Vadodara's Century-Old Library Cooperative Keeps Reading Culture Alive

In the city of Vadodara, there is a very old group of libraries that has been active for about a hundred years.

It is called the Gujarat Pustakalay Sahayak Sahakari Mandal.

This group is special because it is the only cooperative of public libraries in all of Asia.

More than 1,400 libraries work together in this group across the state of Gujarat.

The idea began long ago, inspired by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad's Library Department, which was set up in 1910.

A library pioneer named Motibhai Amin helped build this cooperative model so libraries could share resources and knowledge.

The group has published more than 725 books and sells them at lower prices to help more people read.

Many children visit these libraries, like Shreenika, a Class 2 student who comes almost every day.

Teachers say reading helps kids think better and spend less time on their phones.

The government also increased support for village libraries, raising their grant from Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000.

Working together, these libraries keep reading alive even in today's digital world.