Officials have removed 3,808 books identified as fake from libraries across Coimbatore district after a two-day inspection, following the discovery of allegedly unauthorised copies at the E.V.R. Library in the city. The inspection is continuing, according to a report published by Dinamalar on November 13.
The issue came to light at the library named after E.V.R., where officials found copies associated with the Aghalvilakku and Phoenix publishing houses. Following that discovery, inspections were intensified in libraries across Tamil Nadu to identify and remove books considered fake or unauthorised.
In Coimbatore district, officials examined the condition and authenticity of books held in public libraries over two days. The exercise resulted in the removal of 3,808 books from libraries in the district, the report said. Officials have indicated that the inspection has not yet ended and that further checks are continuing.
The action places the procurement and verification of books in public libraries under administrative scrutiny. The supplied report does not specify how the books were identified as fake, whether they were purchased through a common procurement channel, or whether any publisher, supplier or official has been subject to disciplinary action.
The report also links the wider inspection drive to what it describes as a controversy involving the E.V.R. Library. It says authorities are carrying out inspections across Tamil Nadu and removing fake books from library collections. No statewide figure has been provided in the report, and the number from Coimbatore remains the only quantified total available.
Public libraries depend on collection systems that allow books to be selected, purchased, catalogued and made available to readers. The removal of a large number of books from one district therefore affects the contents of those collections, although the report does not state how many libraries were inspected or whether readers faced any interruption in services.
The Coimbatore action is significant because it moves the issue beyond a single library and into a district-wide administrative exercise. It also raises questions about how public library authorities verify the authenticity and source of books before they enter official collections. The available report, however, does not provide details of the procurement records, the estimated value of the removed books or the next steps against those responsible.
Officials said inspections would continue in Coimbatore, while similar checks and removal operations were being carried out in libraries across Tamil Nadu.
