Himachal to Jharkhand, a community library project is bridging divides

Project Paper Bridge is not only creating an alternative space for learning and spark conversations among the community members, but also promoting multi-culturalism

What does the word Sarvahitey mean? It means working towards the benefit of one and all. A group of six friends from Delhi are doing exactly the same — to bridge gaps in the society. For example, gap between the privileged and have-nots, the cultural gap between seven-sister states and the ‘mainland’ India, gaps between urban India and marginalised, indigenous communities of Jharkhand, Sikkim and Telangana. They are working towards building bridges so that each student in Kashmir’s Shopian or Nagaland’s Mon can access quality education. The means of bridging this gap is through books, with the help of a venture they’ve named, Project Paper Bridge. 

The project was built on the idea of setting up 1,000 libraries across India. Prem Prakash, a managing trustee of the Delhi-based NGO Sarvahitey, which runs the initiative, says, “We began with building libraries in Nagaland. Our focus point has been districts and states that do not occupy a centre stage when policies are drawn up, conventionally”.

He adds, “Apart from ringing in benefits for the community the libraries are built in, these are meant to function as community centres for the village or area. They are run by a girl student who would learn leadership skills and would be empowered this way.” So how do they choose books for these libraries? He says, “A library in Nagaland will not have the same set of readership as a library in Sikkim or Jharkhand. For each district that we build a library, a book list is specially curated by speaking with the students, teachers and community members.” Till date, Project Paper Bridge has built 206 libraries across India and they aim at building 800 more across various aspirational districts. 

Library has been built at Dimapur Central Jail

The project functions along a simple model. A book list is curated and a book donation drive is organised. Word about an upcoming or on-going donation drive is spread wide through social media. Many business organisations also chip-in with their support through the channel of corporate social responsibility. Books are collected and taken to the district where the library has to be set up. Functioning of such a library in a community involves a senior class girl student, teachers, member from a self-help group and one para-legal support. 

Success stories

Project Paper Bridge in Simdega, an aspirational district of Jharkhand, is one of the many initiatives supported by the NITI Aayog to promote awareness about education. The initiative has been spear-headed by IAS Ananya Mittal. Speaking to Business Standard, he said, “Simdega is a community of first-generation learners. We had to inculcate reading habits in them and shape a perception about reading. With the help of Project Paper Bridge, we have built 60 libraries across the district and have been able to inculcate the culture of reading among students and senior members of community as well.”

Students holding the Sarvahitey poster outside a school in Mon, Nagaland

 

In Nagaland, the project has set up 25 community libraries, including one in Dimapur Central Jail. With a library stocked with about 200 books, twice-a-week reading sessions takes place there. Mon district in Nagaland has the highest number of libraries. Thavaseelvan K, the district collector of Mon, Nagaland says, “16 libraries have been built so far in schools of this district. We plan on building libraries in all the 60 schools of Mon.” 

In the future, Project Paper Bridge is aiming to set up 12 libraries in Shopian district of Kashmir. “A constant dialogue is taking place between our team and IAS Yasin Chowdhury who is posted in Shopian as the district collector. Hindi, English and Urdu books have been collected and soon we will set up 12 community libraries in the district,” Prem says. Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, Kottagodam in Telangana and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh are next in line, where community libraries will be set up.