Mobile libraries in Vadodara are rekindling the love of reading.

on Aug 24, 2022

VADODARA/RAJKOT: To promote reading among the populace, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III established the first mobile libraries of their kind in the former Baroda state more than 130 years ago. These libraries traveled from village to village, giving away books to interested readers.

One hundred years later, a 58-year-old woman is still trying to make reading books more commonplace. "Many people appear to have forgotten how to read books in the age of mobile phones, the internet, and gadgets. I wanted to rekindle a love of reading among Vadodara residents, the cultural center of Gujarat. Shilpa Shelat, a local of the Gotri area, said, "So I decided to start a mobile library.

With her daughter's assistance, she founded the mobile library eight years ago. "We loaded books into my car on a Sunday morning and drove to Sayajibaug, a place that many Barodians frequent. I made my way around, offering people free books to read. People were invited to choose any book of their choice from the books I kept in the car's boot, Shelat recalled.

In a short period of time, book lovers began congregating outside Sayaji Baug near her car. Many even gave me books in the form of donations, which I continued to add to my "Pustak Parab'' mobile library. In Hindi, Gujarati, and English, I currently have close to 8,000 books in my library that cover a variety of subjects. Every time a reader takes out a book, I note their name in my register, Shelat said.

Many readers don't return the book, though some do. But the kind donors make sure that her library keeps growing. Every month on the first Sunday, Shelat parks her car close to Sayajibaug, gets out, gathers all the books, and arranges them neatly on a bench outside the park.

"I arrive there at 7:30 am and depart two hours later. While some prefer to borrow books, others prefer to read them immediately. I'm pleased that my campaign is encouraging people to read books. Shelat, who also farms and owns a small business in the city, said that her husband and daughter have been of great assistance.

A similar mobile library established by three couples in Rajkot has drawn readers from all over. These couples gather on a footpath near Bahumali Bhavan on Race Course Road every Sunday evening to arrange dozens of books that are given to readers in exchange for a small deposit. Once the reader returns the book, the money is given back.

We have 700 books in our collection, including works by well-known Gujarati authors. People either borrow the books or read them right away. Namrata Lashkari, who along with her husband Ketan is promoting reading, said some people have also lent their collection to be displayed at our mobile library. Shital and Lopa, as well as Vipul and Rinku, make up the other two couples. The couple explained that the goal of opening the library was to get people away from their phones and other electronic devices and into their books.