MeraLibrary.com is an online digital library focusing on Indian language content. MeraLibrary is essentially a community marketplace where users can subscribe to content, rent out ebooks or purchase the ebooks outright, from the same platform. However, we observed that the site only offers rental, at the moment. Currently, MeraLibrary provides an eBook reading experience on the website, however, it intends to launch its own application on Android and iOS Smartphones and Tablets. To read ebooks on MeraLibrary, users need to install the Adobe Flash Player plug-in on their browser. They need to register to the site and subscribe to suitable subscription option to browse through ebooks collection across various languages. One can rent the eBook and read the ebook online on their browser by hitting the read link.
Launched in July 2012, MeraLibrary offers ebooks in Indian languages including Kannada and Malayalam, along with English. It offers books in Fiction, Religion, Travel, Biography and Autobiography, Psychology, Drama, Technology, among others. Currently, MeraLibrary features books from public domain and does not have a very compelling catalog.
Subscription and PaymentThe portal offers monthly, bi-annual and yearly subscription plans for Rs 200 per month, Rs 1000 for 180 days and Rs 2000 for one year subscription. Users can read up to two books at a time. The website accepts credit card (Visa/Master Card) as a mode of payment.
Other Players
While MeraLibrary allows users to read books online, there are sites such as Bookmebook.com and Myonlinelibrary which are essentially physical libraries, allowing users to browse catalogues and get physical books delivered (on a lending basis) offline. Project Guttenberg, HathiTrust and WikiSource also offer books in public domain in digital format, on a non-profit basis.
Amazon also offers a Kindle Owners Lending Library, where eBook owners can lend/borrow a book for free as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates. However, this service is not available in India. Recently, Amazon also launched the Kindle Store for the Indian market on Amazon.com, which features ebooks available for purchase in Indian currency. Landmark also launched its e-books store.
We feel that the store would need more titles to pick up momentum. It should also offer support downloads in pdf and other formats, as these books are in public domain.
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