A round up of libraries to browse at for those who prefer books over e-books
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With raised awareness about the dwindling resources of our planet, there is much to recommend for the Kindle and e-book reader. However, borrowing a book from a library offers the charm of bibliosmia and being conscious of a planet warrior. Librarians world-wide agree that libraries may not last out the decade. If you are an avid reader, and like nothing better than a dog-eared book, here are a few libraries for you.
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JustBooks
With headquarters in Bengaluru, JustBooks is a franchise with libraries in Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai. In Mumbai, the centres are in Andheri and Mulund. Besides books written in English, they also have books in the state languages of each library. They offer quarterly month membership: You can borrow two books at a time at R400 per month. Sarawasthi Seshadri, the franchise owner at Andheri said that prior to COVID, they would conduct book reading, puppet shows, and meet-and-greet with authors, which they may take up again.
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CALL: 9152096999
Roxy Library
This 56-year-old library has more than 50,000 books, with branches in Mulund, Thane and Dadar. The last two branches have also had a toy library for 17 years. They also offer home delivery till Sion. Membership starts at R400 per month, which includes two books at a time and unlimited books in a month.
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CALL: 8879753249
Prathamesh Circulating Library
In 2011, Sudharak More, a distributer of high-end coffee table books, started Prathamesh Circulating Library in Borivali. It stocks about 7,000 books in English and Marathi. There’s something for all ages and most genres are represented. Membership starts at R300 per month, and you can borrow two books at a time.
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CALL: 9892542285
Mind Gym Book Shop
Mind Gym Book Shop, established in 2011, has outlets in Andheri East, Lokhandwala Complex Andheri, Hiranandani, Goregaon, as well as in Indore. They have around 15,000 books across libraries. Membership starts at R500 per month; you can take two books at a time and unlimited ones in a month. Besides being a library, you can also rent and buy books.
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CALL: 9702520272
Jai Jawan Book Collection
Nestled in the by-lanes of Ghatkopar is this small library with an extensive collection of books from all genres. Jai Jawan Book Collection was started in 1968 by Vanraj Kalvani and is now helmed by his son Jayesh. The library enjoys a reader base among the residents of Kurla, Chembur and Thane. Unsure about the exact number of
their books, Jayesh pegs it at about a lakh. While you can borrow an unlimited number of books in a month, you can exchange books only every four days. They also have a yearly membership. Call to enquire about fees.
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CALL: 9224592995