Story of a small town library owner
One of my relatives started competitive exam coaching in his hometown. It’s a small district where you don’t get access to coaching classes for competitive exams. Students either move to Delhi or Indore for it. He had experience in teaching in one of the institutes in Indore. Based on his experience, a decent number of students joined the coaching. It was mostly students from nearby villages of the district.
The coaching started with 2 classrooms and an office for the staff. Some time later, enrolled students requested that they be allowed to sit and study in the classrooms after the classes were over. When the number of batches increased, a separate room was rented out and designated as the study room.
Word of mouth spread and students started coming in and enquired about the “library” where students were allowed to sit and study. They were not interested in the coaching, but in the study space.
The number of requests for library access was so huge that they merged one of the classrooms with the study room and created one big library space. They installed ACs and a water cooler. Some shelves were put up which had books related to competitive exams. The relative’s main source of income is now the library. The exact figures are not known, but it is in the range of 50K-80K per month. That is a substantial earning in a small town.
Rise of Libraries in India
The above story talked about a small town in Madhya Pradesh. Now, imagine doing this in places where students are coming in huge numbers. I am talking about Rajendra Nagar in Delhi, Bhawar Kuan in Indore, MP Nagar in Bhopal and so on. If you visit these areas you will see it’s not an imaginary thing anymore. There is a new business model in the education sector: Libraries.
These aren’t your typical “borrow book and read” libraries. These are study rooms where students come in, find a corner for them and study in peace. Books are also available, but that is not the primary attraction for students. Let’s look at some of the factors which are contributing to the popularity of libraries among students:
1. Peaceful Environment
Homes can be a noisy place. Family members watch TV and talk with neighbours on their phones. There is always some household chore that needs to be done. A lot of students live away from their families in hostels and rented rooms. The environments of these places are also not conducive to studying. Friends keep popping in and notifications from phones also distract students.
Libraries, in contrast, are a place of peace. Phones remain silent. There is no family or friends to disturb you. You just come in, sit somewhere and focus on completing your syllabus.
2. Wi-Fi
For adults born in the 80s and 90s, Wi-Fi may sound like a useless facility that will distract students from studying. But, the fact is that students are using a lot of online resources to supplement their knowledge. Books aren’t cheap, but YouTube is free. There are teachers who are putting their lectures online. Students love that.
The problem for a lot of students is limitations on mobile data. You watch high quality lectures for 2 hours and your 1 GB data goes away. So, Wi-Fi is a big plus for students. It allows them to watch lectures without worrying about data limits.
3. Community of Like Minded Students
Some students prefer studying alone, but others prefer discussing topics with fellow students. It helps them retain information better.
Libraries allow students to find other students who are targeting the same exams. It helps them make friends with people who are going through the same emotional and mental stress. Students share study material, notes and even passwords of educational platforms.
4. Air Conditioning
ACs are a luxury item, still out of reach for a lot of Indians, especially students. And India’s weather is not getting any cooler. It is hard to study in a room with a temperature ranging in 30-40°C. So, studying in an AC cooled room is a big bonus for students.
Economics of running a library
Students are obviously benefitting from such libraries. What’s in it for the owner of a library?
As a business owner of any kind, the focus is on the costs incurred when running the business and the income earned from that business. Let’s discuss what these look like for a library.
Costs Incurred
| Expense Category | Cost incurred per month |
| Real Estate | 30K-1.5 lac |
| Electricity | 10K-20K |
| Drinking Water | 7500-24K |
| Salaries | 20K-40K |
| Total Costs | 67K- 2 lac |
- Real Estate: If you own an office space, you would have paid a one time amount to buy that space. If not, you might be renting out an office space. The rent will depend on the city you are in. For tier 1 cities, the rent may start from 1 lac per month. In tier 2 cities, it can range from 30K - 1.5 lac per month.
- Electricity: Electricity bills of AC cooled rooms can be on the higher side. Again, depends on the city you are in, your Electricity board and the number of ACs you use. The bill can range from 10K - 20K per month
- Drinking Water: Water cans also have different prices in different cities. Assuming a range of 25-80 Rs for a 20L can and a monthly consumption of 300 cans, the water costs could be 7500 - 24K per month.
- Admin Salaries: You might hire an admin to look after the daily working of the library. There will be people who clean and dust the place as well. Assuming you hire 2-3 people to run the place, the salaries range in 20K-40K per month.
Income
A typical library charge ranges from 300-500 per month for 6 hours to 1800-2000 per month for 24 hours. Assuming the library is located in a decent location with enough students around, the student count could range from 200 - 400 students.
So, the monthly income from a library will range from 1.5 lac - 2.5 lac per month. This means, with the right number of students, a library can end up with a profit that ranges from 50K - 1 lac.
Conclusion
Changes in any sector happen based on supply and demand. Education sector has seen it’s fair share of changes. Libraries are a part of that change. Students are demanding such spaces, so, people are supplying them. With the rise in the number of exam aspirants, India should expect a steady increase in the number of libraries.
If you are a student looking for a library near you, visit our Libraries page and select Near me or a city of your choice.
If you are a library owner and want to get better visibility, consider listing your library on gurunearme.com. Fill this form and we will reach out to you.
