Nammalli Library

Initiative to Archive Marginalised Community Histories and Women’s Voices

Nammalli Library is a marginalised community knowledge project of Janastu, developed as an experimental initiative in Crafterspace. Started in Halekote, Durgadahalli rural Karnataka, the project has worked closely with women from Thimmanayakanahalli and Halekote to create participatory spaces for reading, dialogue, and collective reflection. More than a conventional library, Nammalli library was envisioned as a community-led knowledge space — one that recognises lived experience as knowledge. The name “Nammalli”, meaning “within us,” reflects this philosophy: knowledge exists within the community and must be nurtured, documented, and shared. Nammalli library as a Community Experiment Through Janastu’s initiative in Crafterspace, Nammalli Library became a platform where women gathered not only to read, but to reflect on:

• Gender and social equity

• Rural identity and history

• Local dialects and cultural memory

• Intergenerational knowledge

This engagement revealed a powerful truth — the most valuable knowledge in rural communities often remains undocumented. It lives in conversations, memory, and lived experience.

During our work with the community, we encountered a significant narrative. The village now known as Thimmanayakanahalli was once commonly referred to as “hatti.” Over time, the community collectively reclaimed its historical name — Thimmanayakanahalli. This act of reclaiming was more than a name restoration. It was an assertion of dignity, identity, and historical ownership. However, we realised that this important story had never been formally archived. It existed only in oral memory. This raised a crucial question: If such powerful histories remain undocumented, how many more stories risk being lost? This reflection led to the evolution of the Living Library.

The Living Library: Expanding the Vision

The Living Library is a natural expansion of Nammalli Library. If Nammalli library created access to books, the Living Library recognises people themselves as knowledge holders.

In this model: Community members become “living books” Their stories become knowledge resources Conversations become learning engagements Oral histories are systematically documented The Living Library aims to centre voices that are often excluded from mainstream archives — especially marginalised community experiences,rural women’s experiences and local histories. Archiving Through Janastu’s Platforms The documentation generated through the Living Library will be archived and disseminated through Janastu’s platforms, including: PAPAD/PLASMA. Nammalli Library’s community archives By using these platforms, Janastu ensures that community narratives are:

• Digitally preserved

• Publicly accessible(with privacy and safety)

• Contextually documented

• Ethically archived This creates a sustainable ecosystem where rural knowledge is not only collected, but also shared and valued.

Why This Work Matters

Rural histories, especially marginalised community and women’s lived experiences, are often absent from formal documentation systems. Without archiving, these narratives risk erasure. Through the Living Library, Janastu aims to:

• Archive stories of identity reclamation

• Preserve dialects and cultural memory

• Document women’s lived experiences

• Encourage intergenerational dialogue

• Publish community-authored materials Archiving, in this context, becomes an act of social justice — redistributing the power to define history.

The next phase of the initiative includes:

1.Structured oral history documentation

2.Audio and written archives

3.Publication of community narratives

4.Digital archiving through PAPAD and living library and other platforms

5.Collaborative engagements with researchers and educators

What began as an experimental Nammalli community library has now evolved into a participatory rural archiving model. Nammalli Library laid the foundation. The Living Library expands that foundation — ensuring that communities not only access knowledge, but also create, preserve, and publish it through Janastu’s platforms.