Exclusive children libraries in Bengaluru nurtures book reading

Three-and-a-half-year old Samyuktha loves the Noddy book series. It is just one of the many books that the toddler has been exposed to, thanks to her mother Lakshmi Mohan , who subscribed to Inferalpha's 'book kit', after she got to know of it from a friend. Inferalpha is one of the ten exclusive children libraries in the city .

These libraries cater to their readers in two ways: as the old-world physical library or as online libraries where parents can order books that are delivered at their doorstep.“We have categorised books according to the age of the children. We also get feedback from parents. We have books that can cater to the needs of a six-month old child right up to young adults," said Chaitra Erappa, franchise owner of Easy Library .

There are various subscription plans so as to provide flexible options for the parents. The owners also keep a `floating population' of books, so that children have access to wider variety . “We have plans that range from 10 books per delivery or 20 books per delivery and for homes with multiple kids, we have 35 books per delivery," said Aarthi Ramasubramanian, founder of Inferalpha.

The `book kits' comprise of touch and feel, pop-up, read-aloud, activity based and sing along books so as to kindle various senses of the child. Priyadarshini Rao, mother of one year Aadya, agrees. “My daughter tends to recognise the tunes in the sing along books, her sensory development has improved," she said.

If some parents prefer the convenience of doorstep delivery , some are intent on taking their children to library . “I like physical libraries. The feeling of having a book in your hand is something else. Somehow I feel good about it, so I like to take my son to the library too," said Vikram Prakash, father of 11-year old Chirag.

Pramodini Prashant, co-founder of i-CUE library , observed that exclusive children libraries are a sign that parents recognise the value of inculcating a reading habit from a young age.

The libraries also conduct various weekend activities to keep the children engaged. The activities range from storytelling sessions to `create something' workshops. “We organise book reading, storytelling, plays and poetry sessions. Children can get bored, so we have an active library ," said Sitalakshmi Chinnappa, an octogenarian, who oversees the functioning of the Shankara Rotary library in Shankarapuram.