Kozhikode: Boys brigade on a mission with travel library'

Kozhikode: The Vishu gifts they received almost five years ago tempted them to the idea of starting a library of their own in their village.

Six of the boys’ brigade, belonging to schools in Chembra, Eramala, near Vadakara, collected their pocket money and that was their ‘seed capital’ for the ‘travel library’.

By travel library, they mean to take the books to the readers at their doorsteps. The boys, who initiated the 'travel library' from their primary classes, have  reached Plus 1, and they have handed over the idea to their juniors from the locality.

Now, the elder students are also accompanying the younger ones to take books to the households. Since all of them are students, they are choosing Sundays to reach the readers.

The first batch included Akshay V., Nayananth K.P., Sojil K.V., Sanjeev V., Jyothis K.M., Harikrishnan P.S. and Dhaneesh V.P.

"The locals also helped them to buy books, and some of them have also donated books," said Suneesh Eramala, a freelance photographer, who helped them first to coordinate the collection and distribution.

It needs only Rs 25 to get a membership, and the boys have not yet initiated any annual/monthly fee since their primary intention is to spread reading habit. To encourage the students, some of the writers from their area are also donating their books. All the students, part of the library, have uniforms and identity cards.

Already 60 households are permanent members of the students club, and they say more queries are reaching them from other villages, as the homemakers prefer to get the books at their doorsteps instead of visiting a library.