BENGALURU: There has been no dearth of obituaries mourning the death of books, as we know it, with the advent of e-publishing tablets and other tech innovations. But the thriving new-age libraries in Bengaluru are proof that there never will be last nail in the coffin when it comes to books.By paying a subscription fee every month, readers can access thousands of books, and in some cases, do so without even having to leave the comfort of their homes, thanks to these new-age libraries. The phenomenon is not only about swelling ranks of subscribers and vast collection of books but also efficient deployment of technology to make things easy for book lovers.“Our collection spans over a million books, making us one of the largest players in this space. All books are RFID ( radio-frequency identification )-enabled, allowing customers to simply issue or return them by swiping their card at the kiosk. The machine then recommends books to readers based on their previous choices,” says Sridhar Rajaram, CEO, JustBooks.Contrary to popular belief that the younger generation is more inclined towards reading on tablets, children and teenagers make up the largest group of visitors in these libraries, with several of the JustBooks members having taking up subscriptions for their children.HR consultant Radhika Mahesh has been a JustBooks member for over a year now, a regular visitor at the Kalyan Nagar branch. “I took the membership for my son. The people at the library are helpful; they ensure that you get all the books you want. Since its digital, even kids can return and borrow books by swiping the card at the kiosk.”Sujit Zachariah, a book lover, said his children--- aged 10 and 12--- visit the library twice a week. “Since books can be home-delivered, they are not dependent on us for transport,” he added.Meena Vaidya, a resident of Sahakarnagar, has been a JustBooks member for the past six years. She too, took the membership for her son and daughter, now aged 18 and 12.“My daughter is an avid reader and a regular visitor to the library. JB has a fantastic policy that allows readers to keep books with themselves as much time as they want,” she said.At Nool Library, readers can browse the online catalogue and add books to their virtual bookshelf. The books will then be delivered to customers’ homes or offices. On finishing their reading, they can return them to the library or ask for a pickup.“We have different plans based on the reading choices of customers. Despite the digital option, we have many visitors,” says Anitha Annamalai who runs the library.Eloor Library, set up in 1988, has over 17,000 members. Though it does not have a digital option, it sees dozens of visitors every day. “Stay-at-home mothers seem to be our largest category of customers,” says manager Gopal Rao.“There is an uptick in business in April, May and December when schools are shut and students have holidays. We get a lot of children during this time,” he adds.In all these libraries, fiction sells like hotcakes. While western fiction has always been a popular choice, there has been an increase in demand for Indian authors’ works, with regional literature also picking up over the years.“Our research shows us that in a socio-cultural setup like India, libraries and physical books will continue to rule the roost for quite a few more years to come. We are a very tactile culture that likes to enjoy the touch and feel of objects and it is not any different with physical books,” says Sridhar.“Most of our readers, especially the younger ones, enjoy turning the pages, looking and touching the pictures, something they can’t do with Kindle,” says Anitha.On Kindle being a possible threat, Sridhar says, “We like to see that space as an opportunity rather than a threat, because we believe that there are small but niche consumer segments that we can engage with, who prefer e-books over the old fashioned kind.”