A Surprise Visit to the Research Section of the College Library ❤️ The Quintessential MCC Kid ❤️

A Visit to the Research Section of the College Library

4th April 2024 | #todayinlibrary

Reflections on a Bibliophile

Today I had promised Shannon that I would pay a visit to the library to see the awesome Research Wing of the Library.

As I had promised, soon after my hour with the I MA class, at around 12.50 pm, I went to the library.

The library today was thronging with students of all hues.

All the reading sections in the ground floor and in the first floor, were filled with students reading some books or the other.

The Newspaper Reading Stands also had their own share of readers, who were immersed in their favourite sections from the day’s newspaper.

Shannon is one of our most vibrant students who always makes it a point to visit the library’s research section every single day. Right from her UG days to her MPhil days today, she has been a regular visitor to the College Library, - her second home.

I was so glad to see her ensconced in the far right corner of the Research room, having a small note book on the table, pen in hand, a flask of water near her, and a good book at hand, busy taking notes.

This is something that we admire and appreciate in our students – making productive use of their time, and celebrating their personal space.

In fact, Shannon has a lot of fans from among her juniors as well, who are in awe and admiration over her fascination for books and libraries. 

What's more? All her Professors who have taught her for the past six years have a lot of lovely things to say about her - and one special quality that they all vouch for is - her habit of taking notes in class! 

Even if it is a casual talk with her Professor, she will always carry a handy note pad with her, to jot down important points or concepts that she listens to! And that is something that makes her a 'Teacher's favourite' kid! 

Added, she is the quintessential MCC kid, and her friendship with scholarly professors runs across Departments with whom she cultivates a good and respectful rapport. 

Well, the Research Section looks a very invigorating space, with a good ambience, housing two huge LED TVs and desktop computers with wi-fi connection enabled as well.

I then interacted with a cross-section of the Research Scholars who were in the Research Section, and they said that they were quite satisfied with the services provided to them by the library.

Yes! We exhort and encourage you - our current students and research scholars in MCC - to make maximum use of the vast repertoire of knowledge available in the College Library.

PS: To know more about the habit of Taking down lecture notes, you may want to look up our past blogpost HERE

Celebrating Our Exceptional, Unique & Phenomenal Students ❤️

Today’s Delightful News ❤️

From our Vibrant Students

On Publication,

On Library Visits &

On Diary Writing

A Teacher’s Real Joy, Pride and Delight ❤️

I get so thrilled and so happy when students [present and past] text me or mail me on their academic performance.

And doubly happy, when it is a consistent and sustained academic performance!

Yes! My heart is all admiration and joy unbounded, for such vibrant kids who make use of their beautiful personal space to carve a niche for themselves in such productive, academic engagements, so spontaneously, just for the pure joy and love of literature!

First and foremost, I got the delightful news this morning, that Christy Boban’s insightful paper has been published with a reputed publication. Yes, today I had proudly displayed it on my whatsapp status as well! 😊 Congratulations dear Christy Boban. We are so proud of you.

Well, a few words on Christy for us all.

Christy [MA Class of 2022] has been a consistent performer, and one can always see her very focused and committed in her academic life here in MCC.

On 26th January 2022, we got to hear the delightful news that, her first publication titled, Palette of Musings: A Collection of Profound Poems had arrived, and I also got the weblink to the book on Amazon and then on Flipkart.

You may want to check out her book on Amazon HERE and on Flipkart, HERE.

Promptly, as Dean-in-charge of Student Affairs back then, I so proudly put up a Notice on the Deanery’s Special Notice Board, congratulating Christy on her academic achievement.

Since her first publication, there’s no stopping her vibrant creative spirit.

Her poem titled, ‘Savannahs of Hope’ was published in the anthology titled, Unscribbled Thoughts.

Another poem titled, ‘Tiny Longings’ was published in the anthology titled, Hope, Coffee and Poetry.

Yet another lovely poem titled, ‘Dearest Glow’ was published in the anthology titled, Lily.

