Contributions from junta, then and now

Bookshelf started with a personal collection of 30 odd books. Then came surprises in form friends coming out with their contributions to the collection and a lot of serendipitous interactions regarding books, ending in friendships.

The cause had an enigma that attracted people, brilliant ones at that.

The potential of bookshelf in R-land seemed bright and we ended up with 150 books to offer by the end of the last semester. It was clear that contributions were the way to go. It ballooned our collection (which was, and is, never sufficient) easily and the books started moving among people more swiftly, safely and timely.

Alongside, as the collection grew, so did the required hustle. There was a need to refine the system so that contributions could be rewarding and fulfilling for people. We did recognize the fact that people are more than willing to be a part of this but we still felt that be it as good in its own right, it still couldn’t substitute a concrete model.

So coming on to the specifics, here is how it works.

How can you contribute: You just have to fill this form by clicking here or the bottom of this post and list the books you would like to contribute. That’s all.

An Introduction to bookshelf

Bookshelf started out about a couple of years ago in Rajiv Bhawan with a mission to promote reading and discussions in IIT Roorkee. We have gone through a lot of experiences since then. We tried new things and tested new platforms, iterating all the while to make the process of renting and reading smooth and agile.

The developments bring us to our present form, though far from a stagnant one, it does reflect the experiences and feedback that we got from all of you, specially the early testers.

This post is for the benefit of those who are not yet familiar with how bookshelf works and what underlying values it encompasses.

How it works? 

We have a collection of novels. You can rent out the one you want by depositing a small sum of money (much less than the cost of the novel). You read and return the novel. We deduct a rent and return the deposit back.