The teachings of humanity are the ultimate education and all are subjected to it – Rabindranath Tagore
Kolkata and trams are synonyms to one another. Another star has been added to the legacy of the trams in Kolkata. The West Bengal transport corporation has introduced a library inside a tram.
One can spot a Tram with shelves of books running between Shyam Bazar and Esplanade, one of the oldest tram routes of the city, passing through the academic hub of the City – College Street also termed as “boipara” for the area of books.
At least 30 institutions are located within 500 metres of this tram route, including Scottish Church College, Presidency University, Sanskrit College, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and IISWBM (Indian institute of social welfare and business management).
The shelves of this library will hold books for all, in addition to novels, storybooks magazines and an extensive collection of fictional and non-fictional works from domestic and international writers, the library will also have books for various competitive exams such as WBCS, GRE and GMAT etc.
Amongst other perks, the tram will also include free Wi-Fi and online library service. The tram library is a tribute to the city’s most diverse academic area as well as to the rich heritage of trams.
It even aims to promote the habit of reading books and newspapers which is undoubtedly under threat from visual media and other digital sources.
The Managing Director of WBTC, Rajanvir Singh Kapur has also mentioned that this library (on wheels) will prove to be the city’s destination for Literary Festivals and Book Launches in near future.
Yes, a beautiful tribute to the city’s academic and literary ambience.
