Bookworming through the web
Smitha Prasad meets Vani Mahesh who has smartly tossed up her two passions -technology and reading- and has come up with a successful recipe
EasyLib.com is not just its founder Vani's dream realised. Indeed, it is a dream come true for all book lovers in Bangalore.
It is a unique concept in the world of libraries and is the brainchild of Vani Mahesh who is software engineer with a passion for reading. Started in 2001, EasyLib.com is the first library in Bangalore with both an online presence and a physical library.
"Patrons of the library reserve books at the website, and the reserved books are delivered to their doorstep the next business day, anywhere in Bangalore," informs Vani with a smile.
So, how did she come up with this novel idea of bringing together technology and books? Vani explains that she has been an avid reader since childhood and books are an obsession with her. "I did my M.S in Computer Science from the US. After that, I worked with IBM where I got a lot of exposure to the internet. Both the world of books and the world of internet held me enthralled," she says with enthusiasm.
Once their babies arrived, her husband and she decided to move back to India in the late 90s. At that time, the e-commerce boom was at its peak and Vani was eager to jump onto the bandwagon of e-commerce entrepreneurs. After a period of brainstorming, she hit upon a brilliant idea that combined her two passions and she got working on it in all earnest.
After three years of dedicated work, EasyLib.com saw the light of day. "I built the software needed for the library myself. In addition, I had a wish list of 3,000 books and set about procuring them," she says. Since some of the titles were rare and hence hard to find, Vani had to scout around quite a bit. But that did not deter her.
Vani is very particular about the books she stacks in her library. From a humble beginning of stacking 3,000 books, EasyLib.com has grown to house an impressive collection of 17,000 books ranging from fiction to romance to non-fiction. . The library has an entire floor comprising more than 6,000 books dedicated to children.
To inculcate love and respect for books and reading, EasyLib.com arranges numerous reading-related activities for children. In another segment called 'Read On', older children are introduced to classics and literature. Another noteworthy activity, which also happens to be Vani's favourite, is 'Mind share', a philosophy club for mature readers started four years ago. The library also organises 'Meet the Author' sessions.
For details visit www.EasyLib.com or call 41102231
