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Cost, no more a cause for concern

Book banks reduce the financial burden of many parents, writes S.S. KAVITHA

PHOTO: K. GANESAN

ENGROSSED Using the facility at the book bank

Are you an engineering student constantly nagging your parents to buy you costly books? Are you in need of rare and valuable reading material but at a less cost? You are interested in saving your's and your father's money? Do you spend hours in the library photocopying the book you want but cannot afford? All such worries will be answered if you drop in at Madurai Branch of M.V. Book Bank.

Help is readily available at this book bank for those scores of students, who are not in a position to spend thousands of rupees on books and fees and yet do not want to jeopardize their academic career.

Narrates R. Janakiraman, a final year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student, how he has been spending a huge sum of money on books besides literally making a hunt for the right books.

"Many parents manage to get their children admitted to engineering colleges but subsequently struggle to buy the textbooks. The book bank is sure to reduce the burden of many parents," notes M. Gita Rajammal another student.

It is expected that the book bank scheme will benefit thousands of college students in Madurai and nearby districts as they will be able to save on their textbook expenses from this year onward, says C. Sundareswaran.

"The advantage of the book bank is the long-term lending facility. Students can keep the books for themselves till their semester examinations are over," he says.

Various schemes

The book bank offers four types of membership schemes: Gold, Classic, Platinum and Premium. Under the golden scheme students has to pay a caution deposit of Rs.900, admission fee of Rs.900 and subscription fee Rs.300.

Students opting under the scheme can retain one book for each subject to a maximum of six books. The caution deposit and admission fee for the classic scheme are Rs. 900 each and subscription fee of Rs. 600 has to be paid by

students. The classic scheme students can retain one book for each subject to a maximum of six books but they can exchange their choice of books at anytime.

The platinum scheme collects Rs.1800 as caution deposit and Rs.900 as admission fee along with a subscription fee of Rs.700. Under the scheme the students can have two books per subject and they can have a maximum of 12 books. The premium scheme demands a caution deposit of Rs.1800, an admission fee of Rs.1200 and a subscription fee of Rs.1400. The scheme allows students to possess 12 books and allows exchange of books at any time. The subscription fee has to be paid every semester while the caution deposit will be refunded at the end of the last semester.

Availability of textbooks has been a cause of concern for students, especially for students in engineering discipline. Being an engineering student my brother V. Sairam decided to address this need even while he was in his first-year of college. Immediately, he transformed his thoughts into action and collected books from his seniors and bought some books and established the M.V. Book Bank in 1996 in Chennai, says V. Balaji, managing director.

Ten years on, reveals Mr. Balaji, the bank has 2.8 lakh books. "Every year we add another 3000 to 30,000. Overall the book bank caters to the educational needs of about 15,000 students."

In the last three years the number of students registering at the book bank has been manifold, says Mr. Balaji and adds that the bank provides books as per Anna University and Madurai Kamaraj University and for all deemed universities. The book bank has books covering subjects of all engineering courses, MCA and other IT-related discipline.

Special arrangements

Mr. Balaji says that in Madurai alone, there are nine engineering colleges and in southern districts the number of the colleges are 60. Every year, the maximum intake of students in the city colleges comes around 3000 and bank will cater to all.

Even if the books are not available, if the students needs the book, the bank will certainly make arrangements and get the book for students within two or three days time.

"The joy on the faces of these young ones is important and brings great satisfaction to us," says Mr. Santhosh of the Madurai branch and adds that the bank has also planned to offer books for civil engineering students only under gold scheme, as the books are very costly.

He says that the one-month-old extension centre of the book bank have started its service to half-a dozen students already. Data regarding availability of books, members, lending date and date of return is completely computerised. Transaction with students is also maintained online, he says.

For more details, contact: Madurai Branch M.V. Book Bank, 17-A, Arapalayam Cross Road, Sivananda Salai, opposite to Vikaasa School, Madurai - 625016 or dial at 0452-4353322.

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