GREAT READERS MAKES GREAT WRITERS, WHILST GREAT WRITERS MAKE GREAT COMMUNICATORS AND GREAT COMMUNICATORS MAKE GREAT PURSUADORS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT GREAT PERSONS MAKE? THEY MAKE GOOD SOCIETIES AND THAT’S WHAT THIS WORLD NEEDS.
My warm greetings to everyone present here. Today, I, Aastha Thakur, am more than honored to represent Annapurna House in the Interhouse Speech Competition organized by Hellen Keller Library Club on the topic “Importance of School Libraries at school”. So, let me take to a journey of the spectacular realm of libraries without further ado.
Well, when it comes to libraries, I am teleported back to Grade 1 when I had my first school library experience. I clearly remember the zeal I had that day gazing at the hall filled with countless number of books that carried a peculiar identity of their own; waiting for their stories to be unfolded and brought into perspective. That was the day when I had wondered if I would ever be able to read all the books kept there and that is what ignited a deep love for reading within me which has only grown stronger and stronger with each passing day.
Honestly speaking, school libraries have always been my escape starting from my formative years of primary school up until now. One secret that I have unlocked about school libraries is that they are the keys to the doors of endless possibilities, yes, you heard that right! School libraries have been my place, a lifeline and a refuge. In libraries, I could solve weighty problems with world leaders, I could live the life of Anne Frank or Anne Boleyn. I could visit Antarctica or any other planet like Uranus. I could get tour the Hogwarts and unravel the mysteries of the witch-craft world through the Harry potter series or just enjoy the Lilliputian world through the Gulliver’s travels. Each step to issuing a book at library has helped me develop empathy, imaginative power, critical thinking skills, oratory skills and most importantly, it has helped me develop “EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE” which is much needed in the society.
But, let me assure you that entering the library is not only about entering a world of fictional characters or a storehouse of information. In fact, they are also a place for like minds to connect. You can pick up “To Kill a Mockingbird” and find how you and Scout Finch have the same views about the world. Well, why only fictional characters? You could connect with your own friends through your similar choices of books. I don’t know about you all, but I have come across so many instances where me and my friends discuss over our favorite set of books, favorite authors and share our perspective about the writer or the book which immensely helps us connect as individuals and learn from each other. My friends, that is exactly the power that school libraries hold.
However, despite all of these splendid possibilities that awaits us, our generation seems to have grown distant from the lucrative reading world. It’s surprising to see how people only talk about Instagram, movies, or web series when you can sit in the cubicles of your school libraries and teleport yourself back in time, forward in time, to whichever place you want and delve into the life of your favorite fictional character or real-life inspiration. Thus, I believe, that every individual must utilize the privilege of having school libraries at our school and embrace the culture of libraries that values diversity, imagination and exploration. Thankyou!