Not Just For Walking

Many words are easy to understand but difficult to define. We have to take the help of dictionary to find a proper definition for such words. The word "Footpath" is not one among such words. It is probably easy to define and its dictionary meaning is also quite simple. Dictionary meaning of the word footpath is "A path for people going on foot". Another definition is "a narrow path for walkers only". Both these definitions make two things very clear; the size and use of footpath. It is expected to be narrow and it is reserved to be used only by walkers. It is also to be used only by people going on foot.

There were days when footpath was considered safe for people going on foot as they need not worry about other modes of transport, usually heavy and fast, going on the road. The road part and the footpath existed side by side. As Panchasheel is being suddenly remembered today, after fifty years, we could as well say that footpaths and the roads had a time of peaceful co-existence. Not any longer. The density of vehicle population is overtaking human population and hence it has become important to increase the size of the road and reduce the extent of footpath. In addition to the reduction in size of the footpath, it has found many other uses as well. Even gods have chosen to make their homes on footpath. Shops have come up there. They started on temporary basis but became permanent in due course. There are even "Footpath Merchants Associations" to fight for the rights of selling on footpath. Of course, there is no footpath walkers association. In cities like Bangalore it is common to see traffic police chiding two wheeler drivers for running their vehicles on the road. "Why do you come here? Can't you see so much of space is available on footpath?", they say!

Some areas of Seattle city are excellent examples of alternate uses of a footpath. Seattle is an important city in the Pacific Northwest and is growing faster than many others due to some of the growing companies operating from there as headquarters. The old city still maintains its charms. Each house is different in these residential areas; there are no multi-storied buildings and concrete monsters. The houses stand in the middle of landscaped gardens withe each having a different type of pathway leading to the main door. There are flowers galore and fruit bearing trees around the house. Most of them are not fenced and yet the gardens are perfectly safe. It is a city where you may find an apple tree full of red ready-to-eat apples during your evening walk on the side of footpath and still find them that way after two days. Vegetables are grown in the garden around the house and there is no danger of theft or being eaten away by free roaming cattle. Footpath is strict for pedestrians only. The vehicles on the road stop and allow a person on foot the right of way to cross the road. In short, roads and footpath have a wonderful and peaceful co-existence.

There is a picture given at the top here. A newcomer to the city would wonder what this is. It is a footpath library. Residents of the area have put up such structures in front of their houses. The books purchased and read are later kept in such library shelves on the footpath. Anybody going on the street can check the books in the shelf, decide what is to be read and take the book with them for reading. The shelves have doors but no locks. If you have books that you do not need at home, you could also add to the collection. There are no accounts kept and there is no need to return the book at all. A book taken from one shelf can be returned to another shelf elsewhere, if one wants. It is a wonderful community service centre and they are always full of books. They are used regularly but there is no vandalism or theft in the regular sense of the words.

Another use of footpath and median can also be seen in Seattle. For orderly and safe vehicular traffic, most roads are provided with median space to divide traffic on the two directions. Space available on medians is not used for walking. We can find some plants in such space all round the world. But Seattle has something more than this. In many median space, vegetables are grown. Cabbage, tomato, eggplant (brinjal), lettuce, and other similar vegetables are grown here. A picture of such median garden is given alongside. A regular checking of these gardens for a full month showed that somebody was watering them regularly and de-weeding them. The vegetables were allowed to grow to their full potential without being taken away by somebody in the middle of day or night. There are flower gardens as well and the beauty of the flowers in them is a delight to watch whether you are walking on the footpath or driving along the road. 

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An extension of usage of surplus resource has been highlighted in the press here last week. Dr Issa Fathima Jasmine of Beasant Nagar, Chennai (See photograph on the right) had a problem of disposal of remaining food items each day. She was giving it away to an old lady sitting in her street corner. Then she thought of many others who need food like that old lady. But one does not know whom to offer as some may get offended when it is offered to them. It is also a difficult proposition to wait for someone with food in the hands leaving aside other work one has at home or at office. Dr Fathima has solved this problem by keeping a community refrigerator outside the Besant Nagar Tennis Club. The initiative is called "Ayyamittu Unn". Avvayars (meaning respectable lady) are a series of Tamil poets who have enriched the literature by their valued works. One collection of poems titled Aathichoodi of Avaviyar has a poem, the first stanza refers to "share the food with the needy before you eat". The food sharing has now got extended to clothes and other items as well.

In fact, this is not something totally new. It is reported that there are community fridge system in Mumbai and other cities as well. The idea of sharing or giving away something which still has some value for others has been there for generations in our country. More and more organized efforts are now finding expressions in different forms.

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The world is always a better place to live with co-existence. "Love the life you Live; Live the life you Love", says a mural (a large painting on the wall of a building on roadside) in Seattle. 

At the Library

Online dictionary defines a library as "a place set apart to contain books, periodicals and other reading material for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference, as a room, set of rooms, or building where books may be read or borrowed". Such organizations may be public bodies catering to the needs of the general public or private institutions meant exclusively for their members. The facility may be made available free of charge or for a prescribed fee. Libraries have their own rules and regulations that are to be complied with to avail of their services. Whatever may be the context, the first thing that comes to the mind when the word "Library" is heard is books and books.

