Villagers stop at a wayside shop at Chirakkadavu junction in Kottayam to buy used books. It's not actually a second-hand bookstore. It is, in fact, a scrap shop, where heaps of iron, plastic and other discarded materials surround a table stacked with books. Nearby, 79-year-old shop owner T G Sreedharan Pillai can often be found reading one of them.

For over three decades, Pillai has collected hundreds of books that arrived with the scrap. Recently, he donated 800 of them to the Chirakkadavu Public Library, giving new life to books that might otherwise have been discarded.

“People often leave large quantities of books behind while renovating or selling houses. Sometimes they arrive in boxes and sometimes in whole sacks. They include Malayalam, English, Hindi and Arabic books across genres such as stories, poems and novels,” says Pillai, a native of Kathalankalpadi in Chirakkadavu near Ponkunnam.

An avid reader, Pillai first reads the books that interest him - from Mulla stories to the social reform novels of V T Bhattathiripad - before storing them on shelves at his shop. His roadside location makes the collection hard to miss, and villagers soon began stopping by to browse and buy. Most are daily-wage workers who cannot afford new books. Pillai sells them for ₹10 to ₹50 and gives books free to children who ask for them.

“I feel sad when I see books being discarded along with scrap. Many scrap collectors may not realise their value, but I had always wished to study more and learned Hindi and English in addition to Malayalam. So, I started saving the books,” he says.

Pillai took up the scrap business more than 30 years ago after his attempts at running a rubber and grocery shop failed. Although he completed his pre-degree studies, financial difficulties at home prevented him from pursuing higher education.

His collection recently found a larger home when the Chirakkadavu Public Library put out a newspaper advertisement seeking old books. Pillai gave a call, prompting library secretary Rajesh V T to visit his shop. Rajesh was surprised by the volume and variety of books Pillai had accumulated.

The library, which is 75 years old, has over 1,200 members and a collection of around 18,000 books. However, it has been struggling with declining reading habits and low active membership, along with financial constraints. “We asked whether he could donate the books as the library is facing financial difficulties. He readily agreed,” Rajesh says.

Pillai had earlier sold around 200 books to another library after the 2018 floods destroyed much of its collection. This time, however, he decided to donate them. “I have been earning only a limited income from the business, so donating so many books is a loss for me. But this is for a larger cause, so I agreed,” he says.

He has already handed over 300 books at a function attended by Kanjirappally MLA Prof Rony K Baby and plans to donate the remaining books within a week. The library has selected books with intact covers and in good condition, while the rest remain at Pillai’s shop.

Some people have questioned why he gave away books that he could have sold. Pillai, however, sees it differently. “People have asked me why I donated so many books instead of selling them. But I believe they will be put to better use in the library,” he says.

Pillai lives with his wife Ponnamma, son Satheesh, daughter Bindhu and daughter-in-law Praveena. His other son, Santhosh, is no more.