5 months ago
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British Council Library (BCL) is shrinking its carnal beingness successful Chennai, successful information astir obliterating it, to wage undivided attraction to expanding its integer reach. That should not propulsion up eyebrows successful Chennai that person been tracking a BCL inclination crossed Indian metros. In Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Pune, BCL unopen down its carnal libraries successful 2020 and went afloat digital, responding robustly to the technological inflexion constituent resulting from the pandemic. Currently, its carnal libraries are restricted to its Kolkata and Delhi centres.
The British Council Chennai (BCC) facility, tucked distant down Devaneya Pavanar District Central Library connected Anna Salai, is besides acceptable to spot a alteration of address.
BCC has started preparing its members for these changes. An email connection titled ‘An important update connected Chennai room rank services’ notes that its digital-only exemplary volition travel into effect connected March 31, 2026, and members volition person entree to the carnal room until February 15, 2026.
Members are asked to instrumentality their books connected oregon earlier this date.
Reportedly, this integer translation mirrors the speechmaking preferences of members. The email connection notes that it has 16,000 members presently accessing its integer resources. The connection besides outlines online features the room is offering to service the changing expectations of members.
BCC volition besides beryllium vacating its existent Chennai premises erstwhile the lease comes to an extremity successful March 2026. “Our Chennai operations volition determination temporarily to an online mode till we relocate to a much due space, successful keeping with our aboriginal operating needs,” says the note.
It adds, “Please enactment that portion our room volition nary longer connection a carnal work successful Chennai, the British Council is not closing successful Chennai. Our enactment successful Chennai and Tamil Nadu volition proceed done integer delivery, partnerships, and flexible operating models. We judge that each the changes we are making volition yet alteration america to scope much people, deepen impact, and conscionable the needs of our members successful a much sustainable, agile mode implicit the agelong term.”
A elder authoritative from the Directorate of Public Libraries confirmed that the country presently occupied by BCC belongs to Local Library Authority and they person been asked to vacate it.
Readers disappointed
For those who person grown up visiting the room and attending the galore events hosted by the British Council, these changes could trigger pangs of loss.
A disappointed scholar who wrote to The Hindu Downtown said integer services are nary substitute for accepted libraries. “I person been a subordinate of British Council Library for adjacent to 10 years successful Kolkata, truthful erstwhile I moved to Chennai I got my rank transferred. I loved the place. It is simply a antithetic acquisition going done rows of books and selecting them. They person offered 3 months’ other integer rank but I americium not keen connected having that,” says the publication person from Nungambakkam.
At the publication fair
Visitors to the recently-concluded Chennai Book Fair astatine Nandanam were amazed to spot the British Council stall selling books astatine throwaway prices. Expanding rank of its integer room gained a focal constituent astatine the fair.
The Hindu did not get immoderate answers to questions astir the modulation it posed to the BC’s communications squad astatine the caput bureau successful Delhi.
