Building The People's Library: India's Free Library Movement
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Purnima Rao and Shivam Singh presented India's Free Library Movement, a grassroots network of over 300 young librarians and activists working to establish free, inclusive libraries across India. They discussed how systemic barriers like caste, class, and gender have historically excluded people from reading, and showcased their work building community libraries that serve first-generation readers and marginalized populations, while also advocating for a national library policy.
Key takeaways
- India lacks standardized public data on its libraries and many government libraries remain underutilized or inaccessible to historically excluded communities due to systemic barriers.
- The Free Libraries Movement operates on principles of anti-caste, feminist, and free access to libraries, treating reading as a constitutional right rather than a privilege.
- Community libraries adapt dynamically to local needs, from providing COVID support and Afghan refugee assistance to offering agricultural resources and college preparation programs.
- India's grassroots librarians are overwhelmingly young people who have grown into leadership roles through library membership programs and internships, like Shivam's journey from member to web manager.
- Mobile and donkey libraries in remote regions, combined with digital programming, extend library access to geographically isolated and underserved populations.
About Purnima Rao and Shivam SinghPurnima Rao and Shivam Singh are leaders in India's Free Libraries Network. Shivam is a youth activist and web manager who began as a library member in 2014 and has grown into a leadership role, while also being a musician and rapper advocating for the movement.
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
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Program: Building The People's Library: India's Free Library Movement
Speaker: Purnima Rao and Shivam Singh
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
Public libraries are an essential institution in the educational, cultural and literary life of its people. By definition, public libraries democratize knowledge and learning by welcoming all, without prejudice. However in India, caste, class and gender are powerful barriers that have kept a majority of the people outside the doors of the library. The public library system, which should have democratized knowledge, has become a means by which it is gatekept. However, across India, a group of grassroots individuals are working against tremendous odds to create libraries for the people which are free, anti-caste, and inclusive of all. This collective is proving that reading is not dead, physical books and reading spaces are urgently needed, and that if there is a threat to reading, it is lack of libraries, not interest in the community. Today's presentation will tell the story of this grassroots library movement, its history, and the exciting way ahead.
Purnima Rao is a library activist from India and the first director of Free Libraries Network. After spending 15 years making documentary films, in 2015, she became involved with a group of educator activists that built free public libraries for marginalized and historically excluded communities in India. This was a radical grassroots initiative in a country where caste, class, and gender prevent millions of Indians from accessing books, reading programs, and finding opportunities for lifelong learning. In 2020, the pandemic brought much of the country's education system to its knees, and nowhere was this more apparent than in India's poorest and most disenfranchised communities. Purnima was then tasked by a group of librarians to develop and drive a pan-India collective that would shed light on the vital role that informal, grassroots, community-led libraries play across the country.
Shivam Singh, aka Kranti Ke, has been a member of the community library project since 2014 and has handled various roles along his journey. Shivam is also a rapper and a part of a duo rap band called 10TAKK, which means "knock." He has written songs for the community, and loves the chance to serve in this way. Shivam is a BTech student and likes working on cool projects with the help of AI.
Members and guests, please welcome Purnima Rao and Shivam Singh!
To learn more, go to:
Official Website: https://www.fln.org.in
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freelibrariesnetworkfln3274
Press: https://www.ptinews.com/story/national/no-sharp-shushes-or-finger-on-the-lips-community-libraries-reimagine-reading-spaces/2476372
OpEd by Purnima Rao: https://idronline.org/article/advocacy-government/can-free-public-libraries-catalyse-communities/
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