Tributes paid to library movement pioneer Ayyanki Venkata Ramanaiah

Ayyanki Murali Krishna, grandson of Padma Shri awardee and pioneer of the library movement Ayyanki Venkata Ramanaiah, paid tributes to his grandfather on the latter’s 136th birth anniversary, saying he was a visionary who spearheaded a mass library movement under the slogan, “Public libraries are temples of knowledge.”He was speaking at the birth anniversary celebrations organised at Tagore Library on Bandar Road by librarian Ramadevi on Friday.Editor of Navamalletheega Kalimishri said Ayyanki Venkata Ramanaiah believed that establishing libraries was the most effective way to combat illiteracy, ignorance, superstition and regressive social attitudes, and dedicated his life to expanding the library movement across society.A compilation of essays and poems titled Manishi Kosam, authored by