Call to expand Inuvil Nenasala

With the development in the North the popularity of the Inuvil Public e-Library Community Centre (IPLCC) and Nenasala (Arivakam) has increased.

The Government's development efforts have yielded fruit and the IPLCC and Nenasala at Inuvil in the Jaffna district, is a clear evidence of this.

Located in Valikamam South (Uduvil) DS Division, Inuvil is six kilometres north of Jaffna.

The restoration of peace is an impetus to tourism in Inuvil, known for its beautiful and varied Hindu Kovils and a traditional farming community. The Inuvil Central College and the Inuvil Hindu College are some of the popular schools in the area. There are also a few computer education centres. The Induvil library set up in 1930 moved into a building of its own in 1986.

The IPLCC has a ICT training centre. There is also a Montessori, a children's park, a cultural hall, a study hall and an Information Technology Centre.

There are over 20,500 books available at the IPLCC. This is supplemented by periodicals, annual publications and newspapers. The library membership is more than 2,000 and the number of daily visitors to the library is over 300.

The IPLCC cum Nenasala is managed by an executive committee elected annually. It is maintained by the contributions, donations and gifts.

It is housed in the Information Technology Centre of IPLCC. This is the only Nenasala in Valikamam South (Uduvil) Secretariat Division. It helps to improve the IT knowledge of the people.

Equipped with a computer laboratory and a lecture hall in addition to other facilities in Nenasalas this 704th Arivakam was inaugurated by Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya in September, 2013.

At this Nenasala many computer courses are conducted for children, school-leavers and workers. There are also courses that cover the school syllabus. Other courses include, 'Elders' computer programs, Online English course, Designing course and Open Office course.

About 40 children are following the Basic Computer Studies program in three batches, while 84 students benefited from the online English course and 30 are following the online English Learning Course.

The other services include photocopying, printing, colour printing, internet browsing, binding and typing.

About 250 students benefit daily from the facilities at the Nenasala. Readers also benefit because it is adjacent to the library.

The Library and Nenasala will soon conduct a software competition among schoolchildren and school-leavers and an awareness program on IT education and an exhibition.

"There is an increasing demand for use of the library from children, students, undergraduates, scholars and researchers and we have to expand the resources of the institution to cater to them. It has to be modernised to meet the needs triggered by technological advancement," an IPLCC spokesman said.