Trichy: Two months after the state’s first street library opened in Officers Colony near Trichy general hospital, close to 4,000 people have accessed the facility, thus keeping the library functioning round-the-clock. Since the facility helps the public get one book free of cost for every book they deposit, bibliophiles in the city consider the library as their paradise while well-wishers have been continuing to deposit books.To increase the reading habit of residents, particularly students, the Trichy Corporation on December 20, 2018, opened the library at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh. Sprawling over 10,000sqft on either side of Officers Colony road in ward number 52 of K Abishekapuram zone, the facility has got seven book racks to accommodate a maximum of 500-600 books.Besides, stone benches have been put up to enable the public to read the books at the facility. Almost 55 days after the library was opened for public use, nearly 4,000 people have visited it of which at least 2,700 visitors have exchanged their books.“Have become a weekly visitor as old books which are not available in bookshops now are found in the racks here. Small books on self-help and philosophies available here can be read in a week and exchanged later,” S Sivalingam, a retired government employee from Woraiyur said.The list of book donors include the district collector K Rajamani who has deposited more than 10 books. “Senior citizens, even from the outskirts of the city and Srirangam are travelling the distance to collect books from here,” a supervisor at the library said.Trichy Corporation has appointed a temporary supervisor in the facility to assist the readers to deposit and collect books. “There has been a good response as well as demand for more such street libraries. We have to observe for some more time, more such street libraries shall come if there are possibilities,” N Ravichandran, commissioner, Trichy Corporation said.

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