Take inspiration from social media reel that showed a small village in Kerala with book reading spaces
If smaller villages like Bhilar in Maharashtra and Perumkulam in Kerala can embark on a literary journey and transform their non-reading residents into avid readers and foster a love for reading, then why should Ahmedabad lag? Two third-year students Heet Doshi and Om Thakkar took the onus upon them and installed the first unlocked library box inside Parimal Garden on June 23.
As they were busy installing the second box at Prahladnagar Garden, which will be inaugurated today by former radio jockey and author Dhvanit Thaker, we caught up with them to learn more.
Inspiration from Kerala village
The duo first heard about something similar from a reel they saw on social media. Doshi said, “The reel showed how a small village in Kerala had set up book reading spaces book nests book cafes and libraries to cultivate reading culture in their village. We thought that this brilliant concept should not be limited to a small village but should be everywhere in the country. And that was our cue to set up book box libraries across Ahmedabad.”
Doshi and Thakkar installed the first open and free-for-all library or book box inside Parimal Garden near the amphitheatre. They stocked it with 20 books and since then passers by, walkers and families have gone ahead and exchanged books for free. By November-end the duo intend to install six such book boxes in Ahmedabad’s biggest parks, namely, Parimal Garden (already installed), Prahladnagar Garden (today), Gotila Garden at SBR, Symphony Park in Bodakdev, Law Garden and Monte Carlo Oxygen Park in Thaltej.
How does it work?
Each box, claims Doshi, can hold close to 30 books at a time. Elaborating, he said, “It is made of mild steel material. However, they are not fully waterproof yet but we are trying to make them better with time.” Despite following a fixed SOP for the box, the variable expenses differ every time, but Doshi shared that each box costs them around Rs 5,000 to 6,000 and is sponsored by individuals who like the concept and are willing to promote the culture of reading in the city.
When quizzed about books or boxes getting stolen, Doshi replied, “We believe that those who read don’t steal and those who steal don’t read. But we were concerned about books being stolen but, after the first box was installed in Parimal garden, neither the books nor the box had been stolen. Our volunteers also regularly keep a check and maintain the library.”
Your Reading Circle, their club
Doshi and Thakkar, both students of GLS University and Chimanbhai Patel Institute, had also founded Your Reading Club about a year ago and boast over 1,000 members. The forums can be joined via WhatsApp.