Books and children are inseparable. After a tough day at the preschool, my little one comes home, eats her food and snuggles in the bed, waiting for me to read out her favourite tales. And as a parent, who is eager to nurture my little one’s reading habit, right from when she was an infant, I got her the best of the board books and subsequent toddler’s books. But then, reality hit me. I found I was spending way too much on books, some that sustained her interest only for a few days and the shortage of space was another major concern. Resorting to e-books was a way out, but I was not sure about exposing my little one to a lot of screen time. An online library was the only solution. And that’s when I came across ILoveRead.
What is ILoveRead:
ILoveRead is a chain of libraries across the country in leading cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru and each centre is run independently by passionate people for the sheer love of books!
ILoveRead Delhi:
ILoveRead Delhi-NCR centre is run by Shefali Malhotra- an engineer turned mompreneur with more than 12 years of IT experience with top MNC companies. On quizzing her about the need for a library in today’s digital era-she quickly retorts, “Libraries are even more important in the digital era. E-books are a choice that people are forced to choose due to ease of storage, accessibility, value for money etc.” When libraries offer these comforts with the sweet smell of real books- people prefer this over e-books, she says. The biggest challenge, however, is to get new readers. Â “It’s scary as libraries close every day across the world”, she says.
How to order?
ILoveRead makes the process simple and tries to mix the best of both worlds- online and offline. Â The library is automated and online. You can register, order books online and get them home delivered- and when you receive the next order, you can return the previous lot.
Contact:
Website: ILoveRead
Facebook: ILoveRead
Membership plans:
1-month membership plans start at Rs. 599; a 3-month plan is at Rs. 1499; Half-yearly plan at Rs. 2800 and Annual plan at Rs. 4999. The number of deliverables in a month is unlimited, so that’s a boon for book lovers. Also, there is no registration fees or deposit that you need to pay before hand.
Why kids and parents will love ILoveRead:
- The best part that kids will love is the variety they get to choose from. From board books to books for teens, the library stores them all. They also have exclusive Children’s Lists and mom’s suggestion lists- so if you are confused on what to choose for your child, you have help right there!
- There are no penalties or late charges as well. For kids who get bored reading the same books or stories after a while, an option to keep choosing new titles through the month is surely an exciting option.
- The delivery (all across Delhi, Gurugram and Noida) is quick and hassle-free. The options to add books to our queue and get that based on availability is also a nice way to keep the reader engaged.
- And yes- this is not just a library for kids. As parents, we need a breather too! From Twinkle Khanna’s hilarious stories or Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography, ILoveRead caters to adults too, and that is a welcome change amidst the exclusive kids’ libraries!
- They also organise exclusive events for kids almost every week and the focus is on good storytelling. Â Shefali calls themselves as the “Walking Book Fairs” and it is imperative to spread awareness on the need for quality storytelling for kids and adults, through these events, she says.
- In case you misplace a book or you can’t find a title you wish to read- just drop them a mail and you can be guaranteed of a quick and very warm response! “A happy reader makes our day”, is their working principle!
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Rohan Vyavaharkar
KSP Team
Harshit Malik
Mansi Zaveri
Vaishnavi Venkatraman
