This ‘Library on Wheels’ will take you on a literary ride

Nagpur: In times of social media and digital entertainment, two Nagpurians have decided to take the road less travelled with their “Library on Wheels”. IT professionals Likhit Agrawal and Alisha Nathani are taking their passion for reading literally to the streets, in a bid to recreate the magic of the era when libraries were a popular destination.

Former classmates from Ramdeobaba College of Engineering, Likhit and Alisha strongly felt the need to engage people in a meaningful hobby in these Covid-19 times. Starting last weekend, their mobile library operates from the trunk of their car. Parked for almost four fours at a fixed spot, they offer books of all genres to anyone who loves reading.

Alisha said, “There is no membership fee. We want to create awareness about reading and that’s the only reason we are doing this. Anyone who loves to read can drop in and take away a book.”

Likhit said it was high time that people discovered the joy of reading. “More and more people are working from home and many are spending time on social media and other platforms. We want people to experience what it means to browse through books and read it,” said Likhit.

Considering that their initiative is just a week old, Library on Wheels’ stockpile has already crossed a hundred books. “All these books are either from our own collection or donated by friends and relatives. We are expecting more books to be added as the word gets around,” said Alisha.

Their first weekend saw mostly those in their early and mid-20s flocking to browse through books. “We were stationed outside a cafe and the crowd was mostly of young adults. And ‘fiction’ was the genre that got most eyeballs,” said Alisha.

So while there’s no membership fee, the duo still prefers to err on the side of caution. There is a refundable deposit that is to paid by the user. “Payment can be done online or in cash. It is fully refundable once the book is returned,” said Alisha.

Keeping Covid-19 guidelines in mind, the duo ensure that sanitizers are handy and books neatly laid out on a table. Likhit said, “We have noticed people bring their own sanitizer bottles and use it before touching the books. Also we ensure our masks are always on.”