American library in US consulate - for history lovers

My book reading habit came to a screeching halt a few months ago. It was not that I ran out of books to read, but I didn't have books that suit my interest. Enrolling in a library was in my to-do list for a while. However, I was just procrastinating it. While in US, I used to visit Milpitas/Sunnyvale libraries at least twice a month. Both the libraries are simply amazing. They have large volumes of books in the areas of management, and self development. They have wonderful online interfaces to check catalog, and to hold/renew books. When I did some research, I found that the US consulate (near Gemini Flyover) in Chennai had a library section. I decided to visit them over the weekend. (Also read: Connemara Public Library, Chennai - Disappointing)

With lots of expectations, I visited the American Library in US consulate on Saturday. They had a stringent security procedure. You cannot park your vehicle at/near the US consulate. You are not allowed to carry anything inside the library, including your mobile phones. You are thoroughly checked/scanned before allowed-in. It takes at least 15 minutes to just clear the security procedure and get into the library.

The American library in Chennai is a very small library. There were handful of people in the library - mostly, students and old aged folks. The library didn't have many collections. I was expecting it to be similar to a city library in US. But, most of the books were about history, politics and economics. There were only few books on management/leadership. They had about 50 DVDs/CDs on marketing, communication etc., I was not very excited to sign-up as a member, right away. They charge Rs.400 for a yearly membership & Rs.700 for two years membership. I decided to visit other libraries in Chennai and then select the right one for me. Stay tuned for my experiences with other libraries ...

Also read:

10 things to know if you are thinking of Returning to India (R2I)
Anna Tower Park - A Boon for Anna Nagar residents
Connemara Public Library, Chennai - Disappointing