WrittenPost: Vadodara-II ... (India-IV)

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Vadodara-II ... (India-IV)

The Central Library of Vadodara was built in 1910. The king had traveled to Europe and America, and seeing the great libraries there, believed that access to knowledge and learning was the key to the future of his people. So, he set about to build a library in Vadodara (and also set up primary and secondary education in his state of Gujarat).

Maharaja Sir Sayajirao III Gaekwad (The King)

("it's good to be da' King !")

Of course, there is a great distance between some good ideas and their successful completion, and a library is a complicated undertaking. I asked about a familiar photo on the wall...some how or another, the king was introduced to Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie is know as a very wealthy American who went across the USA donating money and setting up Carnegie Libraries in many small and medium towns, many of them, in a philanthropic effort to bring the same things to America that the Kind was trying to bring to the people of Vadodara. It turned out that Mr. Carnegie donated some funds to the effort, and I suspect he was the connection to an American Librarian, William Alanson Borden, who traveled to India to help the King organize and set up the library.

Bordon

One particularly cool feature of the library was its glass floors. Yes, glass. The King saw a problem trying to illuminate a library, suitable for finding and reading books, in a region that at the time, had no electric lighting.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

So the design of the building, and the spacing of the windows, spacing of shelving and all are coordinated. The shelves are spaced well apart for access and for letting in light. There is a window corresponding to each walk space between shelves. There is an ironwork system of shelf supports that results in 3 or 4 levels, with glass flooring on each level, to let light in and through. It's a cool arrangement.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Also, the high, white ceiling bounces light around, and allows for air circulation, because they didn't have air conditioning either of course.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

This gentlemen explained that he is retired from the library, and just comes in at opening time to help prepare for a days business at the library, and enjoys giving tours to visitors. He reached up on top of a shelf and brought down a sample of the floor glass, around an inch thick, that he obviously shows off frequently.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

It was interesting to see photos on the wall of the King, Borden, Carnegie, and Ghandi. (Mr. Ghandi also comes from the state of Gugarat, and of course, they are quite proud of him).

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

I didn't see that many cows in Delhi, a more urban environment (although there were monkeys), but cattle and water buffalo are all around Vadodara, you see them everywhere.

Next stop, the Central Market area on a busy Sunday afternoon.