I’ve been a member of the British Council Library since I was five and every Saturday my parents would take me there unfailingly. In the late nineties, the library was a little larger, the children’s section was this lovely, laidback space filled with beanbags, books and colourful art. I would choose my books with care, sink into a beanbag and polish off as many as I could, leaving reluctantly only when it was closing time.
For a shy, awkward young child, libraries and books were a lifeline. I was a member of four libraries, but the British Council was a favourite – for its eclectic selection, welcoming atmosphere, multiple activities for children and the number of books we could borrow.
My relationship with the British Council evolved beyond the library. As members of the Young Learners Centre (YLC), we had access to writing, drama and art and crafts workshops which were often steppingstones to long-term projects. Theatre workshops, for instance, culminated in productions that were performed in Colombo and Kandy and adapted for TV. My first experience of editing was as part of the editing team for an anthology of children’s stories published by the British Council.
The library was my entry point to the British Council and was also pivotal to my introduction to arts, culture and writing. There’s a notion that libraries are dull, antiquated spaces but a good library is far more than just book storage. A good library is constantly evolving. It can function as a safe community space. It is about access to information, the freedom to read and dream, about valuing learning.
My love for writing, the subjects I chose to study, and my career choices were a result of my exposure to libraries. Back then, affordable and accessible spaces to explore and nurture our creativity were rare. I’m aware that I was privileged and lucky to have opportunities to engage with the arts at an early age and a family who encouraged me.
For a shy, awkward young child, libraries and books were a lifeline. I was a member of four libraries, but the British Council was a favourite – for its eclectic selection, welcoming atmosphere, multiple activities for children and the number of books we could borrow.
I’m a firm believer in libraries and reading for pleasure. To discount the role of libraries in communities is to discount knowledge and imagination. There’s also a social and political power which underscores the library as an institution and has ripple effects – access to information is a gateway to critical thinking and analysis. It’s never just about books.