Online book rental in India
Encyclopedia
Online book rental refers to a service wherein users rent books via the internet. Users browse books online and have their choices home-delivered, rather than physically visiting a library
to borrow a book. This e-commerce model is very similar to the popular video rental service provided by the California-based Netflix
. Online book rental is gaining popularity in India, with a number of websites offering free doorstep delivery for a small monthly fee. The popularity of such websites can be attributed to increasing internet usage in the country; India is expected to have the third-largest number of internet users in the world by 2013. Statistics for the publishing industry are also promising. India is the world's third-largest market for English books, and its entire book market—in English, as well as regional languages—is estimated to generate Rs. 10,000 crore
annually. The online book market in India is expected to grow at 30-35% annually for the next five years.
.com, booksfree
.com, readersshack.com – most Indian online libraries have a local presence. Cities like Delhi
, Mumbai
, Chennai
, Bangalore
, Pune
, Kolkata
and Ahmedabad
have small start-ups with a few thousand books in their collections. Some online libraries (like INDIAreads.com), however, have a national presence and are trying to reach other smaller cities by using courier companies and the postal service to deliver books. These new ventures have become popular with the trend towards internet-based marketing
; almost all have their own blog
s and Facebook
pages.
and read books online. However, most book-lovers prefer a physical book, and this is the premise on which these new ventures are based. Their success remains to be seen; however, they offer a ray of hope for young professionals in the country who currently lack access to books. Apart from the metropolitan areas, most cities and towns in India do not have good, well-stocked public libraries. For the residents of these cities, such ventures may offer an economical way to bridge the gap.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
to borrow a book. This e-commerce model is very similar to the popular video rental service provided by the California-based Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
. Online book rental is gaining popularity in India, with a number of websites offering free doorstep delivery for a small monthly fee. The popularity of such websites can be attributed to increasing internet usage in the country; India is expected to have the third-largest number of internet users in the world by 2013. Statistics for the publishing industry are also promising. India is the world's third-largest market for English books, and its entire book market—in English, as well as regional languages—is estimated to generate Rs. 10,000 crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
annually. The online book market in India is expected to grow at 30-35% annually for the next five years.
Rental system
Online book-rental services save time by delivering books to a member's home or office. In addition to convenience, the service also offers an ease-of-use benefit; membership on most websites involves a simple registration form and payment through bank transfer or cash on delivery. This is important in a market that does not yet trust internet-based monetary transactions. Once membership is paid the user logs in to browse books, and clicks the "rent" button to receive the chosen books at home. The books are collected when the user logs in to indicate that he or she has finished reading. Another advantage of online rental services is that most do not have any due dates or late fees; borrowers may keep books for as long as they wish, provided they pay the regular subscription.Presence
Unlike their international counterparts – BookSwimBookSwim
BookSwim is a private American online book rental service, offering rental-by-mail of both hardcover and paperback books. The company was launched in 2007 and has grown steadily since its inception.- History :...
.com, booksfree
Booksfree
Booksfree is an online book rental company, the first to offer flat rate rental-by-mail to customers in the United States. Established in 2000 and headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, it boasts an inventory of over 100,000 titles and more than 13,000 subscribers...
.com, readersshack.com – most Indian online libraries have a local presence. Cities like Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
have small start-ups with a few thousand books in their collections. Some online libraries (like INDIAreads.com), however, have a national presence and are trying to reach other smaller cities by using courier companies and the postal service to deliver books. These new ventures have become popular with the trend towards internet-based marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
; almost all have their own blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
pages.
Electronic versus print books
There is speculation as to the survival of these ventures, as more people use Amazon KindleAmazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
and read books online. However, most book-lovers prefer a physical book, and this is the premise on which these new ventures are based. Their success remains to be seen; however, they offer a ray of hope for young professionals in the country who currently lack access to books. Apart from the metropolitan areas, most cities and towns in India do not have good, well-stocked public libraries. For the residents of these cities, such ventures may offer an economical way to bridge the gap.