Pandanad: The office-bearers of a library here is reaching out to writers to replenish its stock it had lost in the floods. M V Library, as it is popularly known, lost more than 15,000 books and nearly 500 CDs containing learning materials in the floods.
The Mitra Vasudeva Grandhashala in Pandanad in Alappuzha district, set up under the leadership of Kathakali guru Chengannur Raman Pillai and Chembannur family elder C K Neelakanta Pillai in 1950 at Mitramadam Kadavu in Pandanad, belongs to the list of the A-grade libraries of the state library council.
The library, under its president T A Bennykutty and secretary G Krishnakumar, adopted a unique way to replenish the stock of books it lost in the floods. They requested authors to donate a copy of their books. A request was sent to publishers too. The initiative got good response and so far, the library has received 500 books, its secretary said.
Similar loss elsewhere
Onmanorama had earlier reported that floodwaters had swallowed two libraries along the banks of Periyar, rendering around 31,000 books useless amid rain and floods last month.
The 1945-founded Mangalodayam library and the three-decade-old Gramadalam library fell victim to the natural calamity. The electronic equipment, furniture and office files of the libraries were also destroyed, authorities said. Mud-water filtered into all books, none of which could be retrieved.
Mangalodayam in West Kadungallur, near Aluva, was inundated in flood that rose eight feet, drenching its 25,000 books in shelves and cupboards beyond repair. Gramadalam, which functioned in an islet that was marooned when floodwaters rose, has been completely damaged. Water entered up to seven feet high into the library that used to spread the light of knowledge to 800 houses in the locality. This library also lost its share of reference books besides furniture and electronic devices, including a mike set.
