 It’s all booked!
by Nilma Dole
With more books to borrow and
the hope of being a better person tomorrow, the British Council has
given book worms the chance of getting some really high-flying books to
cash up on godly knowledge. Adding more spice to their already colossal
collection, the British Council formally declared open their ‘facelift’
in a bid to promote more reading.
What with book clubs in every gossip compartment of the city and the
fact that this writer can’t seem to salvage her increasing book shelf
due to the floods, don’t fret because you have a world of borrowing some
of the best of British and world-renowned books at the British Council.
Speaking at the re-launching of the library, Gill Westaway Country
Director of the British Council Sri Lanka said, “We hope that many will
dabble in the art of reading with the facelift of our library since we
have been given a grant for purchasing better books for the benefit of
our members.”
 The present area of the library is an extension of the former British
Council director’s house and even though space wasn’t a bounty, they
have managed to build it in such a way that it adds spice and glamour to
it.
In addition to this, the Academy of Design has got together with the
British Council to design the enhanced premises to give it more zest and
enthusiasm. “We have all the books and British publications for the
exclusive reading of our members and we have special DVD facilities to
give the best of movies for our movie buffs too,” said one of the
librarians.
Prominently displaying the Gratiaen award winners, past and present
in a special section, one can’t help noticing how spacious and modern
the library is. With a special listening section dedicated to – that’s
right! – listening, the library feels more at ease and a proper book
hang out rather than a British Council head office. Further, we see a
computer laboratory where people can talk in the comfort of their own
spaces without disturbing the readers and the kiddies section with a
flat-screen television for private screenings. Furthermore, we can see
that immense pains have been taken to make it as state-of-the-art and a
technologically sound one-stop knowledge shop for members.
 All in all, the library is a fitting example of how you can quench
your knowledge thirst for something lovely and enticing to suit your
mind with a medley of information.
With amusing reading from Ashok Ferry, Gill Westaway and Neluka De
Silva, the good food and the interesting books helped pave the way for a
well-read day!
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