Think libraries, and images of serious looking people pouring over old dog-eared books and a huge ‘silence please’ board comes to your mind. With the advent of the internet era, libraries in Bengaluru have broken from this stereotype and have chugged on to the online bandwagon in an attempt to tap a wider reader base and get more people interested in books.
Bengaluru is home to a host of popular online libraries from Just books to Easylib and many more. With the Bengaluru Literature Festival opening later this week, MetroPlus explores the impact of online libraries, how they encourage reading habits and factors that make them click, in the age of multiple gadgets and numerous distractions.
For software engineer, Biswajeet Gupta, online libraries are a godsend. “I have always loved reading. I do not like to buy books on a whim and found that there was a dearth of good libraries where I stay. Then, I registered with easylib and found it convenient. I can get the best books with a click of a button and can buy the ones I really enjoy. In a city like Bengaluru, where the commute is time consuming, online libraries are a great option for bibliophiles.”
Anita Annamalai, who manages operations at the Bengaluru based Nool library says, “I think online libraries are the way forward, especially with the choc a block traffic and high rentals that make stand alone libraries non viable. We have a small physical library in C.V. Raman Nagar. However, we deliver books to customers from across the city. People prefer picking up regional books and Indian writing in English.
The internet ensures that people hear about a book and pick it up from our library to check it out before a purchase. I hope that the literature fest will make more people take to books.”
For Vani Mahesh, who founded Easylib.in in 2001, an online library was an obvious choice 15 years ago. “It was a novelty then. Internet is no longer unique. It is important that libraries have an online and offline presence. With globalization, people are aware about books and have more choices with concepts like Kindle Unlimited, that allows users to read books at very low prices. These new concepts are heralding changes.”
She adds, “I feel that Bengaluru is a hub of people enrolling in libraries because of its cosmopolitan nature. It has a sophisticated readership with plenty of exposure that likes to experiment. It is important that parents inculcate reading habits among children. Many serious readers prefer borrowing books to buying them, which keeps libraries relevant.”
IT engineer Meeth Meharana decided to set up an online booksharing platform -- linkshelf.in -- a year ago. “We started with about 300 books and now stock more than 1,000 books. We created a platform to allow book lovers to share their books and create a huge bank of books. I think such a concept works well for a city like Bengaluru. We have noticed that more people like to rent fiction novels and the occasional imported books. People are getting interested in reading books pertaining to history and current affairs too.”
Krishna, who runs Bookworm, a second hand bookstore on M.G. Road, says, “We have not been tempted to setup an online library yet. We take back bought books at half prices and that works well for us. People do not mind paying for getting rare books. I feel that though an online library may be convenient, it does not come close to the experience of an actual bookstore.”
