A school without a library is unthinkable these days. It must have books on various subjects, newspapers, journals and magazines.

Students, those especially who want to add to their knowledge, go to the library in their vacant periods and study. It adds to their knowledge.

My school also has a big library. It is housed in a big hall. There are many almirahs in it. Each almirah has books on one subject only. There is a card for every book. Books are arranged according to their numbers.

Every student applies for a card and gets it. The librarian issues books against the card. No student can keep a book for more than fourteen days. Defaulters are fined.

On one side of the library hall there are long tables and benches. Students sit there and read newspapers, journals and magazines; some take down notes. No body is permitted to talk to disturb others.

Every class has one library period once a week. Students go to the library in the period and study.

The library also has reference and text books. These are meant for studying in the library only. The calm and quiet atmosphere of the library helps the students to work attentively.

The school librarian is a trained and qualified person and well-experienced. He gives advice to students on the choice of books. He is an expert in his work. He understands his duty well and is of great help to students. We find him busy all the time. He advises students not to spoil books by scribbling in them or tearing off the pages.

Books add a lot to our knowledge. These are our best friends.

Objectives of a School Library:

A school library should function with the following objectives:

1. To introduce the students with proper use of books, handle the library catalogue and the reference books.

2. To guide the students through various library activities and make them interested in various fields of knowledge.

3. To assist the teaching staff for their higher studies and research.

4. To provide for recreational reading of the students and teachers. As a result the students and the teachers will not idle away their time, They will use their leisure for self-study and self-culture.

Locution of the Library:

The library should be centrally located with respect to class-rooms. It should be large enough to serve the needs of the school. The library room should have adequate natural light with sufficient windows for proper ventilation. It should be "attractive, colorful and inviting,"

Functions of the School Library:

The opening hours of the school library should over the whole period of the week, where there is demand. It should have a full time librarian. Where an assistant teacher is in charge, he should open the library regularly. However, govt. should appoint a trained time librarian in each secondary school. The School library is to perform the following functions:

1. The library should prepare cards, catalogue and arrange them properly.

2. It should exhibit new books that are purchased from library grant to attract the students.

3. It should create a conducive reading atmosphere to encourage students to read general books.

4. It should promote inter-library cooperation by contact and visit other school libraries.

5. It should provide useful social experiences.

6. It should organize an orientation programme by arranging lectures lo explain the importance of library in school life.

The students pass the valuable lime of their life in school. Therefore the school should have a library with a full lime librarian to stimulate learning. Let us conclude with the words of The Education Commission (1964) that, "a collection of books, even a collection of good books docs not constitute a library.

Given enthusiastic teachers who leach with books and librarian who can co-operate with them in converting the library into an intellectual workshop, even a comparatively small collection of sensibly chosen books may work wonders in the life of students. With such staff the most luxurious building or extensive book collection may have no effect at all." So library should be an intellectual hub in the school with a qualified librarian.

My school stresses equally on studies as well as sports. We have all the equipments needed for games like cricket, Tennis, Volley Ball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Gymnastics, Hockey and Football. We have proper grounds to play and a separate game, room, to keep and maintain these equipments.

Similarly, the school understands the importance of books, reading materials, newspapers, magazines and journals. For this purpose we have a well maintained library. A library is a place provided to students for reading for educative as well as leisurely purposes. Books of all kinds are kept here systematically. Recorded properly and maintained nicely. A library thus is the soul of academic affluence of a school. It reflects upon the seriousness and dedication of the school towards the goal of education.

My school library is very well maintained. It is huge, well lit and airy. One can sit and read easily even when the lights go off. The library too is situated in a separate block as to ensure quiet and peaceful environs. At the entrance we have a notice board which displays information about the timings of the library timings to issue and return books etc.

On the walls are posters and charts depicting the importance and essence of the reading? The catalogue of books arranged alphabetically is kept on the side. A notice regarding maintaining silence is placed authoritatively there. On the left is the place to keep our things and the counter for the attendant who checks our registers as we walk in and out. Turning to the right is the reading room. The room also has magazines, journals and newspapers are3 kept like the Economic Times and Employment newspapers. Outside the reading room is the stand for the daily newspapers.

Next we have the library counter where we get issued and returned back our books. A great sense of copiousness overpowers one as one enters the library. The library is divided into 3 pillared wings. We have writing tables and chairs in the centre and all around are huge cupboards holding books of every kind. There are various sections divided as per the subjects. We have the English, Hindi, History, Geography, Civics, Commerce, Home Science, Biology, Physics and Chemistry sections.

A few other sections of interest are the fine arts section, Encyclopedia section, other Creative Arts section and the fiction section. Students who enjoy reading continuously throng the Fiction section. I too am a regular visitor of this section.

I also make notes from the good quality books available in the library. It is a good opportunity for us to read good books which otherwise one cannot buy. Sometimes I also go through the fine Arts section if I

am in no mood to study. I particularly enjoy the English and the Hindi sections where I can lay my hands on good poetries, drams and novels by great writers.

To encourage and inculcate a reading habit among students we have a separate library period assigned for every class once a week. During this period the entire class goes to the library and has to issue books and read them. We are also thought to cover the library books and keep them nicely.

I also thoroughly enjoy reading newspapers. So, every day I reach school 20 minutes early to browse through the various newspapers.

Our library also provides the facility of a book bank for poor students. The library gives course books on loan to the student which is of great help to them. Generally, every year all the students volunteer to submit their course book in good conditions so that they can be of some use to others in future.

Library is a great place for all of us to read more on subjects that are of our interest and things which cannot be covered in the classroom due to limitations of time and syllabus. It really enhances our knowledge. The encyclopedia section is especially very helpful if one wants to know about new things under the sun.

I really enjoy visiting the library though I do not get an opportunity as often as I would like to have. But whenever any teacher is absent I seek permission to rush to the library. I am really proud of the good library in my school.

ur school library is one of the assets to our school. It is the treasure house of knowledge, past and present. It is so because the world's mighty brains are represented there through their works. Just a glance would show that the names of great writers of the world are found side by side in the shelves of our library.

Our library is a quiet spot in our school. It is housed in one of the wings of our school building. Gilded volumes decorate the glass chests. There are different shelves for different languages. Thus one finds books on English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil and so on. For each language, books are classified under different heads. Thus there are books on drama, prose, poetry, etc. There is also a number of reference books. The walls of the library are decorated with portraits of great writers.

The library is very well equipped for comfortable reading. Cushion seats are provided for students to use during the day. One can take any book from the shelves, sit there and read undisturbed by anybody. So one can find a number of boys and girls there in the evenings reading books.

Another attraction of our library is the reference room. A number of dailies, and magazines are regularly received. The illustrated magazines are the attractions for us, students.

The library service is very efficient. There is an able librarian, who is also well read. One can have a free access to the shelves and pick up any book one likes. There are two index cabinets, one according to subjects and the other according to the authors. So one never finds it difficult to choose the right book.

The library is very well utilized both by the students and the members of the staff. The students are well trained in silent reading. The library is a very useful place for self study. When assignments are given by teachers, students make full use of the library to their advantage. Thus our library is a place for intellectual work in our school.

gilded

covered with a thin layer of gold or a substance that looks like gold