About fifty people visited Easwari lending library in its final week to buy books at discounted prices.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On a humid Wednesday afternoon, you would not have guessed that Easwari lending library, which is closing its Purasawalkam branch, would have about fifty people squeezing in to buy books at discounted prices, starting from ₹25, in its final week.Surprisingly, there were more first-time visitors than long-time members dropping in for nostalgia. Thileepan M., had taken a day off from his corporate job to come to the library from Tambaram. “I only get second-hand books because they feel more special with someone else’s annotations. I have a mini library that I am building at home, which is why I am here,” he said while leaving with a shopper bag full of 20-25 books. Moving aisle to aisle was Ashmitha from Madipakkam, who had also taken a day off from work to visit the library for the first time.School teachers sent by private schools were also browsing through the books that were inside sacks. “We came a couple of days late. Many good books have been sold out. Moreover, these days, children prefer only illustrated books,” said Meena Sharma, an English teacher.Sathish Kumar P, owner of Easwari Lending library, said the sale is ongoing until Sunday and they have about 5000 books. “Only the Purasawalkam branch is closing because our serious readers are unable to come due to the Chennai Metro Rail work, and many have shifted to our Anna Nagar branch instead,” he said. When asked how the readership has changed over the years, he said the golden era of reading is gone. He added the overwhelming turnout during the branch’s final week came as a complete surprise because he never expected this kind of crowd, which also reminded him of how the library thrived 17 years ago when it first opened in the neighbourhood.College students Thirubuvan, Aathira, and Prerna arrived all the way from Kilambakkam to visit the library. “The expense deters students from buying books, which is why it is sad when a library shuts down,” they said. “Everyone has a longer screentime which is also why many are not reading anymore. Among those of us who read, there are alternatives within our reach like audiobooks, e-books and more,” they added.With many first time visitors discovering the branch only after hearing about its closure, there were regulars too. An engineering graduate from the neighbourhood, Shiv, said the branch closure felt too bitter. “My elder sister used to bring me here and it became our ritual for the last ten years. It was like a sibling thing to come here and browse through books. It was our happy place, and I will never be able to recreate those days again,” he said. Published - July 02, 2026 05:30 am IST
