A book room-a resource in a home !

Although there is an increasing shift towards audio and visual media, which replaces the reading habit to some extent, books still form an integral part of any home. Most of us would have a good collection of books, which we regard as a useful resource for enlarging our thoughts and widening our horizon. 

When I visited a home couple of months back, I was shown their book room. The next forty five minutes I spent in that room gave me an insight into the wide range of interests the family has developed. Their lives were formed through their habit of reading. The couple spend about an hour or more each day in the evenings to browse through the books to stay refreshed and informed. Their largest expense is for buying books. They live well informed and stay in touch with people and situations through their reading habits. I was encouraged by their collection of biographies of people from different countries and have their lives touched  by different stories of people.

Most of us do not plan for a book room or a book corner in our homes. I feel that it is central to any home as the book room is also a meeting place for conversations, hearing book reviews from other members of the family or visitors. Most homes have a home theatre now and that is where the family may spend most of the time together. The disadvantage of this is, we spend more time listening or watching the media and conversely talk and listen to each other less.

For children, a book corner or a room is of great value. It is one way of fanning their interest in reading and interacting. For adults, it is  place to pause, reflect and engage. Books provide us a substrate to think and review our lives. For visitors it is a place, where they can get enthused by the opportunities books can create to influence our lives and the way we think and behave. Some families lend books to friends and neighbours, which is another way of  influencing people. 

We need to create space for books to be on display in our homes. When I sit looking at the book shelves at our home, I am reminded of a particular title or author and I return to read a passage which comes to my mind. Such occasions are most formative and inspirational. 

Let not books be kept in bundles in a store room. Let books be in a common accessible place on display and be our companions to which we return regularly!         

    

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)