On 31st March 2022, The Writers’ Café, Madras Christian College, had organised a gala event, to honour accomplished student-writers. On this memorable occasion, Christy Boban had received an award from Mr. Suba Veerapandian, Member, Advisory Committee, Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation.

Christy has also penned a lovely poem on the eve of New Year 2023, which is so proudly and prominently displayed to the right of our blog, here.

Christy receiving the Award from Mr. Suba Veerapandian

And today, I got the lovely news that her insightful research article has been published in the book titled, Emerging Trends in Post Pandemic Literary and Cultural Studies, edited by Dr. Gyanabati Khuraijam and Dr. Yumnam Oken Singh.

The research article is titled, ‘Othering’ the Natives of Idukki District and Creation of Binary – A Critique of Media Misrepresentation.

More power to you, Christy. We are so proud of you.

Secondly, Pavithra, our vibrant MPhil student, had texted me today, on her updates on ‘six months’ of diary writing, ending 30 June 2023.

Her well-balanced and neatly structured write-up that she had sent me today, was highly impressive! Proudly presenting some nuggets of inspiration from Pavithra, for all of us dear readers -

Dear Rufus sir,

First of all, thank you for introducing me to diary writing.

The first time I wrote a diary entry was in 2014, after my 10th standard results.

I got 491/500, and in that excitement, I wrote about the five-day experience of my exams… I felt so relieved after writing those diary entries.

It kind of felt like someone was accompanying me.

But I didn’t have the maturity back then, to think that it needs to be done regularly. I still have that diary. It gives me chills, whenever I look at it.

Secondly, I must tell you that you have given me a good companion which can direct my life properly.

Many say that we need to have an accountability partner who can track our progress… I feel, this Diary has become one such accountability partner in my life.

So I convey my heartfelt thanks to you for giving me a warm and comfortable accountability partner.

Thirdly, I need to talk about my diary writing journey from 01 January to 30 June 2023.

It made me accountable. It tracked my life properly. I came to know how much I need to be productive and make my life tuned properly.

I also found out my own strengths and weaknesses with evidence. Thank you sir for making me understand a proper way of living a responsible life.

Lastly, I need to promise you that in the next six months, I will be regular with my diary entries… I must say that it has changed me a lot and it is bringing about a new change in my life which I hope will become a decent success…

So proud of you, Pavithra. You are a real inspiration, especially to all your juniors. Keep up the spirit and the gusto!

Thirdly, today, again, I was overjoyed to receive news from our II BA English Literature students, Shreya Prasath, Arunthathi, Syama, and Sethu Parvathi, who were making productive use of their weekend in the Anna Centenary Library.

The Pure Joys of Dwelling in the Hallowed Precincts of a Lovely Library

And yes, last Saturday, Hemanth, Abraham, Joshua Mahima and Anna Cyriac from II BA English class had texted me saying that they had a very rewarding time in the Library.

You guys simply rock.

So proud of you our vibrant, lovely and dear students.

May your tryst with books and reading nourish you, replenish you and sustain you in the years to come, and may you be shining lights and role models to everyone!

What more does a teacher need, than to see their students giving their best and celebrating their uniqueness in a consistent and sustained manner all through their lovely literary sojourn in this beautiful planet!

That’s the one real joy and delight that a student can possibly give their teachers, ain’t it?

And lastly, yes, I too wish to join my dear students in sharing a memorable occasion from the very same day, today, 1st July 1996, [27 years ago], when, I was also celebrating my lovely personal space in the hallowed precincts of a library. 😊

So yup! Let’s join in unison with Tennyson’s Ulysses, and proclaim –

Come, my friends,

’Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

And echoing my all-time favourite Michael Jackson number –

As lovely literary beings in this blessed planet, let us -

Heal the world, Make it a better place

For you and for me and the entire human race

Through our lovely literary life, in our own sweet ways! ❤️

'On the way back home, we didn't talk much unlike the onward journey as each of our minds were occupied with our new experience'

My Visit to Anna Centenary Library

M. Dhanavaishnavi | I MA English

It was the day, when my friends and I, had a rewarding day, spending a holiday fruitfully. Friday was declared as holiday and we did not want the day to wither away.

