Colombo Public Library. Pretty Bad
I finally walked into the Colombo Public Library. It’s about as bad as I imagined it. The periodicals room is OK, it has all the newspapers and you can stand around reading them. Not too much else that’s new. It’s mainly the selection of books that’s depressing. I did a random walk around and the newest book I could find was from 2006. There was some non-fiction about the Chinese economy in the 80s. The fiction was even worse.
The books are all old. Some old books are fine, but as you can see, they’re almost all rebound Indian reprints of books that were relevant somewhere else 20 years ago. They were reshelving things so the Philosophy section contained the Princess Diaries and kids books were piled on tables. Entire sections (History Of Known Persons) were missing and other books were misfiled (there was a history of England in the Mesopotamia section).
Space wise, also, it’s tiny. I could throw a ball across the length of the lending library, and I can’t throw that far. I won’t even get into how one actually borrows a book, in Dehiwela at least it’s a process that involves an application form, references and an absurdly small yet annoying deposit. I didn’t even try. The library isn’t especially welcoming, all but one of the doors are barricaded with a table and a security guard asks everyone where they’re going. ‘To the library?’ I said. He asked why and I said to look at books. That seemed unusual but enough.
As you enter there’s a rather grotesque statue and a picture of former President Premadasa. I don’t think the library’s seen much hope since then.
well there is the answer! its obviously seen as a Premadasa (therefore UNP) project! hence no love from the current regime!
I went few years ago and same thing happened to me with the security guard and they did not let me in without a membership. that was the last time I went there :/
Wot a pathetic situation. I remember my good old days back in Trinco UC library.
Ahhh.. yes, I spent few months in Trinco after my A/Ls (in 1994).. It was my best ‘Library Days’.. The Assistant librarian was quite helpful, apparently he was quite happy to see Sinhala users coming to the library (but there was not many Sinhala books, but it is understandable, even I didnt use those Sinhala books). Only problem I had was the library was in two positions (reading section was in the Hospital road and the lending section was at the Nelson hall, and later moved to a house to a road near by)
I’m told that the Jaffna Library is quite happening now
another good reason to bring e-readers to Sri Lanka!
another issues is (long time back, about 15 years ago) when they get a new fiction they catalog it and staff immediately check it out for them to read. The book actually comes to the shelf only after all the staff, their relatives and friends are done with it. So it might take 2-3 years for a regular patron to get a book.
There used to be complete sets of Leslie Charteris, Sapper, Edgar Wallace, Dennis Wheatley and AEW Mason, etc. None of them there now?
Used to go here when I was a kid and it was really well stocked and inviting (relatively). Sad to hear it has gone down the tubes, as it used to be much better than what passes for a library today at British Council.