A new chapter for OMR couple
A small library near her house in Thrissur was Sudha Gopalakrishnan's steadfast companion during the years she was in school. Though the library offered limited books, it is here she got introduced to Enid Blyton's Famous Five. Since then books have also served her creative pursuits as a web designer to face the corporate world more confidently.
In December 2019, in collaboration with her husband H. Venkataraman, they launched an online lending library, Bookshelf, converting a room in their house in Thoraipakkam to stock a humble collection of children's books.
But things did not go as planned. Their entrepreneurial dreams received a big blow with COVID-19. 'In three months we had to take a pause as social distancing became the norm and some of our members feared placing a request for books,' recalls Sudha.
With the pandemic showing no signs of letting up, Bookshelf went into a long hibernation, the couple had to be content just focussing on their respective corporate jobs. Later, in January 2025, they officially relaunched Bookshelf.
In the model, one places an order and the books are delivered at their doorsteps. 'We were clear from the beginning that we will be hyperlocal but cover as many readers as we can. Currently, we cater to areas on OMR, starting from Perungudi to Kelambakkam,' says Sudha, a freelance web designer.
The couple say their research showed that many libraries folded up due to infrastructure cost, so instead of investing in a physical space their flat in Bhaggyam Urbanville in Thoraipakkam doubles as library.
Two-day OMR Storytelling Festival
The Bookshelf, an online library for children, is organising 'OMR Storytelling Festival 2025' on May 17 and 18 at Kriyates, Thoraipakkam from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. On May 18, storytellers Pretigaya Haran, and Alvin and Kishore will engage participants with their themes 'Around the World in 60 minutes, A Playful World of Kid Powered Theatre' and 'Musical Storytelling, Where Words Meet Music' respectively. Registration is a must. Residents of OMR can avail special free passes.
For details, visit https://bit.ly/OSF2025.
Or call 8056073602
It currently stocks more than 2,000 books for children up to the age of 12 years. 'We have books by Indian authors and publishers, multi-language books and those apt for children,' says Sudha that their teenage daughter feeds them with inputs. Venkat, who is a finance consultant, contributes his mite by helping with marketing and promotions.
Bookshelf has not come up with any rigid rules on returning books as their primary objective is to get children to pick them up first.
They will soon be trying out a new concept: a mini-library heading to an apartment or gated community. 'This will be like a travelling library, where we bring books, storytellers and do activities for two to three hours. Depending on the interest from the community, the frequency of the visits will be increased,' says Sudha.
Bookshelf currently has 60 members and is counting.
'It is a slow journey and we are not looking at it as a profitable business, just the satisfaction of seeing families take to reading. Sustaining initiatives such as this will keep us motivated and energised,' says Sudha, grateful to the encouragement they have been getting from the Federation of OMR Residents Associations (FOMRRA).
Their request to gated communities is to not be indifferent to ventures that are trying to keep the reading habit alive in this digital age. Bookshelf is organising its first event 'OMR Storytelling Festival' where the sessions feature elements of music, crafts-making, dance and drama.
For details, visit https://bookshelf-library.com
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