Periyar EVR Central Library

Ever been to the VIT campus? You have missed something if you haven't seen the library then. Yes. We are proud of our library. Or at least we were.

Periyar EVR Central Library (Central library previously) is one of the best things the University has given to its students. But the administration has been pretty bad in the past few months and the students (Indian students to be more precise) are quite unhappy with the developments taking place.

The first fact is that the VIT central library is a truly good place as far as books are concerned. There are more than 1.3 lac copies of almost 50k books out of which a hopping 15k is added in the last year and thus the library has a good collection of almost all sorts of books ranging from the technical ones to English novels.

Another truth is that the Library is a well built structure and is one of the most beautiful spaces in VIT. In fact according to many people it used to be the best place where every person felt good.

Not the same case anymore.

For the past few years, VIT has been increasing the intake of students in almost geometric progression and it has affected everything from the roads of the college to the neighbourhood of the college. And since the library was the best in the college, it is probably the worst affected. The library which used to be a silent place with a few students sitting on every third table, is now one of the most crowded places with almost every chair occupied.

And so, instead of increasing the size of the library, the administration brought out rules.

Well, first thing, the rules are applicable to Indians only and foreigners can always talk something out of them if ever somebody catches them by mistake.

Now come to the rules.

1. Library is not for discussions and teaching. As a consequence of this rule, if you are seen with your lips moving, (especially in case of two people with opposite sex) then whether sound came out of your mouth or not, you are sure to get a warning from the staff, which is never going to be less than 20 decibels, since they need everybody to know they have caught someone talking. Of course, it does not disturb anybody sitting there.

I still wonder why are there tables with 4-6 chairs around them where you are supposed to sit seeing each other's face, but without uttering a word.

The staff members discussing with their discussions audible at all the seats on the ground floor is a matter that you are not supposed to talk about.

2. You are supposed to keep your cellphones switched off (Indians only, again) and anybody who is seen even reading a message under the table must be punished. But if the library staff members' cellphones ring, from the librarian to the attender, may be it's for students' entertainment.

3. You must wear an ID card. Sorry for putting again, but it's again for Indians only. In case you are not wearing the card, staff members can not only bully you, they do not have problem even humiliating you with their fillips. Of course, it does not disturb the students of the library. It's just discipline which needs to be kept.

4. You cannot take any notebooks or notepads inside the library. Actually it's something that totally depends on the mood of staff sitting there. According to written rules read earlier, you could not take in any printed material. But once I saw that a spiral notepad was allowed but a bound one was not. God knows the difference.

Anyways, foreigners can even go inside with books. It's OK.

There are some small things too, like you cannot get into the library clad in 'casual' dress, or even jackets. But foreigners are allowed inside with half-pants (probably half-pants made outside the country are formal) and bottles of soft-drinks. But I do not want to bother you with petty things like these and in-time details. Or may be I did. Anyways, long live the library.