Trust children to help hold a mirror on our society. Recently, this columnist was invited to be a part of the opening-day shindig centred on the new library at an upscale township in central Mumbai.

For starters, I wasn’t expecting [though I should have, given the address] such a swank space to double up as the library in the conventional sense of the term, given my experiences during my growing-up days. Back then, our libraries were cosy, functional, tiny corners; typically spruced-up, modified areas located in the ground floors or basements of middle-class housing societies.  These magical little worlds would spring to life, especially during school vacations. This was quite the upgrade. From high, LED-lit ceilings, to fancy floors and fancier bookshelves with neatly labelled sections, it took some getting used to. The titles were a good mix for a new library, with popular fiction and non-fiction titles for kids and grown-ups. It was an encouraging start for a work-in-progress library.