If you think reading books is an old school game, then your impression would be flipped 360° after skimming through the inspiring story of the Mobile Library in Bengaluru.
Bangalore popularly known as Silicon Valley of India and abode for countless startups is now altogether behaving as a role model to inspire readers from all age groups to participate and practice as a real time book reading.
The great initiative is taken by the Karnataka government to revive and inculcate the traditional absorption through reading.
Bangalore’s History of Library Culture
From the days of yore, the city of Bangalore has persistently taken the endeavor to promote real books. One who is familiar with Bangalore is also aware of the number of iconic brick and mortar libraries from Blossom Book House to Cubbon Reads, this is an open secret how the city’s enthusiasts get their reading fix.
People who are regular to these walk- in libraries have referred to the scene of Rooms stacked with books to the ceiling, it is almost equivalent to a paradise for book lovers.
The Conceptualization of Walking Libraries
With the triumphant favourable outcome after launching e-libraries, the Karnataka government emphasized upon the philosophy of Mobile Libraries. Started in 1983 yet advancing till late, these libraries seem to be a jackpot for people who waited every week to enter the majestic dreamy world, full of their favourite books, especially for children to scroll through their favourite books and borrow them.
A total of four buses were employed in providing the facility to read on the streets. These Mobile Library buses were especially a big hit to areas where there was sheer absence of physical walk-in libraries. One of the buses is named in honour of Dr S R Ranganathon, the father of Indian Library Science and the other was named after the former Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Devraj Urs.
A Steep Rise In Juvenile Bibliophiles
The S R Ranganathan Mobile Library has more than 500 Readers and the Sri Devaraj Urs library Over 7,200 members.
The mere sight of blue buses with the names R S Ranganathan Mobile Library or the Sri Devaraj Urs Library fills its readers with joy and enthusiasm.
The victorious initiative of the Karnataka government’s Department of Public Libraries has been ongoing for over 20 years.
They start from and return to Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall in Cubbon Park between 10:30 AM and 5:30 PM Tuesday to Saturday, equipped with a driver and an assistant staff member.
The bus stacks books from floor to ceiling while still providing enough space for members to move around and browse through the collection.
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The All Rounder Collection
To satisfy the needs of the bibliophiles, the treasury of the library keeps a vibrant mix of books. With the state government’s mandate to keep 80%. books in kannada, the remaining can be a cocktail mix of Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu languages.
Prominent authors like Robin Cook and Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series highlight the high standard of the collection. Members usually donate these books.
Surprising Audience – The Genz
Amid the fact that Grenz’s best friend is the growing gadget, they still prefer to read in the traditional form, confirms the bus driver.
Currently the key audience is the Genz who have just begun to experience real reading tastes out of reel entertainment. He also adds, with his another experience when a girl barely 12 years old, enters the bus and fills her basket with the Percy Jackson’s series. And upon question claims that reading fantasy and Greek Mythology is her love.
While admitting the consensus gentium that the masses have left books to the closed cupboards for dust to build layers upon layers and have moved to digital entertainment platforms, however the people of Bangalore, still hone a reading community that continues not only to grow, but thrive passionately disproving that theory.
