even though it was considered a sissy thing. (One of the best thing that M.H has done for me is to give me faith in myself irrespective of what others say ….but that’s another story.) . I even got the Library Prize that year ! Great credit must be given to Mrs. Lall and then Mrs. Mathai (wife of Mr. Joseph Mathai) who take great pains in keeping the library in order. I remember Mrs. Mathai giving me the book list that the senior students/teachers had given her and then timing me as to how fast I could trace these books. Once I had come across a geography book that dated back to 1932 and Mrs. Mathai had told me that our school’s collection of books had been started by Mr. Dewey . After leaving school, my college library in Delhi was a shock and shame to me but out of sheer habit I still spent time there till I discovered British Council. Back in Kolkata I still am an avid reader and am a member of BCL but it fails in comparison to the warm atmosphere that M.H had, I have heard that these days our dear library is in a bad shape with books being defaced and torn. I don’t want to elaborate further because this thought greatly saddens me. This habit of reading is one of my greatest boons, as good books have always been my companions and comfort during times of pain, loneliness and worry and at the same time they have been with me as I celebrated my small joys and successes. By : Debamitra Graduated : 1994 Date : 2/12/2004 8:27 |
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