The city’s literary landscape expanded over the weekend with the launch of two unique libraries. While Blr Reads, a reference library dedicated to urban design, opened at the Blr Design Centre on Church Street, a children’s lending library began operations at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC) in Domlur. The BIC initiative is a pop-up library open every Sunday.
Spotlight on the city: Blr Reads
Blr Reads is among the first public libraries in Bengaluru to focus exclusively on the city’s design and culture. Spread across 1,200 sq ft, the library houses about 550 books categorised into architecture, photography, and urban theory. It also features design magazines, economic journals and periodicals dating back to the 1980s.
The collection was curated by Amritha Ganapathy and Roshini Muralidhara, research associates at the MOD Foundation, which runs the Blr Design Centre. “We have been collecting information on the city since we opened the MOD Foundation in 2010. We did not have the opportunity or space to make that information public until now,” Amritha explained.
Notable highlights include fiction centred on Bengaluru, physical and digital maps of Indian cities, and a 1948 map of Bengaluru. A digital repository is expected to be launched soon. Membership starts at ₹2,000 per year, and books can be reserved online at blrdesigncentre.com. The library is open weekdays from 10 am to 6 pm.
Space for young readers at BIC
The BIC children’s library was created to address the lack of consistent programming for those under 15, said Vikram Bhat, BIC’s director. The collection, curated in collaboration with Champaca Bookstore, features over 800 books across genres such as fantasy, science, and environment, with plans to add 400 more titles.
The space includes graphic novels, chapter books, picture books and board books, along with creative zones like an art corner and tinkering station. On opening day, August 31, more than 135 children visited the library. Membership is free of cost, and kids can obtain a membership card directly at the venue.
“Our goal is to create a community space for children and parents to read together,” Bhat said, adding that the library will function as a weekly hub for young readers.
For details, BIC can be reached at 91108 28140.
Conclusion
With Blr Reads opening its doors to design professionals and enthusiasts, and the BIC library fostering a reading culture among children, Bengaluru’s library ecosystem has gained two vibrant new spaces that promise to encourage learning, creativity and community engagement.