Mather’s Open House Library brings 500 books into circulation in Bengaluru

Mather’s childhood book-sharing circle in Kochi has grown into the Open House Library, a free community library that opened in Bengaluru on September 10.

The Bengaluru-based educator and Teach For India fellow has catalogued about 500 books from her own collection, making them available to members for a month per checkout. The shelves include classics, contemporary literary fiction, anti-caste writing, feminist and queer literature, and translations.

Anyone can view the catalogue online, while membership begins with a Google form. Members can place holds, check out books, browse the physical collection and join reading circles. As the library operates from Mather’s home, books can be picked up there or sent by courier on weekdays between 5 pm and 10 pm.

Mather said the collection is deliberately selective: she has not taken in self-help, romance or fantasy titles, citing limited space and a wish to maintain an anti-caste, feminist and queer-focused library. Her decision grew from her own school years, when friends coordinated purchases and passed books around so each could read more.