
Creating a Community Library : Inspiring a Love for Reading and Creativity in Children
What if every neighborhood had a community library where kids could read and be creative at the same time?
When I was growing up, I could only access books through my school library. My son, however, has more options—he can visit both his school library and public libraries in our city. Yet, despite all these resources, we often found ourselves buying books on Amazon—until recently.
Two years ago, I was invited to lead the Book Club in my residential community. I enjoyed organizing and moderating sessions for different age groups, but there was one lingering thought that always remained at the back of my mind: wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a community library right here in our condominium? Even in the early days of founding LitJoys, I envisioned creating a library space that would foster a love for reading in kids from an early age.
Bringing the Community Library Dream to Life
This summer, with the help of kids aged 7 to 13, I finally brought my dream to life! Over three weeks, we transformed a small, yet beautiful space in my condominium overlooking the greens into a library. The children played an active role in every step of the process—they helped sort, categorize, and organize books. They also used their creativity to design posters, labels, and signs for different zones in the library. It was amazing to see how they took ownership of the space, from designing the labels to cleaning up and working together as a team.
One morning, I walked into the library and was pleasantly surprised to see a painting created by a 17-year-old resident—a project we had discussed a month earlier. It’s moments like these that show how deeply the kids are connected to the space.
Now, the children don’t just use the library—they take care of it. They borrow, donate, and even document books on their own! We didn’t need to hire a librarian because the kids have taken on the responsibility of managing it themselves.
A Hub for Creativity and Learning
Since opening, our community library has been buzzing with activity. It’s not just about reading; it’s also become a place where creativity thrives. We’ve hosted rhyme sessions for babies, interactive storytelling events for kids, and author visits. We’ve even had book discussions for adults. What’s even more exciting is that community members have stepped up to lead these events, making the library a truly collaborative space for all ages.
I’m also planning a Festive Fusion Design Workshop during the Diwali break. In this fun, screen-free event, kids will design Halloween-themed Hindi door plates for their homes—a perfect mix of cultural and creative expression. This activity aims to build pride and ignite joy among kids for learning our national language, Hindi, which is usually a struggle for many parents in India. It is also an extension of the fun Hindi riddle book I designed for kids, when I was struggling as a parent myself. I’ll be sharing more details about this in another post!
Fostering a Reading Culture in the Community
When I take my morning walks, I often hear from parents about how much their kids love the library. It brings me immense joy to know that we’ve created a space where children can grow their love for reading. For some families, visiting the library has become a weekend tradition.
On a personal level, this journey has been incredibly fulfilling. It has reignited my own passion for reading and encouraged me to explore new genres regularly. I’m grateful for the support from my community, which made this dream a reality. I hope more neighborhoods and residential communities can set up similar libraries to foster creativity and a love for books in future generations.


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