A free public reading library is coming up on the ground level of the Zero Waste shop at the New Town Bus Stand rotary on the Major Arterial Road in Action Area 1. And true to the spirit of recycling that runs the establishment, the books at the library will be pre-owned.
The book club will offer the facility to sit and read books. Though there will be no provision to lend books to take home in the initial stage, the authorities say they might add that option if the book club receives a good response.
Even the walls of the reading room will be created out of used pipes like the walls of the shop upstairs.
The NKDA authorities are seeking to accept donations of books from residents. “We are taking all kinds of books except text books,” an official said. The collection drive has started from the New Town Book Fair itself. The NKDA stall at the fair currently underway at the City Square ground is accepting old books. "We have received 60-70 books so far at the fair,” the official said, urging residents to part with books (except text books) they no longer have any use for and donate to the book club.
A similar book club had started at a stall in the hangout zone between Highland Woods and the Futsal ground in Action Area II in August 2023. “There are no sitting arrangements there except a few chairs in the open. This place at the Zero Waste Shop will be indoors and have a coffee shop where one can place orders on payment,” the official said.
Though there will be no membership fee, readers will have to register themselves when they walk in. "We will build a database of readers so that we can contact them directly when we hold any event,” said the official.
A pay-and-use toilet is being demolished to make space for the book club which will be run by the Zero Waste Shop manager. The coffee shop will be run by an agency selected through a tender process.