A Roman writer, lawyer and scholar named Cicero once said, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
I’ve loved this quote for many years. But when I lived in Damak, Nepal, I gained a new insight— that a library is a garden itself. A garden where curiosity is cultivated, knowledge is acquired and wisdom is grown.
Ten years ago I met Bhesraj Neupane, and our friendship has been of one of the most special blessings in my life. In our first conversation together, Bhesraj shared how books saved his life after an accident resulting in a spinal cord injury. He talked about his dream to establish a wonderful public library in Damak, the first of its kind in the region, where residents could read and check out books, use computer facilities, and gather together for seminars and training programs. I knew instantly that I wanted to be part of this and started to share Bhesraj’s dream with as many people in my world as I could— my students, colleagues, neighbors, family and friends.
We all know that seeds need sunlight, water, and fertile soil to grow— and often a good amount of patience too. In a similar way, Bhesraj’s dream was also nurtured over months and years by the loving support of his family, the steadfast dedication of a leadership committee, the hands of a wonderful construction team, and the financial and emotional support of friends coming from over 50 countries. Damak Public Library officially opened at the end of 2012, and the local library with a global heart was born.
For me, what quickly distinguished Damak Public Library from other libraries is its Youth Team. The DPL Youth Team is a group of young volunteers who promote public awareness and activism in the community and spread messages of positivity, inclusiveness and justice. From the very beginning, Bhesraj didn’t just want a house of books— he wanted a place where residents could read books and also gather to take part in educational outreach and community service. And the young and young-at-heart have answered Bhesraj’s call beautifully, regularly organizing activities that benefit many including tree plantings, blood donation drives, and educational awareness campaigns. In this way, the youth team members have actually helped transform the library into a dynamic community center. That’s why it’s especially fitting that as more library branches were eventually established outside of Damak, the word “dynamic” was selected to capture the essence of Bhesraj’s dream, and also to preserve the original DPL acronym. Now, a decade later, Damak Public Library is known widely throughout the country by its new name, Dynamic Public Library.
Over the years Bhesraj strongly believed that other communities also deserved a public library like the one in Damak, and this thinking has made so much difference in the expansion of DPL. 10 years ago there was one library in one city– now there are 16 library chapters throughout the country! This incredible achievement was recently celebrated in the beautiful mountain city of Pokhara, where the 2nd National Convention of DPL was held. And how lucky that I could come back and be there! What was especially thrilling about the 2-day convention was just seeing how many people have benefited by one person’s dream, and how many more people will benefit in the future because of the work everyone is doing right now.
What I believe is that every individual of the DPL family is a gardener, helping this special garden to flourish and grow. Each person I met last week and the many more who are part of the DPL family has a role in making the garden more bountiful and more beautiful. And the same can be said for all of us, in the many different endeavors that we are involved with. Though we may not necessarily call ourselves gardeners, we all take on roles that very much resemble gardeners. Every one of us— no matter what our title, no matter how big or small our role is— has the opportunity to use their head and their heart to make a difference in the projects we work on, and with the people we share a common home or bond.
Let’s continue to work, in all our many ways, to cultivate good. It’s the best thing we can do in a world that so desperately needs it.