Reading is an essential part of our life. It is the process of decoding a text which improves our knowledge, vocabulary, concentration, imagination, and creativity. We have a very vast literature. It is P N Panicker, who led Keralites towards the path of reading through his library movement. The nineteenth of June is celebrated as National Reading Day in honour of this legend.
Today books are being replaced by electronic media. Our generation no longer relies on print media. Electronic media are there at their fingertips to provide what they need within seconds. In this context Leena Theresa Rozario, a school teacher in Alappuzha with the idea to promote reading through a library set up in her house is relevant. Leena teacher finds happiness through sharing books with others. She had a small collection of books at home. When the dust began to make friends with them, she thought of giving it to children who visited her. When the number of readers increased she started to deliver books to all.
In the beginning, she had only fifty books but now there are more than two thousand publications including fiction, biographies, children’s literature, poetry, dictionaries and so on.
Most of them were donated by people and different organisations and some were purchased by her. Currently, she is distributing books to over three hundred families. She provides books to students, housewives, drivers, advocates, government servants, teachers etc.
The famous writer, Francis Bacon comments,
”Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man”.
Like that Leena teacher observes reading can make people, especially children agents of change in society. Her goal is to inspire young people to embrace reading. On her way to school and on holidays, she delivers and collects books in her scooter as a mobile library. Her family is very encouraging. When she is at school, her mother-in-law will manage the library.
Her husband Bony Rozario and children Darwin and Derin help her in this venture. Leena said that numerous people had tried to provide financial support to buy books, but she likes to accept it in the form of books. Leena teacher is a motivation for all. With her library on wheels, she paves a way for reading. She inspires the new generation to read and grow.