We decided to visit the Anna Centenary library which had been on our to-do list for quite some time.

We started our day early like going to college and boarded the suburban train from Tambaram to Guindy, and then a small ride in an auto from the railway station to the front gate of the Anna library.

This was my first-time visiting Anna Centenary Library after many years. The entrance vividly brought back the nostalgic memories.

The weather was so welcoming as the mild sun hid behind the drizzling clouds. We entered the abode of knowledge and wisdom with notepad and pen as companions.

The notebook in the entry door recorded people’s entry and we happily entered our names in the notebook. The noticeboard was the first thing that got the attention, it contained details of coaching classes happening for civil services exam and the private room for reading our own books.

Soon we found that the fourth floor was our destination where English literature books were awaiting the presence of readers.

We reserved the invitations of other sections of library for our next visit.

The elevator elevated us to the fourth floor and the whole view of avid readers with sound mind in the silent library prepared us for the better.

The vista was so welcoming and lot of books were stacked under different sections like books of the month and reader’s picks. This would be of great help for those who cannot arrive at a conclusion as to what to read.

The books were well-organized in arrangement so no one will end up rummaging. The seats were of various kinds as per the reader’s choice to make them comfortable; as we were a trio, we occupied a whole table. The beauty of nature can be witnessed from the corner seat and rightfully I placed myself there.

The consensus of our visit was to collect data for our class presentations. Every rack had an index in the front for identifying the books categorized as per the divisions.

We were able to find the required texts at ease without any difficulty. We were engaged with the texts for about three hours while gazing around at intervals and made notes as per our understanding. I was so happy to get hold of books that helped me in better understanding.

We didn't even notice the passage of time and I turned around to look at the others around me, and found that some were still reading, while some piled up more books and a few recessed. Reading and thinking really drains energy and we went out to have our lunch.

We strolled for a while and ended up in a restaurant, ate to our heart's content and had ice-cream on the way back. After lunch I didn't want to sit and read so, I acquainted myself with other sections such as contemporary literature, language and linguistics and so on. We decided to leave at around five in the evening.

On the way back home, we didn't talk much unlike the onward journey as each of our minds were occupied with our new experience.

I started my preparations for presentations the next day. It was at that time I realized the significance of visiting library and that internet sources are but a facet and learning is beyond that. I could precisely trace the difference in my approach to the text after reading from various sources.

The day was well spent and its effect is evident in us and we promised to visit again soon. Walter Savage Landor has rightly said that, “Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a Library” which is indeed true and I am looking forward to much more exploring!

Thank you.

"We were welcomed by beautiful yellow flowers..."

Report on my visit to Anna Centenary Library

Jaysudha. N | I MA English

This report is about my journey to the Anna Centenary Library on 14th Oct 2022.

Since graduation ceremony was taking place in our institution, 14th and 15th Oct were supposed to be holidays. So I along with my friends Vaishnavi and Snigdha we all planned to go to the library.

At 9 am we three reached Tambaram railway station and from there we took the train and reached Guindy station. Then from Guindy Railway station we took an Auto and reached Anna Centenary Library.

My visit to Anna Centenary Library is not new. From my childhood, I have visited Anna Centenary Library the most. Every Saturday we used to go to the library. We visited the library more frequently that even the staff in the library recognized us. After finishing high school this was my first time to visit Anna library.

The Roads were familiar yet unfamiliar to me, because of the changes that have taken place in the past few years.

The Sky was dark with gray clouds and it was drizzling.

Though we were drenched in the rain, still, we were welcomed by beautiful yellow flowers as you can see in the photo (below).

Then we went inside the library after signing our names in the book register.

We took an elevator and reached the English section. It was like a paradise filled with beautiful books.

"I don't have to look far to find treasures. I discover them every time I visit a library"

- Micheal Embry

The number of books in Anna Centenary Library equals to the amount of Happiness we had on that day.

