MitraUK has been working closely with Slough Borough Council to add Marathi Books to their multi-cultural collection. The first 80 books have been delivered and many are catalogued. These should be available from the 1st December.
The library will monitor demand and based on this will request more books. The plan is to make all books from the original collection available.
The reason for putting these into a public library and not into a private collection or temple is because of availability and management. Libraries are open for longer opening hours and anyone that has a library card in the country can request books from any library that holds book anywhere using the inter-library loan collection for a small fee.
Please use this service, I use it on a regular basis and that gives you access to books that may not be available in your own library.
Slough Library is near both the bus and train station and for most people in the area is a single bus ride.
MitraUK has asked that the Marathi collection at Slough is available through this service so that no matter where you are, you have access to books.
For those that are working with other local authorities please can you also ask for books to be available via this system.
The library does not take direct donations due to space and management so if you do have books that you do not want and want to make available to the wider Marathi community then please contact me. You can of contact your local Mitra Mandal outside of Slough to speak to them about books and adding them to their collections.
Clearly in these days of austerity measure, libraries and other arts services are being cut, it is important to keep literature available.
In order to encourage libraries to consider holding these books, make sure you look your library know that you are interested in other languages.
There are other libraries that hold Marathi Books and a list of these are now available on the Website under its own Library Page.
If we have missed you out, please let me know via the contact us page and we can easily add you to the list.
Thanks
Purnima Gore
