A Study on Quotes, Famous Statements and Sayings Displayed in Public Libraries

Abstract

Public libraries display various mottoes, sayings, and quotes expressed by renowned individuals, both past and present, to raise awareness among readers. As patrons encounter these texts, their thinking is unconsciously broadened, demonstrating that such displays positively shift the mindset with minimal effort. The primary objective is to analyze the texts displayed in all twelve branch libraries of the Colombo Public Library, which collectively exhibited 33 sentences. Four branches exhibited five sentences each, one branch three sentences each, three branches two sentences each, and four branches a single sentence. One branch relied solely on the thematic text provided by the National Library for National Reading Month. Several insights emerged from these observations. Most of the displayed texts were traditional and longstanding (29), thus familiar to readers. Therefore, they contributed less in shaping contemporary perspectives. Moreover, the majority of the statements (18) were presented in abstract form about reading and books, limiting its social and cultural impact. The sayings also can be categorized as thematic (20), proverbs (06) and other (07). Most of the sayings were related to reading (10) and books (08). Only one library attempted to exhibit quotations of renowned personalities such as Abdul Kalam, Swami Vivekananda. None of the libraries had used such activity to promote their own collection. It was revealed that most of the libraries used extremely common quotes. Additionally, 80% of libraries changed these quotes from time to time. However, these displays had limited appeal to younger readers. Very few libraries (02) displayed quotations in English language. It discloses that such an activity can attract readers more effectively and maximize their participation. If librarians are able to explore such quotes, proverbs etc. from their own collections, it would be a more effective strategic opportunity to promote the collection itself. If the readers have necessary facilities and skills, digital technology can be used to upgrade the type of presentations more attractively. In addition, the main library can provide strong leadership to collect such quotes not only on books and reading but also those which depict and relate to contemporary social and cultural thinking.