Learning Spaces, Active Citizens: How Private Libraries Empower Students in Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, to Engage in Politics

This article explores how private libraries in Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, help high school and higher secondary students learn about politics and take part in community actions. With challenges like outdated public libraries, poverty, and limited school lessons on democracy, private libraries provide books, news, and spaces for discussion. These libraries, such as Genex, Shiksha, bidyapitha library and NextGen, support students, especially tribal ones, to think critically, understand government, and act on issues like unfair exams. Using history, observations, and voices from students and teachers, the article highlights how these libraries bridge educational gaps. It suggests improvements like fixing old libraries and adding digital tools to support India’s education goals (NEP 2020) and global learning aims (SDG 4).