Let’s make reading great again
With Fort’s iconic Strand Book Stall set to shut down by the end of February, Mumbai loses one more link to reading. What did the bookstore mean to you and what should be done to keep the city’s reading culture thriving?
Having returned from our
grandparents’ home with more pocket money every summer, my sister and I would
rush to Strand Book Stall with our father.
We would pick up our favourite books and then, sit at
Marine Drive to flip through the first few pages. This is the memory I will
always cherish.
We can do much to revive the reading culture. More book
festivals should be organised under the patronage of celebrities. This would
get their fans to attend them and buy books.
Authors should visit bookstores regularly to sign
editions for their fans. This can have a huge impact on the sale. Authors can
also encourage reading by selling or renting out books from their collection.
Rina Srivastava
CREATE BOOK
CHALLENGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Mark Twain said, ‘Books are for people who wish they were
somewhere else’. For me, Strand Book Stall has always been a one-stop shop to
find books across genres, be it management, health care, travel, wildlife or
romance.
There are several ways in which Mumbai can revive its
reading culture. Use books as prizes for contests, add bookshelves to eateries
so that diners can browse through titles while having a meal. There’s also a
need to set up free libraries.
Social media users can also create book challenges on
digital platforms. Bibliophiles can rope in their friends to carry the
challenge forward and reward them with small, sweet surprises.
Vivek Toshniwal
GOVERNMENT
SUBSIDIES CAN HELP SUSTAIN STORES
My connection with the bookstore goes 15 years back. The
display of newly launched titles at its entrance was fascinating. The staff was
always cordial, diligent and respectful.
It’s unfortunate that the waning reading culture is one
of the reasons for its closure.
The government should play a proactive role in reversing
the trend. It should give financial assistance to entrepreneurs who are keen to
set up bookstores.
Subsidies and tax exemptions can also help sustain
bookstores, and thus revive reading culture.
Mustafa Masalawala
SPEED
READING HELPS RETAIN THE HABIT IN FAST LIFE
During my college days, I would hear my friends chat
about Strand Book Stall all the time. However, staying in Bandra, I visited it
only during the famous Strand sale.
I would stock up on over a dozen titles at one go. They’re
still on my bookshelf
In this metropolis, our free time is compressed by
pressing work, social commitments and difficult commute. The best way to revive
reading habits in such a scenario is to develop the skill of speed reading.
Normally, we tend to speak the text in our mind and hear
it, which slows down our speed of reading. But this technique helps you read
with eyes and not ears.
Another way could be through technology-based push
content. Authors could share their writings over e-mail subscriptions. In the
digital age, such small steps can go a long way in inculcating the reading
habit.
Gnanesh Mehta
THE SCENT OF
NEW BOOKS WOULD CALM ME DOWN
I’ve spent many lazy weekend afternoons with my mother in
the store. The scent of new publications would always calm me down. Overhearing
book lovers discuss their recommendations was also fun.
Nowadays, spaces organise blind dates where you swap
books. It’s a great idea and such events should happen every month.
Neha Pushkarna
MR SHANBHAG WAS THE KING OF BOOK TRADE
As a fellow book shop owner, I salute Mr Shanbhag as the
king of book trade. He built the iconic institution through labour and passion
for books. The bookstore was more of a literary club where famous figures would
meet.
He didn’t bother about the profit margins. E-commerce
affected all book shops, his was not an exception.
Mr Shanbhag’s connect with the visitors sustained his
clientele. But unfortunately, the staff couldn’t sustain the same spirit after
his death.
Source |
Hindustan Times | 26th February 2018
Regards
Prof. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library &
Information Science (NET Qualified)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge
Repository
Khaitan & Co
Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
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