The earliest available library for us in our childhood in the Primary school (standard 1 to 4) was the single old bookcase kept in the room of the Head Master in the village school. There were very few books and we neither had access nor the capacity to read and understand their contents. It was not known whether the teachers themselves read those books. When we moved to the Middle school (standard 5 to 7) in the small town, the library was a little bigger with three or four bookcases. One teacher was in-charge of the library and we got 2 or 3 books during a full academic year. The position was much better in the High school with a separate room provided for the library and one period in a week earmarked for "Library" sessions. We could read some newspapers and magazines in the library room during lunch time. Each student had to pay a fee of 50 paisa (Half rupee) every six months as "Reading Room" fee. The college had a regular library with many books, but not many students were interested in the general books by then. Institutions we worked in for a living had their own libraries in big offices and were quite useful with stock of professional and general management books.

Villages hardly got any newspapers in those days. Small town had a few households getting newspapers regularly and one had to visit them in the evening to read the newspapers. Availability of the papers was directly proportional to the mood of the residents of the households. Some were kind to recognize our needs while the behavior of some others bordered on contempt. Three of us friends were regular visitors to the "Municipal Office" of the small town, every morning to read the daily newspapers. We had to wait until the Municipal President and Administrative Officer finished reading them. A new Administrative Officer who came on transfer was kind to instruct the watchman to allow us to read the papers before his arrival on the condition that the papers were handled with proper care by us. That was a big concession for us and a true recognition of our earnestness in those days!

Experience with public library later on were not very happy either, as they worked during the same hours, usually 10 to 5 during the day, when we would be working in our offices. Becoming a member was a difficult task as was borrowing and returning of the books. Much depended on the attitude of the staff manning the counters. Distances between places of work or stay and the libraries did not help matters either.

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A few days ago, my hosts here were discussing about seeking an appointment after 8 PM at the local Library in Pennsylvania, for obtaining a passport for their two week old baby, I became alert. It was a surprise to think of an appointment that late in the evening and that too for obtaining a passport! I went along with them and made a round of the local Library and witnessed the process followed for obtention of a passport. There were many interesting features in the functioning of the library and the facilities they provide to the residents of the community. Some of them are given below:

• Each county (similar to the Districts we have) has a set of libraries in different locations depending on the population of the areas. 
• The libraries generally work form 9 AM to 9 PM on three days of the week and 9 AM to 5 PM on other three days of the week. Sunday is a holiday. Late working days are especially convenient to people at work during the day time.
• Membership is free for local residents. Others too can become members by paying a nominal fee. 
• Application for obtaining a library card can be made on-line. Libraries have easy access for differently abled persons.
• On-line catalogues are available for reference and choosing books one needs to borrow or refer.
• If the books needed is not available immediately, there is a system for reserving the books to borrow them when returned by others.
• If the required book is available in another library of the county or even nearby counties, request for transfer can be made. The book arrives in 2 or 3 days. 
• A book borrowed in one library can be returned at another library within the county.
• Returning of books can be made through drop boxes located at the entrance of the libraries and need not be only during working hours and inside the library. Books deposited here are cleared periodically and accounted by the library.
• In tune with the times, library activity is not confined to books alone. DVDs and E-books are also available at these libraries.
• Libraries have well-equipped computer centers. Free wireless internet and public laptops and I-pads are available to the members. One hour free laptop use is allowed.
• Computer centers have facility of scanners and printers available in them. Scanning is free of charge.
• Self-copying and faxing are permitted for a reasonable fee.
• Snacks and soft drink vending machines are installed for providing refreshments.

In addition to the above features, Libraries also provide various other services to the community and truly work as centers of learning. Other services provided include:

• Learning environment for all residents is provided in various forms.
• Educational programs and classes for different age groups like Pre-school kids, toddlers time, Babies and Books, Pre-school Yoga are held periodically. There are programs for kids, teens and adults as well.
• Family music classes, computer help and job counseling sessions are held for the required groups.
• Local author book talks are arranged to encourage local talent.
• Income-tax forms are available at the libraries.
• Duly filled Passport applications can be submitted at the Library. A designated official checks them, verifies with the original documents, takes photographs and sends them to the concerned authorities. A prescribed fee is levied for these services. Telephone appointments can be made for these services to avoid waiting time and enable proper planning.
• Libraries have meeting room facilities for hosting cultural, civic and educational purposes on payment of prescribed fees. Advance booking can be made for such events.

These libraries are managed by Library Boards constituted by local residents. Funding is by local governments as well as donations from general public. Members of the general public can attend the library board meetings and offer suggestions.

I was also advised that some libraries have open gardens as reading rooms. You can pick a book from a tree, read it in its shade and return it to the tree with grateful thanks! I could not visit such a library this time. May be, it has to wait for another time.

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Two weeks after the visit to the library with the baby and submission of the passport application, his passport arrived by mail. Obtaining a passport was that simple, thanks to the Library, systems followed and concerned departments. Modren libraries can certainly be agents of change and convenience to the general public!