One morning, the children walked into the library and found something very strange. Mrs. Meera, their kind librarian, was gone!
In her place stood a tall silver robot with blinking blue eyes and a smooth, polite voice.
“Good morning, readers,” said the robot. “I am L.I.B.R.A. — the Library Intelligence Bot for Reading Assistance.”
At first, everyone was excited. L.I.B.R.A. could find any book in seconds, recommend stories based on your mood, and even read aloud in ten different voices – including pirate mode and grandma storyteller.
The children were amazed.
But soon, things began to feel… different.
When little Riya dropped her library card, L.I.B.R.A. only said,
“Error: Please pick up the card.”
When Aarav proudly showed a drawing inspired by The Jungle Book, the robot replied,
“Drawing detected. File not relevant.”
There were no soft smiles, no gentle laughter, no secret “book treasure hunts,”
and no warm “Well done!” when someone finished their first big novel.
The library became quiet — too quiet.
One day, the robot’s screen glitched and began flashing random words like
“BOOK… BOOK… BEEP!”
The students didn’t know what to do, so they ran to find Mrs. Meera.
She hurried back, pressed a few buttons, and then smiled at the children.
“You see,” she said kindly, “AI can help us, but it cannot feel the way we do.
It can recommend stories, but it cannot see the sparkle in your eyes when you discover a new one.”
That afternoon, L.I.B.R.A. stayed — but now it worked with Mrs. Meera.
The robot helped find books quickly, while Mrs. Meera helped children fall in love with them.
And from that day on, the library became a magical place where technology and heart worked hand in hand —
proving that no machine can ever replace the warmth of a librarian who loves stories… and her readers.
Usha Sudheer Kumar
Librarian
