Community Library
We initiated our library in 2011, aiming to work with children who are school dropouts or are forcefully engaged in child labour, as well as the female population who are restricted to education beyond 6th standard, especially from Pasmanda Muslim and Nat Community, mostly dwelling in the slum areas of Bhopal. We also practice working with women belonging to marginalised communities, who are either married off early usually under 18 years of age, are devoid of books and education. As well as, working women belonging to the slum areas, who usually work during the day, are able to access our books in the evening after returning from work.
Our mission is to:
– Enable children, especially girls, and women to read a lot of books, explore, and learn about the experiences of the world through books.
– To provide literature in marginalised and diverse languages to unprivileged communities.
– To maintain the relationship with books in the lives of the people from deprived and urban poor communities.
– To give place to the community’s stories in literature.
Our vision is to:
– To make books and Diverse Literature accessible to marginalised & deprived communities.
– Practice Right to Read at Grassroot Level.
– We try to bring to children meaningful experiences of informal education. An education that would empower them as individuals, that would enable them to determine the course of their lives and contribute to a better and equitable world, for themselves.
Higher Education Program initiated in the library is currently run as a program under which around 40+ female students have applied for resuming their further academic education.
Plot no. 25, Vastu Vihar Colony,
Phase 4, Goragaon,
Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh – 462044
Library Contact: Saba Khan
Contact Email: Saba94bpl@gmail.com
| Library Staff Members | 11 |
| Library Member Strength | 630 |
| Gender Breakdown of Members | Female: 95% (including Queer Fem Identifying) Male: 5% |
| Age Groups Served | 5yrs to 21yrs+ |
| Library Branches | 11 |
| Villages/Clusters Served | 9 villages, 630 people |
| Book Collection Size | 2000 |
| Type of Books in Collection | Picture books, Pop-up books for children, Fiction & Non-Fiction, Anti-discriminatory Books, Feminist Books, Real-Life based Women Stories by Nirantar, Nazariya, and Pitaara, as well as Pedagogy Books for Educators by Krishna Kumar Krishnamurthy, Geejubai etc. Non-Voilence Communication materials by Aman Madani for Library Practice and as education in various mediums. |
| Average Daily Footfalls | 45 |
| Types of Reading Programs | Read Aloud, Storytelling, Book Talks, Reading Circles/Book Clubs, Early Learning/Foundational Literacy, Book Circulation |
| Other Library Programs | Film Screenings, Art and Craft Sessions from taking materials from the surroundings based on read books, Janageet & Nazm by Dushyant, etc. Enactment based on stories books, Celebrate events such as birthday of heroes Savitribai Phule, B.R. Ambedekar, Fatima Sheikh, etc. We also organise Open Mic sessions where the children recite self-written poetry, stories of Unsung Heroes and Feminist Leaders, Articles from around the globe events related to struggles for Social Justice. Publishing Monthly Newsletter from all library branches, related to the local stories in Chamak by Eklavya, Cycle by Ektara, etc. which is written by the children from our libraries. |
| Presence of Various Library Policies (enrollment/admission, safety, anti-discrimination & inclusion guidelines etc) | Yes, POSH Act, Non-Violence Communication, and each library has their own framed guidelines created with the children. |