more-in To make it easy for bibliophiles who regularly shell out a hefty sum for buying books or go to a library every time they need some books or details, T.S. Govarthanan of Gomathipuram in the city decided to take his bookshelf online, and launched ‘Readabit.in’, an online library, on April 18. “I spent over ?35,000 on books for my son last year. He read some books for pleasure, others to learn something. I realised that distracting him from the screen – computer and mobile phone – cost me quite a bit. Since I was looking to branch out from my previous business, my family considered building a library,” Mr. Govarthanan said. “We aim to ship all kinds of books to library members across India. The books will be couriered to their addresses. Users can also demand the books they would like to see on our internet bookshelf. We will immediately cater to their needs,” he says. Two subscription plans There are two plans of monthly subscription: by opting for ?150 limited subscription a reader can take books worth ?750 every time, and in the ?500 unlimited subscription plan the reader can take books worth ?1,000 every time. This unique ‘customise-your-reading’ library setup has over 1,500 books listed on the website. Mr. Govarthanan also established a physical library at Gomathipuram, with almost all newly purchased books. “The books will be delivered to your doorstep and collected in reasonable time,” said Mr. Govarthanan. The members, who find it difficult to keep books at home due to space crunch, can donate them to the library. “The idea was conceptualised a year ago... The website, which was ready about two months ago, keeps updating all our new books,” he said. The aim was to reach out to school students. “Through our online platform, the anticipation of a book is heightened. Children eagerly wait for their copies of books and ‘consume’ them immediately. It is a cost-effective reading experience,” he added. He said he would soon introduce a system of experts mentoring new readers through the bookshelf experience. Many people were averse to the idea of going to a library as they did not know what to pick there. “The experts will answer general questions and guide individual customers,” he said.

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