Pleasures of Reading

“If all the crowns of Europe were placed at my disposal on condition that I should abandon my books and studies, I should spurn the crowns away and stand by the books.” – Eenelon

 

“A good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured upon purpose for a life beyond.”- Milton

A library is the heart and soul of an educational institution. A college or a school is judged from its library. Indeed, buildings alone do not make a school

A library is nothing but a collection of books, magazines and papers. Books contain the knowledge and a library contains books. A library is the temple of knowledge and a boon to the people. It is the place where knowledge is preserved.

Libraries can be divided into two classes the private libraries and public libraries. Private libraries are meant for the personal use of their owners. These libraries can be maintained by the rich people only Public libraries are meant for the public. Every Tom, Dick and Harry can make use of a public library

A library forms a very important part of an educational institution. A college library provides the students with means for utilizing leisurely hours. A library widens the knowledge of the students with new ideas and new thoughts.

Every library has a reading room attached to it. It subscribes to many dailies and magazines and journals. Readers read papers which present varying points of view.

There are many uses of libraries. A library spreads knowledge. The poor people, particularly poor students who cannot afford to purchase books, can make the best use of a library. They can borrow books and gather knowledge. Even rich men cannot have all the books and they also have to depend on the library.

Secondly, the library inspires the students to develop a habit of reading books. The reading room provides an atmosphere where every man wants to study the books. A reader remains in touch with the new discoveries, inventions and day-to-day matters of the world. The newspapers keep a reader in touch with what is happening in the world around him.

Thirdly, a library not only spreads knowledge but also preserves it. We can know about the past civilization and culture from the books which are kept in a library. Preservation of knowledge is essential for the progress of the country. If the books are not preserved, every generation will have to work from the very beginning. Thus a library does very useful service. It gives to the scholars all the knowledge of the past.

Fourthly, a library increases our knowledge and widens our outlook. It reveals new facts, new experiences of men and nations, new wonders of this vast and varied world. We get an opportunity of sitting in the company of the master minds of the old and the mighty brains of the present day world and of knowing their view points on various subjects. Knowledge is both a power as well as a joy. A library, therefore, gives us a real satisfaction and pleasure, Robert Southey, a learned poet and scholar, who spent most of his time in the company of books, wrote:

“My never failing friends are they

With whom I converse day by day,

With them I take delight in weal

And seek relief in woe.”

Thus a library, which is a storehouse of knowledge, is useful to professionals, general readers and research students. No research is possible without a good library, Carlyle said: “A true university of our days is the collection of books.” Libraries contain the essence of our civilization and culture and hence they should be maintained in the best possible manner.