Every school worth the name has a library of its own. There are books on all subjects written by the master-minds of the past. Students go to the library cum-reading room in their vacant periods and study journals, magazines, newspapers, etc. Reading adds to their knowledge. The library is under the charge of a trained librarian.
My school, too, has a big library. It is housed in the school hall. There are a number of almirahs full of books. Each almirah has books on one subject and they have been arranged according to the latest method. There is a card for every book and books are arranged in the shelf according to their numbers. The students usually consult the catalogue for getting a book issued.
Each student has a library card. The librarian stamps the date on the card and writes the number of the book issued. A student can keep the book for fourteen days. The defaulters are fined at the rate of five paisa a day.
There is a reading-room attached to the library. It is furnished with long tables and benches. On every bench six students can sit. The school subscribes three dailies in English, two in Hindi and a number of magazines and journals. The science magazines are meant for senior secondary students.
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Every class has at least one library period per week. The students go to the library in that period, study the books meant for that class with the help of dictionaries and acquire the habit of self-help.
School libraries are of great help to students. They are particularly a boon for the poor students. Students who find it difficult to study at home find that they can work a lot in the calm and quiet atmosphere of the library-room. It is because of this that most libraries are kept open for long hours for the use of the students.
Our school library is in the charge of a good trained librarian. He advises the students to read particular books on particular topics. He is an expert in his work. He remembers the titles of all the books in the library. He is very helpful to the students. They are often seen in the library crowding round the librarian. The librarian, too, takes interest in his work and does not get bored.
Some students are in the habit of spoiling the books. They scribble their names on them or tear off the pages. This is very bad. Students should know that books in the library are their own property. Books are our best friends. We should handle13 them with care and respect.