Why Local Kids Love This Small Community Library in Mehrauli

On a regular afternoon in Mehrauli, children step into a modest room lined with shelves of books. Some curl up with a story. Others spread notebooks on the floor to finish homework. A few simply sit and turn pages, unhurried.

Since 2022, this everyday ritual has been quietly shaping young lives in a neighbourhood where access to books has long been limited.

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Tucked inside this south Delhi locality, the Mehrauli Community Library offers something rare and deeply needed: a free, welcoming space where children can read, learn, and spend time with books.

The library is open to anyone who wants to read, catch up on schoolwork, or find a corner to think in the company of stories. There is no membership fee, no paperwork, and no gatekeeping. For many children here, this is their first sustained encounter with reading beyond the classroom.

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A space born after isolation

The Mehrauli Community Library began in April 2022, just as Delhi’s schools reopened after one of the longest COVID lockdowns in the world. Months of isolation had left children with few shared spaces to learn or connect. The library stepped into that gap, offering routine, companionship, and a place to return to.

What started as a temporary effort soon found roots in the neighbourhood.

From borrowed books to a permanent home

The project was co-founded by social researcher Orlanda Ruthven, originally from the UK and a Mehrauli resident for over two decades, along with Delhi-based life skills trainer Anupriya Khare.

For Ruthven, the idea began with borrowing books from another library and hosting informal storytelling sessions in small gatherings. Children kept coming back. By early 2022, the founders decided to rent a small space and make the library permanent.

With support from the Free Libraries Network, they sourced books either for free or at discounted rates. Three years on, the collection has grown to around 5,000 books and is used by over 1,000 young members.

Designed for first-generation learners

Most children who use the space are “first-generation learners” from migrant families enrolled in under-resourced government schools. Accessibility shapes every decision here.

Alongside these children, the library also welcomes those who have never had the chance to sit in a classroom, offering them a first introduction to books, reading, and structured learning.

To keep access equal, the library charges no membership fee. Borrowing and browsing are entirely free. As its website explains, “We do not charge for membership because even a small membership fee would mean different things to different members. For access to be equal, it must be free.”

Learning, led by the community itself

With just one full-time staff member, the library relies heavily on volunteers. Many of them are local children and teenagers who manage book circulation, shelving, and help organise educational activities. Their involvement reflects how the library nurtures responsibility, confidence, and leadership from an early age.

The library remains open from 1 pm to 7 pm, Wednesday to Sunday, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

A shared effort, sustained by care

The Mehrauli Community Library runs on community contributions and volunteer support. Books, time, and effort come together to keep the space open for young readers.

For children growing up with limited resources, the library offers consistency, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. Page by page, it continues to build a future shaped by access, care, and community.

If you wish to support the effort, click here. 

Sources

Mehrauli Community Library website

A quiet revolution is unfolding in Mehrauli, by Yusra Nazim for The Patriot, Published on 29 October 2025