Forget Buying : Just Rent a Book Online book rental platform offer diversity as well as financial freedom to readers

By Shreyans Mehta

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Every Year 90,000 fresh titles are printed in India (Source-Wikipedia). Think of the amount of paper wasted in just recycling or trashing books when you've read them. This cost mostly concerns students perusing graduation or preparing for competitive exams since cost of books in these cases is substantially high. Many students end up either going for Xerox copies or compromising it with a book of lesser value in reference to the content.

Here's where several book renting options come handy, such as BigBooks, which has a limited city coverage currently but no registration charges, or IndiaReads which offers free pick and drop of books and upto 80% savings among others including JustBooksCLC, LibraryWala, Friends of Books

Wastage of money and paper after books are printed once

As an example, students preparing for government entrance exams like UPSC, BANK PO, etc are often subjected to book recommendations from their teachers on a particular topic or subject. While some books are useful for future reference, most of them are one time need. At the end they are piled and squandered. This transient character of book purchase encourages inexorable money wastage as well as paper waste too.

Upto 80% of book's costs

In another scenario, what if the students could pay only for the time they keep the book? This would prevent extra money spent on buying the entire book even if it were a second hand copy. Even though many such opportunities and ideas prevail in the market, Online Book rental seems to be unarguably the best solution to affordable reading. User doesn't need to go and purchase books physically or concern themself on exploring the cheaper markets for the same. An online book rental platform or in short a digital library allows users to directly search for the specific book they are looking for. Typically, upon selection, the user has to confirm the address, make payment through multiple payment options including cash on delivery and the order is confirmed. Within 2 to 3 days the books are delivered to the user at the address confirmed.

Most services include an initial amount which includes some security deposit as well which is refunded upon return. In order to return book, user has to simply select the book they wish to return and click on return book option to generate a pick up request. Books are picked from desired address. This means the delivery and pickup address could be different as well. At the end, user can save up to 80% of the MRP and a minimum of at least 50% to 60%. Another advantage is that the delivery and pickup of books is free of cost. This added advantage of a digital library comes with relentless perks. While it is not only energy and time saving, it renders user with plethora of book options under a single umbrella.

A very significant aspect of the facility is the cost fluctuation based on the usage of the book. While a fresh book is labelled at around 40% of the MRP, a relatively used book comes at a much lower price. In any case, the quality of the book is maintained and taken in account with utmost sincerity.

Also the prices are independent and invariable of the location and the services are ubiquitous in nature, credit to internet. A digital library is certainly the next big thing in the market of physical books. It is economical as well as ecological in the terms that one book serves at least 3 to 4 people before being disowned for a recycle or permanently abjured. This new concept is speedily becoming popular among-st students doing graduation or preparing for an exam where cost of book falls as a constraint in the path of education. In a technically unstoppable and advancing society, it's time to switch mindset to build a shared economy and ensure a progressive approach for a greener and sustainable future.

Book rental options

BigBooks - Which has a limited city coverage but no registration charges or deposit.

IndiaReads.com - Free pick and drop of books and upto 80% savings among others including JustBooksCLC, LibraryWala, Friends of Books

Which are your favotire options for reading? Do you buy, rent, borrow or purchase second hand books? Let us know in the comments on our official Facebook page Entrepreneur India

Shreyans Mehta

Contributor, CMO Indiareads.com

Shreyans is an industrial engineer from Manipal University. After Working with Hero Moto CorpLtd. in the strategic sourcing and supply chain department for a while, he moved on from his dream job to wear the entrepreneur’s hat. 

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