Written by Preeti Tressler, LEC 2019
What comes to your mind when you think of Goa? Beaches? Prawn Curry and port wine? A library?? Hmm…The Bookworm Library in Goa is a place that doesn’t quite fit the traditional, touristy definition of Goa. But that’s the trouble with definitions – they’re mostly limited.
A week spent at Bookworm library will transform any ideas you have thus far held about libraries. A quiet space for reading and research is probably what you have in mind when you think of libraries. But what sets Bookworm apart from any other library is that it is truly “living”, in the true sense of the word.
The founder of Bookworm (the latter has no connection with the Bookworm in Connaught Place which shut shop a few years ago) is a lady called Sujata Noronha. A warm, welcoming and sincerely devoted professional in the field of library work, Sujata has envisioned Bookworm as a space where children can truly enjoy reading and have access to a variety of books.
The collection
What sets Bookworm apart is a rich, diverse collection of books for children. Each book has been curated personally by Sujata over decades. Careful attention is paid to the content, illustrations and text. The artwork is a huge factor in determining whether a book will make it. When introducing books to children, Sujata makes it a point to talk about the artist and the style used in the artwork. Her stories are rich, with enough context given to the listeners to draw them sufficiently into the story. Each book was a delight, a treasure. Each section has activity centres, where children could solve puzzles, or take part in a treasure hunt, or simple do art and craft. The material used in basic – shawls, rugs, bedspreads, attractive mobiles. The aim is to draw children in, not merely to read, but to engage in activities.
Day One of the course
The library is located in the picturesque, Portuguese quarter of Panaji Goa. Lanes dotted with Portuguese bungalows, some rundown, some proudly preserved, lead you to a blue and white modest building with not much character on the exterior, but loads of it within. The ground floor has several rooms, each a section of the library. Books are divided into age groups and the rooms are colour coded. Neat shelves with loads of books which are displayed with the covers facing out, line the length of the walls.
We were given a traditional Goan welcome, as we walked up the stairs to the first floor, where the course was held. An empty room with chatais on the floor and cushions along the wall gave it a pleasing and welcoming ambience. Through the course, we sat on the floor, comfortable and relaxed.
Needlework and reading
This was the most unique aspect of the course. As we settled down on our cushions on the floor, ready for a lecture, Sujata and her team brought out baskets full of cloth and thread. “We are going to stitch bags,” she announced, as she offered each participant pieces of multi-coloured cloth. Then we were given handcrafted patches of the Bookworm logo to sow on. I was puzzled. I was expecting to be launched into library work, maybe some reading to begin with. I hadn’t come here to stitch bags. “Stitching and reading are related,” Sujata explained. “There’s something meditative and relaxing about stitching which is similar to reading. They both build concentration.” We were told to join the pieces we were given with running stitch and then attach the handles that were supplied. Through the course, when we were not listening to lectures, or reading silently – there was a mandatory one hour of silent reading every day after lunch – participants could be seen picking up their bags and sewing. Sujata did the same; when she was not teaching, she was sewing. Cellphones remained in our bags, barely touched.
My experience of Bookworm can hardly be replicated here. It was an eye-opener into what education and reading is all about. The place of libraries in schools, and indeed, in our lives. The work Sujata does goes beyond libraries, into the community, where she introduces books and builds readers.
At the end of the course, I took back with me a rekindled passion for books, lots of ideas for the library, and the good fortune to meet a lot of likeminded bookworms – 25 of them. Oh to have people around you discussing books and not complain about the weather. That alone was joyful.
Maybe I’m still reeling from the therapeutic effects of reading a lot of good literature, but I feel positive and upbeat every single moment. It’s almost as if I’ve returned from a pilgrimage, not a lesson.
On your next visit to Goa, check-out Bookworm library.