GUWAHATI, Sept 9 - Aspirational District, Barpeta under NITI Aayog has launched a campaign to set up libraries in all the primary schools of the district. It is targeting around 300 schools of Bhawanipur Block in the first phase as a pilot project to know and understand the transformation in student learning outcomes through library. The basic objective of taking up library as an essential indicator, is to improve the reading and writing skills of the students.
Piramal Foundation has oriented the district on various innovative models of libraries that are cost effective and more feasible. Concepts like reading corners in the classroom and hanging library were suggested where the schools have no space or no infrastructure. The Piramal Team of Barpeta assigned by NITI Aayog feels that the major focus should be in creating a functional library and therefore the team has introduced a Process Maturity Model (PMM) for Library which is a guide book for proper implementation of an effective library.
Various joyful activities like essay writing, extempore speech, drama, storytelling, etc., were suggested to be introduced in the library along with a regular defined library period which is essential to ensure the functionality, usage and impact of libraries on the student�s learning outcome.
The entire process at the district level has been driven by District Program Officer (Teachers Training) of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Barpeta, Pranab Kalita who has suggested a name for this library campaign: �Kuhi Path Puthibharal�, and currently all the newly-established libraries in the district have been renamed as such. Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCCs) have also been playing a vital role in executing the process in each of their respective schools.
Apart from it, Piramal Fellows who have worked in different schools in the district have also taken up library as process to be introduced in each of their adopted schools. The fellows have initiated donation drives at the school, community and institution level and also crowd sourcing where a handsome amount of money and books have been collected by creating awareness among the people on the uses of a library.
