"Didn’t want to leave the place even after spending 3 hours there, the silence, the Space, the atmosphere, all of them were so valuable" ❤️

The Power of Ambience | Reflections

On Why Ambience Matters! ❤️

[Dedicated to a Vibrant Professor of English, acknowledged towards the end of this post] ❤️

[With inputs from today’s The Hindu, The Times of India, & Dinamani]

Well, this morning while poring over the various Sunday special editions of today’s morning newspapers, three news items in three different newspapers, particularly caught my attention.

The first one was on a 63-year-old library known as, ‘Thiagu Lending Library’, located in R. S. Puram, Coimbatore, that’s downed their shutters since 30th June 2023, after faithfully serving the general public for 63 long years!

Says Mr. Thiagarajan about his library -

This library contained more than 1,00,000 books. There were times when people used to stand in long queues to read books, and we’ve had regular Readers’ Rendezvous on all Saturdays. Writers including Nanjil Nadan, S. Ramakrishnan and Jeyamohan have participated in such Readers’ Meets.

But of late, because of the lack of young readers, I couldn’t even pay the rent for this library premises. So I decided to put up the books for sale, at a discounted rate to the general public. More than 65,000 books have been sold now. To some loyal, good ol’ readers, I even gave away a lot of books free of cost.

Now, after having lived for more than 43 years amongst books, I have decided to go around on a tour of the entire nation. After that, to help cultivate reading habits in the next generation, I wish to publish books for children in the coming years,

he said.

The article was quite poignant and tinged with nostalgia.

The second article that caught my attention was in sharp contrast to the previous article.

It was a heart-warming article, on ‘reading habits amongst youngsters’, in today’s ‘The Hindu’ Supplement.

Excerpts -

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that readers don’t like to be interrupted. They like to read and lose themselves in a book in companionable silence, says Rachana Malhotra of Juhu Reads, a chapter of a pan-India community of bibliophiles who have turned to reading books in natural surroundings such as parks and beaches into a weekly ritual.

The reading revolution that is unfolding across open spaces in the country began in Bengaluru. On 7th January 2023, entrepreneur Harsh Snehanshu, 33, and his friend Shruti Sah, 30, created the Instagram handle @cubbonreads.

They posted a photograph of an open book (Janice Pariat’s Everything the Light Touches) backdropped by a large tree in Cubbon Park, with a message -

The old wise tree. Or the old wise book? Find us with books and fruits, next to this tree, every Saturday! Message us if you need the pin drop.

On 28th January, there were only three readers: Snehanshu, Sah and a man named Sandeep who dropped by. It appeared as if book reading was just an aspirational thing and nobody was willing to take time out to read.

But as the weeks passed, three became 30. A recent Cubbon reads gathering saw 300 people turn up!

Indeed, creating the right ambience for reading (and learning) has assumed a lot of importance today.

Again, over the years, with the advent of a host of social networking sites, and the dynamics of technology donning the mantle sky-high in all our sweet lives, it was commonly assumed that, reading habits have come down drastically amongst today’s students.

But that doesn’t seem to be the case!

Students today are as enthusiastic as their super-seniors when it comes to their reading habits.

Yesterday being a Saturday, I was so surprised to get a message from a II MA student, Jaysudha, that, almost their entire II MA English class was at the Anna Centenary Library.

I had proudly shared their photos on my WhatsApp status as well!

Yes, the Anna Centenary Library, touted to be Asia’s largest library, has been able to create a wonderful learning ambience for its readers by offering a host of facilities – that cater to the body, mind and soul.

In short, a holistic ambience to enhance one’s learning experience!

One reason why, students from across the City and beyond have been flocking eagerly, in such large numbers to the Library premises every other day.

Coming back,

On the very same day, while I was busy glancing through stacks and stacks of new arrivals at OM Books, [Anna Nagar’s VR Mall], I was doubly delighted to see a few of our vibrant students at the counter – busy purchasing books for themselves.

Yes, the ambience of OM Books, including its lighting and book stacks, are also done so elegantly, that not only helps attract avid readers but also the not-so reading-inclined, as well, to its premises.

And, the icing on the cake yesterday, was, when a I MA student had sent me a message saying that,

I visited the Anna Centenary Library today. Didn’t want to leave the place even after spending 3 hours there, the silence, the Space, the atmosphere, all of them were so valuable.

Felt so happy that our students today are equally excited about reading as their seniors decades ago, when they have the right ambience.

The third article that caught my attention proved to be an eye-opener of sorts. It is from today’s Times of India.

Yet another article that bespeaks to the importance of ambience in enhancing student participation.

It’s about how some schools have been rearranging their classrooms to enhance learning and interaction in the children.

Be it round-tables, multi-level, conference or banquet style, the students are given the right type of ambience to engage happily in the learning process.