I personally liked the way the books are arranged in the library. It was easy to find our choice of books. Because in every bookshelf we could find a A4 sized paper stuck in the sides of the bookshelf which denotes the kind of books arranged in the book shelves.

I even spent some time to read the various kinds of literature in English. We literature students are used to American literature, African literature, or any other regional literatures. But they had all kinds of literature which pricked my interest on the availability of the books they had in Anna Centenary Library.

Without even wasting a second we skimmed through the books section and found few books related to our presentations such as
Oxford's publication

"A short history of English literature"

"The Faerie queen by Green Roberts"

"English social and cultural history"

"The Cambridge history of early modern English literature"

"Theatrical convention and audience response".

While searching for the right books, at times we even sat on the floor and flipped through the books. Though some gave a weird stare on us, still, we three were busy in our own world and at that time we only cared about the presentations and the upcoming exams we are supposed to face.

Before reading the books, I looked around the people and saw some were preparing for competitive exams like UPSC, TNPSC, NET etc. On the other side there were a few students who were struggling to find the books related to their college assignments.

Seeing all these once again I realized that we are also one among the competitors competing with the rest of the world to get a decent or dream job.

Seeing everyone around me studying drives me to study so hard.

After taking all these huge books we read them till 12.30 pm and then went to have lunch nearby. We walked a few kilometers, found a pleasant restaurant, and ordered a schezwan fried rice, biriyani, and chicken 65.

The above photo is which I clicked inside the restaurant. While doing this assignment I went through my gallery to select few photos of me in Anna library. But sadly, I could not find one.

Life of a photographer is sad, because they will be the ones who click the picture and no one is there to click a picture of them.

After we ate our lunch, we went for ice cream and ate it on the way to the library. Drizzling weather with ice cream is indeed a perfect combination.

Then again, we went back to the library and resumed our studies for three more hours.
Time's the only thing that will never stop and it was time for us to part from the library.

At 3.30 pm we left the library and reached back to home at 6. Before going to sleep, I rewound the day again and slept with no regrets. 

"This was definitely a brand new experience to be remembered"

Government Museum, Chennai

JELSHIYA. R | I MA English 

Unplanned trips bring the best memories they say. True to those words this was definitely one of those days to be remembered. It started out to be a usual boring Monday until we planned on turning it around. 

The misty drizzle made it even more pleasant. My friend and I started the ride in a scooter around 9 am. Neither of us aware of the route, we navigated using the Google maps, all the while enjoying the cloudy sky sprinkling on us, sharing stories and talking about what our friends might be doing. It took about an hour and a half to reach the museum. Scooter parked; Tickets collected; and the exploration began. Before entering the museum, we stopped by the Connemara Library and checked out the literature section briefly.

After that, there were 6 separate buildings to be seen with the museum. Each one with different kinds of artefacts displayed in them. The first one was the Main building; the archaeological section of it was displayed with stone carving and statues of Gods and Goddesses of various dynasties and civilization of India during the course of time. 

The Zoological section was displayed with specimens and skeletons of diverse reptiles, birds, mammals, invertebrates and fishes, even dinosaurs.

The second building was the Anthropological building - showcased elaborately with things used by the prehistoric men and their culture. The third one on the list was the Bronze Gallery, as in the name filled with mind-blowing bronze statues of different deities.

The next was the children's museum, followed by the National Art Gallery displayed with Modern and Contemporary Arts, Ravi Varma paintings and Tanjore arts. The final one was the Contemporary Art Gallery which was not open to visiting unfortunately.

These were not the only things that made the trip, seeing the school kids on their educational tour made us reminisce about our good-old-carefree days that we had when we were young; the little birds and squirrels running around, the trees and leaves slowing dancing to the breeze was therapeutic to the mind.

Exhausted on walking the entire day we sat down for a while, clicked a few pictures and started our ride back. Grabbed our lunch on the way and reached home safely. This was definitely a brand new experience to be remembered.

[October 31, 2022]

Well-designed! There's something for everyone, here!

