Book lovers in Bengaluru are in for a treat as the city never fails to impress them with new places. The little free library is a popular concept that began in the United States Of America. Bhavna Jain liked the concept very much and was keen on opening one here in the city.
In Bengaluru, the library is quaintly situated in Koramangala. In USA, the little free library is situated in every town. As the name indicates, it does not involve any kind of sale or purchase of books. Bhavna wrote to the founders of the little free library in the US, saying that she would like to start a library. She spoke to the founders Todd H. Bol and Rick Brooks and they sent her a letter which said that they were happy about the initiative. They gave her the permission to go ahead with the concept. The beauty of the whole concept is that it is informal, where you can keep a book and share it with others.
The love of literature is universal and there is nothing that can stop people from falling in love with books. Bhavna who started the library, initially saw a lot of kids coming in and reading the books. The kids were very enthusiastic because the concept was fresh and new to them. The kids feel wonderful about the fact that they can take the books for free without being charged.
All genres of books are found at the free little library ranging from fiction to comic books. Famous authors like Ketul Chauhan and Rajeev Tamhankar have kept the first copies of their books in the library. “The free library is a great idea to promote reading and it’s a great place for book lovers and that is the reason why it is popular. It was great to open the free little library and see what's in. The best experience was when I kept a book in it and wondered who will pick this up! For me that was one thing where I felt connected!,” says Ketul Chauhan, author of the book Die Happy- A way to live happy.
He also added, “It is an interesting platform to know the choices of different readers. This makes the free library concept unique. For non book lovers - the word ‘free’ is a good way to attract them and promote reading. It will give readers and writers a place to explore the kind of books, book readers, book genres, and will keep the concept of giving and sharing more alive which is very much a virtue of any reader and writer”.
