Cotsen Children’s Library

Traveling to India usually involves a long plane ride and maybe even a rickshaw. But for two hours on Saturday, local children journeyed to the subcontinent without leaving Princeton. Through the World Story Festival, an annual event at the Cotsen Children’s Library, local children made masks, marveled at a LEGO sculpture of the Taj Mahal and watched a special performance by Kalaa, the University’s classical Indian dance troupe. The event, organized by Patricia Sever ’11 and Dana Sheridan, Cotsen’s education and outreach coordinator, featured a wide variety of India-themed educational programming. “I mostly chose India because it has a really fascinating culture and history,” Sever said. “There’s great food, beautiful music, and I just thought that it would be a lot of fun.” Small details that made the experience seem real were highlights for the voyagers. Eight-year-old Sanjiv said that his favorite part of the event was “doing the whole simulation by getting your passport and going to the baggage claim ... and going [to the other stations] to see all the other places.” While event coordinators wanted to ensure that all the kids had fun, they made efforts to include an educational component in the program. Even the more overtly educational aspects of the event, though, were well received by parents and children alike. Eight-year old Anirudh Kirshnaprasad said he particularly enjoyed the station where participants learned how to write their names in Hindi. “I want to learn to write my name in different languages and speak the different languages, too,” he added. “It was well organized, well thought-out [and] really informative,” said Tina Biswas, a mother of two, who added that her family often tries to attend family-oriented events at the University. Biswas, like several others, said she heard about the event through princetonkids.com, a website that compiles information about family-friendly opportunities in the Princeton area. “[The Festival] is a great service that the community offers,” said Lenora Ziegler, who brought her two young children with her to the program. “It’s great to expose children at this age to an academic environment. It makes them comfortable.” John DaCruz, a local resident who brought his children Sofia and Jay, said he thought the event was “fabulous,” adding that “the dancing was very good ... It kept the kids’ interest.” Six-year-old Sofia agreed with her father, saying that she enjoyed the festival and would love to attend future events. Steve Chastain, who attended the program with his three youngest children, echoed both Biswas and Krishnaprasad, saying that it was the “hands-on aspect” of the festival that really appealed to him and made him think of bringing his family to attend. Sever said that she was pleased with the event’s outcome. “I don’t know what turnout was like last time, but it was pretty good,” she said. “The kids seemed like they had fun, and the adults seemed like they had fun, so I thought it was a success.” Beyond the activities’ educational and entertainment value, families were lured by the event’s cost. “Free is my favorite price,” Chastain said. “Free is very good when you have four kids.”

Reduction in the collection of Library cess

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found that owing to non-adoption of uniform rate of property tax in the newly-annexed areas of grama panchayats, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has incurred a loss of Rs 19.68 crore. The C&AG report, which was tabled in the Assembly on Monday, has said that the revenue loss of Rs 19.68 crore was incurred during the period from 2001-02 to 2007-08. Owing to the shortfall in collection of property tax, there was also a reduction in the collection of library cess to the tune of Rs 98.44 lakh. Though it was brought to the notice of the government in October 2008, it has not given any reply till May 2009. The Kerala Municipalities Act of 1994 stipulates that the government may by notification unite the territorial area of panchayats geographically lying adjacent to a municipal area with the municipality. It also states that when any village, panchayat area is constituted as, or included in a municipality, all taxes, fees or other charges levied in that area under the enactment or regulation then in force shall, from the date of constitution or inclusion, as the case may be, cease to have effect and all such taxes, fees or other charges shall be levied in that area in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules, regulation and by-laws made thereunder. The rate of property tax prevailing in the areas of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is 18 percent of the Annual Rental Value (ARV). The grama panchayats of Attipra, Kadakampally, Ulloor, Nemom and Thiruvallom were annexed to the Corporation with effect from October 1, 2000. The property tax levied in these panchayats was six percent. According to the provisions of the Act, the property tax should have been levied at the prevailing rate of 18 percent so as to have a uniform rate in all areas falling within the Corporation. The report said that the Corporation had recommended to the government to retain the existing rate of property tax (6 percent) in the annexed areas till the next general revision of tax so as to avoid hardships to the people and to avoid unnecessary public agitations. The government agreed to this proposal. The Standing Committee of the Corporation, in 2003, had recommended to bring about uniformity in the rates of property tax. But the council had not so far decided on the issue. Thus, out of 86 divisions in the Corporation, property tax was collected at the rate of 18 percent of ARV in 50 divisions and six percent in the remaining 36 divisions in violation of the Act. Owing to the adoption of non-uniform rates, there was a revenue loss of Rs 19.68 crore, the report said. TRANSACTION AUDIT The C&AG has found that the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation lost Rs 1.83 crore allotted in March 2007, owing to delay in the reconciliation of accounts with that of District Treasury. The government allotted Rs 1.83 crore to the Corporation under General Purpose Fund. Even though the Corporation was in receipt of government sanction, it did not initiate timely action to get the amount credited in its account. The failure in internal control mechanism in carrying out timely reconciliation of accounts and follow-up action by the Corporation resulted in a loss of Rs 1.83 crore, the report said. trivandrum@expressbuzz.com