VISIT TO A CITY LIBRARY

by

Megha P.S, II M.A. English

A library is every bibliophile's dream, one’s paradise. There is nothing like heading to the library on a cool, breezy morning. On one such day, I eagerly searched for a bus that would take me to my fantasy land of dragons, mansions and enchanted forests. As the patient wait came to an end, I quickly hopped on the bus (21G from West Tambaram), and to my surprise, found an empty seat during rush hour. Looking out the window, one could see the lush green hills and the clouds, as it turned grey from a clear light blue.

A crowded bus with the conductor shouting at the passengers to get tickets to their destinations, or children tightly clutching their parents’ hands, to young adults with blank expressions, thinking about the monotony of their work, occasionally hatched into a forced smile when nudged by a co-passenger: this bus was a world of its own. With no friends for company, this travel had more to offer, from observing my co-passengers to reflecting on life as the bus drove past the cancer institute in Adyar.

After an elaborate travel on a rickety bus for about forty minutes, I could see the library, the building gleaming as the mild sunrays fell on its windows. Anna Centenary Library, located in Gandhi Mandapam road, Kotturpuram, spreads across eight acres of land, in the heart of Chennai city. The enclosed library has a parking area. Inaugurated on September 15, 2010, on the occasion of the 102nd birth anniversary of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. CN Annadurai, the library is named after the former Chief Minister popularly and fondly remembered as 'Anna'. Anna Centenary Library has a hand carved statue of Perarignar Anna, surrounded by a fountain with lighting.

As I made my way into the main gate of the library, there were a few people walking in the library premises, breathing in the fresh, morning air.  As per the library rules, except valuables, books and water bottles, bags were to be deposited at the bag counter in return for a token. Walking up to the glassed, palatial, automated entrance, one could find the reception on one side with comfy couches, the other side opened into an airy space with potted plants and a miniature garden. A small Aavin counter had opened up early to serve the people with sleep stirred faces, a hot cup of coffee with freshly extracted decoction.

My Visit to a City Library

Ahheyon Jang

CONTENTS:-

1) NAME & PLACE OF THE LIBRARY

2) DESCRIPTION OF THE LIBRARY

3) LIBRARIAN’S NAME

4) VARIOUS TYPES OF BOOKS AVAILABLE

1. NAME & PLACE OF THE LIBRARY

PLACE NAME:  Anna Centenary Library (ACC)

PLACE ADDRESS: Gandhi Mandapam Road, Kottur Gardens, Surya Nagar, Kotturpuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

                                

Origin of name: -

To commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. C. N Annadurai who is fondly called ANNA. Hence this library is named as Anna Centenary Library.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE LIBRARY

The entrance is quite wide. The Library building is located in a sprawling and sylvan campus. It is one of the biggest library buildings in this area and it really dominates the whole place by its imposing architectural structure. 

There are parking spaces for two wheelers and cars. There is a statue of PERARIGNAR ANNA for commemorating his centenary anniversary. Before entering the library, we cannot carry our bags, except for valuables such as money, laptop, jewelry, etc. There is a property counter. We can get a token and when we leave, we have to summit a token and receive bags.

 

PERARIGNAR ANNA STATUE & PROPERTY COUNTER

This building is made up of 8 floors - from ground floor to 8th floor.

The ground floor has an information desk and competitive exam section, reception, own book reading section, conference hall, BRAILLE room, etc. There is a computer for searching books and information. We can find one unique exhibit.

 

Each floor has restrooms. In ground floor, there are rooms for drinking tea and taking rest and also selling for text books.

We can use elevator, stairs, and from ground floor to 1st floor the escalator. There are many security cameras for absolute security in the library.

 Mostly information of each floor is in Tamil. But information in English is also available. You need to find out what sections are on the floor in advance.

Each floor is also equipped with a fire hydrant. There is CALL device that can be called in case of emergency. Basically, all the facilities of indoors and outdoors are nice and clean.

If you go to the indoors, the lighting is bright and good for reading books. There are also desks and stands. It maintains a cool and pleasant environment because of air-conditioners.

There are many chairs and tables where you can read books everywhere.