Who Do Not Belong There - Essay Example

Who do not Belong! Governments in every country provide different public utility services for the benefit of their citizens. These facilities are primarily intended to cater to the needs of specific groups who require such services for enhancing the quality of their academic, professional or personal lives apart from being sources of entertainment. A public library is such a facility which is intended to benefit the community and to extend them access to book, journals, magazines, newspapers and other periodicals. Besides, libraries also provide audiovisual equipment, internet connections, and other related services for the use of its members. Thus it becomes obvious that a library is a utility facility for the people in a community for their academic, professional and personal development as well as a place where they can entertain themselves through television and other media. Also, the role of libraries as sources of information is very crucial in any civilized society and this is specially so in the case of students. College and university libraries house a lot of books besides those related to academic field. These include literature, general subjects, comics etc. It is a well known fact that books contribute predominantly in the emotional and intellectual development of students besides teaching them morals, values, ethics as well as giving them knowledge about other cultures and civilizations. Therefore, one can say that libraries have a pivotal role not only in the students' academic pursuits but also in their grooming as responsible individuals. I am a frequent visitor to my university library. This is a place where I find the necessary calm and serenity which afford me the ability to concentrate, and also, as an avid reader, I cherish the library's resources as an invaluable treasure. I am further a keen observer of my surroundings and this habit developed in me right from my childhood. Thus I happened to observe some of the people who visit the library and I know they are not coming there for basically for any purpose for which a library is intended. On the other hand, they had some ulterior motive for coming to the Library. These are the lot I would term as 'Who do not Belong' here! It was the weekend and I was so immersed with the literature text I was reading that I hardly paid any attention to the person who passed me onto the next shelf of books. After some time, I got distracted with the sharp metallic noise emerging from the next shelf of books. Piquing my curiosity, the tone of the music prompted me to investigate its source. There he was - gyrating his hips in tandem with the rhythmic beats of an orchestra by a popular musician. The headphone, forging an arch shaped dip in his curly, black hair, chimed in full blast as he danced and hummed the tune aloud. He was about twenty; a slender masculine youngster, with a clean-shaven face. He was simultaneously sifting through a book, occasionally straightening a dog-eared page, and then he moved to another in an automatic manner, sans no interest on the contents of the page. Of course, he was not serious either about the book or its contents and he seemed to derive his pleasure from just turning the pages. From the back cover I found the novel was Stephen King's it. This would have been an extremely bizarre experience for Mr. King, and he would have definitely written a book on the horror he felt, had he been on this macabre scene. In the next instant, I found the youngster moving onto another shelf, singing and making gestures with his hands, causing distraction to the people present there. No doubt, people like him did not belong to a library, and all they can do is defeat the entire purpose of a library's existence. The concept of libraries as places of serenity and calmness remain so only in the conceptual level as I could find many people using their cellular phones so indiscriminately in the premises of the library where their use was restricted. A college girl of around twenty two captured my special notice because of the peculiar way she was engaged in long talks with people, one after the other. She wore a black skirt and pink colored blouse and had a defiant look in her eyes. The fact that she was giving the least respect to the privacy, and the right of others to read books, annoyed me. No doubt, she was in her own world, and the ecstasy on her face and the vigor in her voice reminded one of an ardent lover engaged in soft conversation. To add to the chaos created by her, there were a series of ringing tones from other cellular phones in the library. I wondered at how people could turn a public utility service like a library for their private rooms where they are privileged to undertake any sort of activities to their own convenience. The answer was quite simple - the place did not belong to them or rather they did not belong to the place! There are yet another category of people who come to the library, for purposes other than it is intended for, simply because they are bored and waiting for the next class. They visit the library only because they have nothing else to do during the intermittent period between two classes. They come in groups and engage themselves in idle talk. One could hear them cracking jokes which very often ended up in boisterous laughter and ensuing cacophony. The library for them is a place for eavesdropping, spreading rumors, generating hearsay and narrating concocted stories. Most of them do not want to know what the books in the library have got to offer them. While they waste their precious time on useless activities, the books in those teakwood shelves languish behind shining glass panels, yearning for the touch of a hand that cherished them. But inconsiderate people in those examples I cited, often took the liberty to encroach into the privacy of others and nullified the entire purpose of the existences of such institutions. They should not be encouraged to bring such disgrace upon a sacred place as library where the wisdom of the past as well as the seeds for the future are being stored. People, who take the library for a restaurant or an eating joint, are the next segment who does not belong to the place. It is a frequent sight to find such people with either drinks or food in their hands in libraries. They do carry a lot of eatables and drinkables with them and very often leave traces of their illegitimate visit to the library. They do not attribute any value or importance to the place, and for them a library is nothing different from a children's play area or a public park which they could put to any use they deemed right. They use it as a lobby where they have access for refreshment as well as entertainment. Many of them do not realize what for the libraries are built and what sort of a behavior is expected from them in a library. One could also find similar signs of gluttony on the picturesque meadow to the left side of the library's main building which resembled more of a beach than a lawn. No doubt, the lawn was so beautifully designed with a view to provide the members with a natural setting where they could be in the lap of nature, giving vent to their creative and imaginative faculties. The place has now deteriorated into a place for smokers and drinkers, who make a mess of the tranquil atmosphere of the lawn. For many, coming to the library is a mere business of visiting the lawn which provides them with myriads of entertainment. Such people, who are like nomads who travel with no destination or aim, do not belong to the library for any reason. As I was observing the lawn through the left window, I could find a man and woman approaching the library. Within no time, they were so close to me. They seemed to be either couples or lovers. Both of them were in their later teens and were so much preoccupied with themselves