Udupi: A woman from Manipal has built a community of young readers through Purple Space, a children's library and activity lounge. Pallavi Cruz started this library seven years ago, with a unique vision. Inspired by her habit of reading to her children even before they were born, Pallavi began the library with a personal collection of around 2,500 books. Today, Purple Space has grown to house over 7,000 children's books. She recently introduced the concept of ‘Library at Your Doorstep', allowing children to rent, read, and return books from the comfort of their homes.
Since her pregnancy, Pallavi collected and curated books for her children, making her library a personal hand-picked collection. She told TOI: "Parents can start reading aloud, to their children, even before they are born, or as soon as they arrive. I did this with my kids and witnessed its profound impact. Not only on them, but also on other children who developed a reading habit early," she said.
However, Pallavi acknowledges a common reluctance among children to walk into libraries just to read. "I have noticed that reading is often associated with grades and academic pressure, turning it into a chore rather than an enjoyable activity. Reading has rarely been portrayed as a fun, bonding experience with parents or teachers. To change this perception, we conduct engaging activities that connect children with books in a way they enjoy. This not only increases a love for reading, but also positively impacts their academic growth," she said.
Pallavi encourages parents to avoid pressuring their children to read. Instead, she aims to make the process enjoyable. To support this, her library organises storytelling sessions on weekends and holidays. For example, on Nov 30, they celebrated Jaguar Day, with activities centred around jaguars. "Our activities are designed to help children discover their inner selves, transforming the library into a vibrant community space," she said.
Interestingly, Pallavi's children, including her 12-year-old son and 16 -year-old daughter are homeschooled. Her library's interiors reflect her commitment to sustainability, as they are crafted entirely from upcycled materials. She studied visual communication, fashion designing, and graphic designing, and later shifted to child psychology after her children were born.
The library also promotes environmental-consciousness through activities like making cloth bags, birdwatching, butterfly-watching trips, and exploring seashore ecology. "It is about nurturing sustainability and environmental awareness in children," Pallavi said.
She plans to launch an alternative learning space for children inspired by the Waldorf education philosophy, in the next academic year.