'Friends of Library' scheme launched in TN to promote reading

State food minister R Sakkarapani, district collector Dr S Visakan and others participated.

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday launched the 'Friends of Library' scheme here, wherein books will be personally provided to those who are unable to visit state-run libraries.

The service of volunteers will be used for this purpose, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, who inaugurated the scheme here, said.

Accordingly, differently abled persons, senior citizens, children and hospital in-patients among others who cannot come to a library will benefit from the initiative.

Volunteers will hand over the books to such people from the libraries, he added. The beneficiaries should be registered with the library concerned.

In its first phase, the scheme will cover 2,500 libraries including 31 district libraries.

The aim of such an initiative was to promote a knowledge-based society. State food minister R Sakkarapani, district collector Dr S Visakan and others participated.