It has been a while since we have recommended a service or solution on this blog, so I am excited to share with you one of the truly wonderful things to happen in the city for a while. If you are like me and are an avid reader of books on management, biographies, self-help and magazines you are probably making a nice little hole in your pocket and running out of storage space to store your books and journals. As an alternative, I had been signing up for the digital versions of the books and magazines on my iPad but I have always found the touch and feel of paper to be a more soulful experience then to squint and stare at a digital screen and develop some very sore hands in the process.

So, I was walking by my office a couple of weeks back and out of some overgrown creepers, I was able to spot the signage of Just Books CLC and out of curiosity I walked in to find out more about this place. Once inside, I was met with some very courteous staff at Just Books and they walked me through the entire process of what makes Just Books community library chain, different and better then most standalone libraries. All the details are available on the Just Books CLC website – http://justbooksclc.com/how_it_works and I would like to summarise some of the key benefits which appealed to me:

  • The library is just a short walk from my office, which makes it very convenient for me to change my books at ease. However for clients who would like to avail of a doorstep delivery service, its available across the city for a very nominal fee of Rs. 50 pm.
  • Their membership plans pricing is surprisingly low, when you consider their total collection of over 0.5 million books across all their locations and the quality of those books.
  • The technology behind issuing, returning and searching for books is truly innovative and convenient for the members. There are no queues for returning or issuing new books and the staff are always ready to help if you are stuck in the process.
  • If a book is not available at this library you can request for it from any of their other libraries and it will be made available to you within a week or two and you will be notified about it over SMS and email.
  • The library is tidy, well organized and the books are well maintained by an efficient team.

It came as a surprise to me that this is the only JustBooks CLC in Kolkata and I truly hope that this would be the first of many such libraries in the days ahead as this is a truly innovative concept and a win-win model for all people concerned.As for me, I am making the most of this opportunity to catch up on some of the books I most wanted to read and I would strongly recommend this place as one of the best-kept secrets in the city!

 

Just Books CLC Kolkata Centre:

Contact : 033 – 40012211; 8981853672

Working Hours : Hours 10:00 AM TO 9:00 PM, MONDAY HOLIDAY

Address : PPF ENTERPRISES BD 30 (1st. FLOOR), SECTOR 1, SALT LAKE, KOLKATA 700064.Email: ppfenterprises1@nullgmail.com