Another Unique Library

PUNE: Nine year-old Dev Basavekar has a plan of action every Friday evening. "I finish my homework and head straight to the Adarsh Mitra Mandal's sports library. They lend me all kinds of sports equipment. I especially like football and throw rings. It's a really nice library. Of course, I have to return the stuff every Sunday evening, as I am supposed to study over the week," he says. In a span of just four months, this unique sports library, set up in Adarshnagar, Dhankawdi, has become the great source of entertainment for over 800 children, mostly from underprivileged families. The origin of the concept, according to Uday Jagtap, a member-activist of Adarsh Mitra Mandal, lies in the belief that no child should be deprived of the pleasure of playing for want of resources. "We are a chawl settlement of over 200 families. Many of these children cannot afford to buy the equipment, so we thought it would be a good idea to set up a library of this kind. The library remains open over the weekend so that it does not come in the way of children's studies. We are happy to observe that it has emerged as a source of development -- both physical and intellectual," said Jagtap. So be it cricket kits, chessboards, volleyball, skates, skipping ropes, badminton racquets or more... there's something for every aspiring sportsman in the age group of 4 to 14 years. "We charge them a nominal fee of Re 1 for each set for a duration of three days," explained Vishal Naik, another member-activist. "The amount may be negligible, but it is important that we don't give away things for free. Children must learn to respect and value good things. Furthermore, the amount we charge is given to an orphanage. We are determined not to use it for commercial activities," he said. The library also houses over 1,200 children's books on subjects ranging from the lives of great men to number games, puzzles, history, fiction and so on. Twelve-year-old Pooja Jagtap and Trupti Bhoirkar are regular borrowers of the chess board and skates. "We just love them. Chess is very good for the mind and increases concentration," said Pooja. "It's important to ensure that children are gainfully occupied in activities they enjoy and are good for them," said Naik. "With the advent of technology, TV addiction is a common problem. Children ought to be outdoors, engaging in sporting activity that aids their overall growth in the right direction." "Besides, we thought an initiative of this sort would bring children together in a positive manner and keep them from seeking harmful activities in the name of curiosity," explained Jagtap. "Given the backdrop of the nuclear family, not to forget the rising instances of suicide amongst students, channelising youthful energies in a meaningful manner is the need of the time. The library is a small step towards a bigger goal." Other activities Established in 2000, the Adarsh Mitra Mandal takes up a number of socially relevant activities including cultural programmes and gatherings for senior citizens and children, plantation etc. The mandal runs the Bhagini helpline, which offers aid and advice to women who are victims of stalking and other forms of sexual harassment. It started the two-and-half-year-old Criminal Adoption Scheme (CAS), a rehabilitation programme for ex-convicts, that encourages them to seek employment and begin their life afresh. Under the CAS, the Mitra Mandal has brought about the rehabilitation of 21 ex-convicts, by facilitating jobs and land for farming. Similarly, the Valmiki Awards, which are instituted every year by the mandal, seek to encourage and recognise the achievements of ex-convicts who have successfully overcome the odds to lead a socially useful and meaningful life.

Borrowing books from the comfort of home

Library hopes to kindle reading flame with e-books Monday, March 01, 2010 Michele AngermillerSPECIAL TO THE TIMES LAWRENCE -- Doing a book report and don't have time to drive to the library? Itching to catch up on the "Twilight" series right this second but don't feel like jumping into a car? The Mercer County Library system will launch an e-books program starting today that will make it easier to get the books you need without the hassle of driving. The new program will give library patrons the option of borrowing books from the comfort of home through their home computers. Holders of library cards can browse titles and check out a book by downloading a copy to their PCs or laptops. According to Ellen Brown, director of the library system, 422 titles will be available in addition to more than 6,000 audiobooks offered now. In fact, e-books are becoming increasingly popular in these tough economic times, Brown said. Managers of Princeton University's semester-long pilot program of the Amazon KindleDX electronic reader are reporting success, with results showing that student participants reduced the amount of paper they used to print course readings by almost 50 percent. Princeton launched its pilot program in the fall to help determine if e-readers can reduce the use of paper at the University without adversely affecting the classroom experience. Fifty students in three courses agreed to participate in the voluntary project -- titled "Toward Print-Less and Paper-Less Courses: Pilot Amazon Kindle Program," managed by Princeton's Office of Information Technology and the Princeton University Library in cooperation with Amazon.com. The e-books can be read on a PC or Mac using free reader software called Adobe Digital Editions. They can also be transferred to popular e-reading devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and the Barnes & Noble nook. Many e-books feature "re-flowable" text, which allows a user to resize the text and alter the display to fit any screen size. The Sony Reader and the nook are designed to look and feel like a book for users on the go. The devices feature a screen that is intended to be easy on the reader's eyes. Popular titles by authors such as James Patterson, Charlaine Harris ("Dead Until Dark") and Robert Parker plus nonfiction titles such as Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" will be available, Brown said. Titles will be added each month. Laura Nawrocik, IT technician for the library, said that there is a five-book limit of e-books at checkout, and the software is designed to allow borrowers to have the books out for seven to 10 days. "The files will stop working when you get to the 10-day period," she said. There will also be an electronic wait list for popular titles, as well as an "always available" list that will include classic books. Users may, of course, return books early. "The library system is trying to extend to its users nontraditional library sources," she said. "In these economic times, the library is trying to lighten the load for its patrons, be it by offering free DVDs and movies, and now the e-books." To check out e-books or downloadable audiobooks, users need a valid library card, a computer and an Internet connection. Once downloaded, digital media can be used on a computer or transferred to popular devices such as MP3 players, iPods, Smartphones, and more