STC Library Project - Pulasthi Samaraweera

Jul 20

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

You cannot underestimate the significance of the college library. Not only was it an important source of knowledge to us Thomians, but over the years it has acted as a hideout for some of us who used it as an excuse to cut the odd period or two.

1999 was the year when some of my batch mates and I used the college library last, wearing a white uniform. Since then we have moved on with life and hardly visited the library for almost 20 years. But as a batch we kept in touch with each other regularly.

In 2016, I was given the privilege of becoming the president of STC Class of 99. Our batch has always helped each other when someone was in need. We have organized regular batch get-togethers to keep our comradery alive. But it was now time to do something significant for our alma mater.

In August 2017, I met Sub Warden to see if my batch could donate books to the college library. It was then that I was informed of a plan college had to refurbish the library. From the outset, it sounded like a project Class of 99 could get involved in. But after visiting library (after almost 20 years) I knew it was more work than I initially thought. But it was certainly a worthwhile project to give something back to college. After discussing with the rest of my committee, we launched the “Class of 99 Library Refurbishment Project” on 26th September 2017 with a presentation at the Warden’s boardroom followed by dinner at the dining hall hosted by Warden Billimoria.

The next few months were tough work. I have to admit that balancing out home and work fronts while not dropping the ball on the Library was a project on its own! We met with architects and structural engineers to plan the new library. Warden Billimoria organized a trip for our committee and a few staff members to visit the Trinity College library to learn how they have done something similar. And that we did. In fact, we learned what NOT to do than anything else. This really helped us to rethink our design and make some practical changes.

We were initially planning to put up a mezzanine floor and move the archives section there. But after a tedious process of studying the structure of the building (not to mention trial and error in certain occasions) we decided to drop the idea of the mezzanine floor. This not only brought our cost down, but it saved us a lot of time and effort during the construction phase of the project. I have to say we were well advised by the structural engineers on this matter.

We divided the project into 3 phases.

- Phase 1: Main library hall, the admin area and the pantry.

- Phase 2: The archives room and the literature room.

- Phase 3: Digital amphitheater (current AV room)

The next task was to raise the funds….and a lot of it was needed! We managed to raise Rs 6 Million through personal donations from Class of 99. We organized a musical concert with the help of the famous De Lanerolle brothers and also ran smaller fund raising campaigns on Old Boys’ Day and on social media to reach out to the wider Thomian community. In the end we raised enough funds to complete phase 1 & 2 of the project in one go.

We wanted to introduce technology to the library. Hence we introduced a Library Management System where all the books will be on an online catalogue, and in future all book borrowings will be tracked through this system. We placed 6 laptops for students to use freely. We also donated an educational TV package where students can watch educational programs with the guidance of a staff member.

We wanted to preserve the old character that STC is known for. Hence we designed the interior in a way that showcased the history and traditions of college. A new tradition was introduced by Class of 99 to have the overall champion house flag displayed just behind the college flag in the main library hall.

We handed over the library back to college on 16th September 2018 after successfully completing phase 1 & 2. We plan to start raising funds to complete the 3rd and final stage of the project (digital amphitheater) once the current pandemic situation settles down.

As the project chairman, it was a privilege and pleasure to be part of such a worthy project. I would like to thank college for giving Class of 99 the opportunity to take up this project, and very specially Warden and Sub Warden for trusting us and backing us up to complete the project. The project would not have been a success if it wasn’t for the collective efforts of all the 99ners who contributed with their time, money and efforts in making the new library a reality.

A school’s library plays a great role in the life of students and teachers of that school by serving as the center of knowledge and excellence. Class of 99 would like to request all young Thomians and staff members to make the maximum use of the new facility. It is you who now needs to take over and make the place lively and useful.

Esto Perpetua!