Comic books library inaugurated in Rajapalayam

A section of children engaged in playful activity in the Comic Library inaugurated in Rajapalayam on Saturday.

Children visiting the Women and Children Library at Rajapalayam on Saturday were pleasantly surprised when they found a large number of comic books.

Thanks to the efforts of the district administration, the library has got a Comic Library, said to be the first-of-its-kind in the country.

Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran formally inaugurated the library in the presence of Virudhunagar Collector, V.P. Jeyaseelan and Sivakasi Sub-Collector N. Priya Ravichandran.

A huge hall has been turned into a comic library with hundreds of comic books in English and Tamil arranged in a few racks in an orderly manner. The walls have colourful paintings and posters of popular comic and cartoon characters, which are a big hit among the children.

“Doctors have been complaining about eye-related and mental health issues on the rise among children only because of mobile phones encroaching most part of their leisure time,” said Mr. V.P. Jeyaseelan.

Even parents are complaining that they cannot take the children to libraries as they felt them boring. “This concept of comic library is to solve both the problems,” said Mr. Jeyaseelan.

The administration has turned the building for children’s library into the comic Library with some 800 old and new books. “We have made available the comic book on Ponniyian Selvan, Irumbu Kai Mayavi, which were a hit of yesteryears,” he said.

The illustrations of the comic books would be a great attraction for children. It is not that only fictional books have been kept here, but also those comic books which presents basic history, mathematics, and science are available. Many of the comic books which are not in print have also been made available with the old copies, he added.

All children do not have access to comic books due to affordability factor. With a rich collection, the children would not be deprived of their fun during childhood. “These books will engage children in a playful way and in the process also teach them some basic information,” the Collector said.

Reader’s Circle president Manju Ranganathan said the children were doubly happy on seeing the comic books. “It was so much so that they were not willing to leave the library for home,” she said.

The Collector believes that the comic library will help the children have a meaningful diversion from screen time. They will also have space for activities like drawing the comic characters. Besides, four personal computers have been installed with some 40,000 digital comic books.

“With the women’s library located in the adjacent building, mothers can bring their children here and let them have fun-filled time and also read something during the holidays and weekends,” he added.

Ms. Manju said the children would slowly pick up the reading habit for their life.

The concept of comic library would be expanded to other libraries, the Collector said.