Pune: Pune’s cultural landscape took a hit as the Bookspace library in Dahanukar Colony, Kothrud, closed its doors two days ago. This library was run by Prasad Kulkarni, a chartered accountant by profession.

Out of his love for books, he started the library in 2014 in Kothrud, investing lakhs of his own money. For a few years, it operated successfully, with the number of members reaching two and a half to three thousand. But gradually, the number of members started to decline.

Despite this, Kulkarni persistently kept the library running. Eventually, the membership dwindled to 25-30, forcing him to shut down due to the lack of readers.

This library housed a treasure of nearly two lakh books. When Kulkarni decided to close the library, he put this treasure up for sale at a 50-75% discount.

Two days ago, he sent a message about this to some friends on social media. The message went viral, leading to a rush of readers buying books from the library for the past two days. In just two days, around one to one and a quarter lakh books have been sold.

"Often, no one cares about a person while they are alive, but after their death, everyone expresses sorrow. The same seems to have happened with the library.

While it was operational, readers turned their backs, but once it was decided to close, many expressed their disappointment," lamented Prasad Kulkarni.

Many Libraries in Pune Closing Down

In the past two to three years, 15 libraries in Pune have shut down, a fact that many are unaware of. Very few people today feel the need for libraries.

The number of readers has certainly increased. Even the new generation is keen on reading, but the interest in libraries has waned. To sustain libraries, everyone should become a member of at least one library,' appealed Kulkarni.