Thiruvananthapuram library opens a new page

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When her classmates and friends discussed about novels and great authors, Sheetal Shyam could only remember cartoon characters in children's magazine, as she, as a transgender was unwelcome in libraries too as in several other places. Sheetal won't have to wait for a library membership anymore.

In a revolutionary move, the state Central Library has introduced membership for LGBT communities and has added a column for third gender in its membership form.

The first membership card will be presented by education minister C Raveedranath to transgender activist Sheetal Shyam in an event to be organised at the library at 10am on Tuesday, as part of National Library Week celebration. "Education was a right which had been always denied to us. We had suffered discrimination the most at educational institutions. To gain membership in a library and to borrow books, had been my long-cherished dream. It is a huge recognition for us to be part of a library and many people would be benefited by this decision. If we had an opportunity to access libraries earlier, there would have been more authors like A Revathy from the transgender community," said Sheetal Shyam.

"It is high time that the society accepts them. Through library memberships, we aim to provide them a platform for transgenders. A new world will be opened for them, which was denied to them earlier," said state librarian PK Sobhana.

Earlier, a column for transgenders was included by the UGC in its application forms; SFI in membership form and the organizers of the International Film Festival of Kerala in its registration forms. C Raveedranath will also officially inaugurate the migration of the library to a new software, Koha, an open-source Integrated Library System (ILS) in the event.