Mahima and Muskaan say that, this type of ‘turning the tables on classroom seating arrangements’ was aimed at giving students a more social and interactive experience.

Schools have been given the freedom to change the position of the furniture according to their needs.

Says Ms. Bhuvaneshwari, Principal of the school,

We observed since adopting this, there has been an increase in classroom participation, peer learning, and adaptability.

Indeed, today’s youngsters are highly focussed and they know what they need!

They know what they’re doing! And they’re much surer of their capabilities and their potential than we did, ages ago!

The only thing that they require of us is to create for them, the right type of ambience to enhance their learning experience, that would in turn, involve them in the learning endeavour!

This morning I was so happy to get a call from Brindha, Ann, Mukundan, and Dinesh saying that a few of them were in the Anna Centenary Library in the midst of books. I also received a beautiful photo of the kids enjoying cups of coffee at the cafeteria, that was situated in the ground floor of the library.

Indeed, ambience involves a holistic nourishment - food for the mind, body and soul as well.

If centres of learning today, can enhance the ambience for their students – in the academic arena, I’m sure the learning levels of our students would go sky-high!

Me too thought of sharing from my visit to the Library, on this very same day, 27 years ago, when I had visited the American Library premises, and a few book shops as well, pedalling all the way, on my BSA-SLR bicycle. 

Udipi Hotel Sudha [which still rules the roost in this part of Egmore] was my favourite jaunt for lunch, you see! Limited meals was Rs.16/- with Rs.6/- for that extra rice. 😊 #memoriesfromdiaries

On an aside, the American Library and the British Council Library are still much-sought after, with such a beautiful ambience on them, that motivates their readers to visit their premises over and over again. 

Even last week, I felt so happy to know that, one of our students, Immanuel [MA 2023 batch], had visited the American Library. 

Coming back,

And yes, those were the days when telephones were a rarity, and mobile phones were literally unheard of! Hence, in order to post our inland letters, we had to cycle all the way to the huge post box at the General Post Office [GPO] - an awesome heritage edifice, that still continues to house all things postal in its premises.

To conclude,

Yes! There’s an urgent need in academia to reconceptualise the learning experience in creative ways, by creating the right ambience and the right facilities for the learner.

At the same time, the fear of yielding to change is also a predominant fear in the minds of one section of academia.

That’s because of our obsession with our ritualistic routines, that we have been following in our classrooms for ages.

Let us also remember the fact that, the teacher’s role has also evolved over the years.

In a Seminar for Teachers that happened at the British Council premises, a few years ago, the speaker said that, the teacher can no longer be regarded as the supreme dispenser of knowledge.

That’s because the student has more access to study resources than the teacher does!

The teacher hence becomes a facilitator or a coordinator in facilitating learning to happen in the student!

The fear of change, or metathesiophobia, is one chief reason that is pulling back creativity in the classroom.

This fear of change has quite subtly and innocuously promoted complacency and lethargy in the classroom.

As long as we continue to live in the past, not willing to yield to change, there will be no growth or progress possible.

Lack of growth or progress can result in stagnation.

Stagnation can result in throttling academic performance and output.

In short, as Heraclitus rightly puts it,

Stagnation is not a healthy, flowing river. It is an idle and stale pond!

When water stagnates in a pond, the water ceases to move from thence on, which could result in deterioration of the water, leading to bad odour, and also prove to be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a host of other harmful bacteria and viruses.  

So yes! it’s time to take a call!

A call to choose between the ‘free-flowing river’ and the ‘idle and stale pond’!

And yes! Let’s not blame the student for their under-performance in classes! They are NOT to blame in any way!

You can’t expect a vibrant fresh-water fish to be hale, happy and healthy in a stale and idle pond!

Let’s together sow the seeds of change in our classrooms, and resolve to make learning a rewarding, engaging and vibrant activity for our kids.

Because, ambience indeed matters!

And how...!

PS: This blog post is dedicated to Dr. Preethi Srinivasan, Head, Department of English, Queen Mary’s College (Autonomous), Chennai, for her spirited dynamism, for her utmost dedication, and for her selfless service to the student community, by honing in on their skills, tapping in on their creative potential and creating the right ambience for them to bloom and to grow, and to give them a rewarding learning experience!

One such initiative [among a host of student-oriented initiatives] that Dr. Preethi has helped create is – In Tandem – A fortnightly symposium that’s been happening with such regularity over the years in the cause of the student community, wherein, UG & PG Students of Literature have the option of logging in to their Google Meet, and listen to paper presentations and interactions, and also join the deliberations.

The Symposium starts at six in the evening, and winds up by eight pm.

You may want to read about one such past edition of an In Tandem Symposium on our past post HERE.

Ma’am you’re simply awesome! You are such a great inspiration and motivation to all of us! More power to you, dear ma’am. We are so proud of you! 

Thoughts on reading continues...