These kids pooled in books to set up library

Anahita Mukherji I TNN

Mumbai: Who says you need to be an adult to be an entrepreneur? Two 11-year-olds from a Goregaon housing complex, younger siblings in tow, pooled in their private collection of storybooks and started a library in the building garage. They opened shop on Monday. Within two days, they made a profit of Rs 500. Like any good businessperson, they plan to plough the profit back into the business and buy some more storybooks for the library.

Eleven-and-a-half-year-old Yash Harlalka and his neighbour Advika Agarwal, also 11, came up with the idea while sitting together in their schoolbus before the vacations. They set up the library, called Land Words, with Advika’s sister Aneeka (8), Yash’s brother Ayush (9) and his cousins, Shubhangini and Vanshika Halen.

They advertised their service through a handpainted poster at the entrance of the building, as well as handmade bookmarks that the kids distributed door-to-door to the 100-odd families in the housing complex, informing them that the library was open between 3 pm and 7 pm on weekdays, 2 pm to 3 pm on Saturdays and was closed on Sundays.

In addition to a bookstand procured from Advika’s father’s office, the library has chairs, a mattress and wall hangings from the children’s homes. “My five-year-old daughter enjoys visiting the library,’’ says Dr Arshi Tank, a resident of the complex.

The library, which runs out of the Advika’s grandmother’s garage, is dismantled by the time the family car moves in for the night. The children have maintained a meticulous log book of all those who have borrowed books. The rentals range from Rs 2 for the really tiny books to Rs 25-30 for the big ones with lots of stories in them. There’s a Rs 5 surcharge for those who want to renew the books after five days.

In addition to the vast collection of children’s literature, the library also includes magazines belonging to the children’s parents, as well as books on spirituality and acupuncture from their grandparents.

They’ve also included a few value-added services. In addition to the seating arrangement for those who want to drop by and read a book, they even personally read out stories to children who are too young to read. Yash, Advika, and their siblings are all voracious readers. Advika also writes short stories which she hands out to her classmates in exchange for stationery.

Other kids in the neighbourhood have volunteered to donate their old books to Yash and Advika. These books will not be added to the library, but will be donated to an orphanage in Lonavla.

ENTREPRENEURS IN THE MAKING: (From left) Aneeka, Yash, Advika and Ayush at their makeshift library in Goregaon