This episode has a number of visuals that are in the video version which can be seen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fbnO3K6fxKt9pfaTp8mYn or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/W-gSoOwsBOY
We believe the message is an important one, even if you do not watch the video, and hope that you will enjoy this and every episode of our series.
Public libraries are an essential institution in the educational, cultural and literary life of its people. By definition, public libraries democratize knowledge and learning by welcoming all, without prejudice.
However in India, caste, class and gender are powerful barriers that have kept a majority of the people outside the doors of the library. The public library system, which should have democratized knowledge, has become a means by which it is gatekept.
Now, across India, a group of grassroots individuals are working against tremendous odds to create libraries for the people which are free, anti-caste, and inclusive of all. This collective is proving that reading is not dead, physical books and reading spaces are urgently needed, and that if there is a threat to reading, it is lack of libraries, not interest in the community. Today's presentation will tell the story of this grassroots library movement, its history, and the exciting way ahead.
Purnima Rao is a library activist from India and the first director of Free Libraries Network. After spending 15 years making documentary films, in 2015, she became involved with a group of educator activists that built free public libraries for marginalized and historically excluded communities in India. This was a radical grassroots initiative in a country where caste, class, and gender prevent millions of Indians from accessing books, reading programs, and finding opportunities for lifelong learning.
In 2020, the pandemic brought much of the country's education system to its knees, and nowhere was this more apparent than in India's poorest and most disenfranchised communities. Purnima was then tasked by a group of librarians to develop and drive a pan-India collective that would shed light on the vital role that informal, grassroots, community-led libraries play across the country.
Shivam Singh, aka Kranti Ke, has been a member of the community library project since 2014 and has handled various roles along his journey. Shivam is also a rapper and a part of a duo rap band called 10TAKK, which means ""knock."" He has written songs for the community, and loves the chance to serve in this way. Shivam is a BTech student and likes working on cool projects with the help of AI.
To learn more, go to:
Official Website: https://www.fln.org.in
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freelibrariesnetworkfln3274