Kolkata teacher scripts a tale of reading revolution with street libraries for children
Telegraph | 1 March 2026
On a street in Kolkata’s Patuli locality, a school teacher’s crusade to ensure education for all began with a defunct refrigerator and children’s books he could manage to buy on his personal income.
But when Kalidas Haldar, a 51-year-old English teacher, started his journey, little did he know that within five years he would have 19 public libraries operating across West Bengal — all these facilities, including four in Sunderbans, offer free books to students.
It wasn’t easy, but one thing followed another, and his efforts started bearing fruits, Haldar recalled, fixing his glasses as he ran his fingers through a register maintaining book entries.
“All I had was a broken refrigerator and just a few centimetres of space next to a grocery store on the pavement of Baishnabgahta Patuli Township. On International Mother Language Day, I launched Patuli’s first street library, filling the refrigerator with a collection of 500 books,” Haldar told My Kolkata.
“It might seem unusual, but I wanted to challenge the pre-conceived notion that ‘libraries are only for the elite and educated’. I believe street libraries are crucial for promoting education among everyday people,” he added.
Haldar, who has been a teacher for over 26 years at Metropolitan Institution (Bowbazar Branch), was concerned to see the decline in reading culture, especially among the younger generation around him.
During the Covid-19 outbreak, when the streets were deserted and electronic devices became everyone’s gateway to the outer world, Haldar’s son, Kingshuk, urged him to do something for the sake of book lovers. It was 2021.
But Haldar did not stop there. After receiving positive feedback, he rented a small space on the pavement and built a tin-covered library room, which now has a huge collection of 6,000 to 7,000 books. The books came either from his personal bookshelf or were donated.
Bengali actor Sabyasachi Chakraborty donates books regularly to these libraries, Haldar said.
The idea was simple: make books accessible, and let stories find their readers.
Today, besides Sunderbans and Kolkata, Haldar’s libraries also run in South 24 Parganas and Nadia. “Our 20th library will be launched soon in Baruipur’s Julpia. We are planning to open one in Malda as well,” he said.
Just offering free books wasn’t enough to spread awareness. The initiative had to be promoted for people to know where they can find these books to read.
“Social media boosted Patuli Street Library’s popularity, and numerous associations approached me to replicate the model in their areas. If you’re part of a group with a dedicated team willing to volunteer and want a street library in your locality, we’re happy to help,” Haldar said.
Haldar runs campaigns to draw children, especially those from marginalised sections of society, to his mobile library facility. “Every week, we visit the nearby slum area of Garia in one of my neighbour’s cars. We distribute books among the kids. They read, and return them when they’re done. The response is overwhelming,” Haldar said.
Adding a wider reach and convenience to Haldar’s initiative is a library on wheels near Rajabazaar Science College — it is a bicycle, loaded with books, that moves around the locality.
The members of Patuli Street Library nurture creativity without screens. From street plays involving popular theatre groups and para people to reading circles, study sessions and drawing competitions, events are held regularly to keep the children interested.
“My dream is to build 100 libraries in my lifetime. Surely, I can not do this alone, but I must achieve this.”
For Kalidas Haldar, every reader gained is a future changed — and every page turned is a small victory for the world he believes can still learn to read again.