that soon they forgot the fact that they were in a public library. They behaved as if the library was the best place for them to court each other and one could notice the advancements made by the man and the positive response by the girl. I could also sense that these couples were the centers of attraction for everyone in the library and I can assure you that this indecent behavior pattern by the couples as well as lovers in libraries is something which needs to be checked. These types of behaviors are also capable of spreading wrong messages to the onlookers regarding the proper and discrete use of libraries, and this would result in lack of discipline and unrest in others. People who come to the library for these purposes undermine the very reason of visiting a library and make themselves butts of ridicule; because these types of people misuse the place, they are strangers to the library and do not belong to it. They do not have any sort of sentiments attached to such a sacred place which is intended to imbibe values in us. Now days, people who come to use the internet facilities form a majority of the visitors to the library. Public internet access provided by the library is very widely misused by youngsters who visit the libraries. Video games, CDs and cassettes fascinate young people and everyday I could find groups of youngsters engaged in activities of these sorts. My observations on these people have convinced me of the fact that rather than using the net to get access to information sharing, their focus is on the entertainment aspect of the library set up. It was a painful sight for me to find these youngsters deviating from the mainstream path and being misguided in their orientation and focus, as I knew for certain that these youngsters are to shape the future destiny of the nation. They need to be guided in the right path and a love for books is to be instilled and inculcated in the minds of children with proper guidance and there should be efficient policies and measures to prevent these youngsters to get exposed to sites and sources of information that have a negative impact on their personalities. For this, a sense of belongingness is to be nurtured in their minds and one day they should be able to confess: "yea! It really belongs to us!" A keen and close observation on the people who come to the library has enabled me to identify a large variety that does not have a sense of belonging to the library, nor any good reason for being there. There are several types of individuals who mar the sanctity of the place and make fun of the establishment. They vary from boys and girls who use library as means for socialization, people who wander throughout the library aimlessly, saying hi or hello to everyone who comes across them, people who take a number of books and return them without reading and individuals who look scornfully at others who seriously make use of the library facilities. They do not realize the fact that serious readers come to the library as it offers them access to a new world of letters which is not affordable for them on their own. These types of people are spoiling the mood and atmosphere of serious users of the facility and render their precious time useless by causing a lot of hurdles to the positive utility of libraries for serving people with in formations and information sharing. Of course, these kinds of people do not belong to the place and they do not allow others who really are a part of the library system to carry on with their works or reading process. My observation in the library also brought a list of people who really belonged to the place. I was overwhelmed to locate a good number of studious college boys and girls who approached the library seriously, hunting for books and taking notes whenever necessary. I could really find some researchers, professors and older people who explored all the possibilities of the assets in the library to enhance their knowledge and to bridge the information gaps. The most delightful sight in the library, for me, came from the Children's Section where I could find a number of children engaged in the collection of children's classics and short stories. The very presence of the librarian had a very positive influence on me. Being an energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated man, he made up for his physical shortness with his service minded approach. Each book in the library was his friend and all of them had a lot of stories to tell him. He may not be a scholar or a widely read man. But he knew the shelter of every book and offered assistance to locate any books in the library catalogue. He was familiar with all branches of knowledge and had the experience and knowledge to guide any novice who came to the library. I found it extremely useful to engage in lengthy conversation with him towards the end of each day; his words were thought provoking and opened new horizons of knowledge for me. Another outstanding personality and a frequent visitor to the library was Professor Samson, a retired professor of sixty five, who was a source of inspiration and became a role model for me. He had a pleasant demeanor always and, being a widely read man who had seen much of life, he was ready to spare time for anyone who wanted to benefit from his specific knowledge on various aspects. Now, all these people really belonged to the library. They considered the library as a sacred place and they had a feeling of oneness with books. They conversed with the books, carried the wisdom from the books to the outer world and I am sure these will be the people who would be performing wonders in the world. They will also be instrumental in shaping and molding many who will come in touch with them. Thus, these are the lot I would term as people 'Who Belong' here! Being a serious reader and a person who knows the value of reading, I am tormented with the way people behave in the library. Like all other people who belong to the place, I was also trying to experience some peace, serenity and calmness that a library is supposed to provide. There are many people like me: and they are the actual people who really care for and need the services offered by libraries. I am sure only in such an atmosphere one can concentrate enough in his reading and brood over what he/she has gone through. Such an atmosphere, I feel, will be a never accomplished dream as one cannot imagine going back to the good old days where there were no cellular phones, computers, CD players, i-pods, and other technological inventions to distract serious readers. The government or universities concerned are spending a lot of resources in establishing libraries. These resources need to be used for the purpose to which it is intended; or else it is a national wastage. The only solution to the present crisis in libraries is not to accommodate anyone who does not belong to the place. The ultimate objective of the library system should be given predominance- that of offering utility services and information sharing. Any one who comes to the library should be offered with conditions that are conducive to achieve this primary goal. For this, there should be clear cut rules and regulations regarding the use of mobile phones, headphones, computers etc inside the library and there should be an emphasis on the right kind of social behavior that one is supposed to display in public places like libraries. Most of the problems can be solved if people have respect towards others and do not encroach into the privacy and individual freedom of others. A change has to take place in people's attitudes which is to be reflected in their mode of behavior in the library. Let us not think about library as a place where so many do not belong themselves but as place where everyone feels at home and develops a strong sense of belongingness to the place. Read More