Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Bakul Foundation was presented the Most Innovative Library Award category in the 5th edition of the India Reading Olympiad in Hyderabad.
Bakul Foundation’s founder Sujit Mahapatra and two of its volunteers, Nilanjana Das and Debajyoti Baij, received the award at the concluding function of Hyderabad Literary Festival on Sunday.
In his acceptance speech, Sujit said, “When we started promoting reading, we realised that our goal was not just to reach readers with books but that we had to create readers. Hence, the need to attract children and adults to books through various methods including bringing books to people through innovative formats.”
The India Reading Olympiad, instituted by the Food 4 Thought Foundation, recognises the efforts of individuals and organisations to promote reading in India, and are the only such awards in India. The awards are given in 14 different categories.
Bakul Foundation was the only organisation or individual that was shortlisted in categories of “Best NGO” and “Most Innovative Library”. It won the “Most Innovative Library” award for its innovations in promoting reading.
The jury was impressed with Bakul’s innovations such as unmanned libraries in refrigerator at Ekamra Haat, tree library in Forest Park and library in an old discarded bus in the Parking area of Kalabhoomi in Bhubaneswar.
Madhavi Sharma, director of Food 4 Thought Foundation, said, “All jury members were unanimous for this award since other nominees had made one innovation or the other.”
