Adopt – A – Book Drive

The Urban Heritage Committee is delighted to report that its Adopt-a-Book Program has raised a whopping amount of INR 10.8 lakhs over the course of the last few months. Our own PP Shailesh Haribhakti has donated INR 5,00,000 to this cause to restore and digitize 50 books. Initiated by a drive at the recently concluded DISCON conference with an overwhelming response, Outreach and personal interactions and through mailers to the Rotarians.

The Adopt-a-Book program entails the adoption of ancient books housed at the Asiatic Library by individuals and corporates alike for restoration and digitization. The Asiatic Library is a repository of ancient books, manuscripts and maps and this program aids in bringing to life books which are in desperate need of conservation due to earlier storage issues, humidity etc. The digitization of books enables readers around the world to have access to these treasures. Restoring and digitizing a single book costs INR 10,000 and once restored the donor is recognized on a physical bookplate on the inside cover of the book.