On Sunday mornings, the Amir-ud-Daula Public Library in Lucknow, northern India, hosts a two-hour session of silent reading. During this event, participants are required to turn off their phones and store them in their pockets or bags. The initiative, called Bookmark, A Reader's Circle, was launched on August 12 and is free to attend. It aims to attract younger people to the historical library, which has been investing in digital resources. Attendees can bring their own books, newspapers, magazines, or comic books, or choose from the library's collection or café offerings. The only rule is that phones must be turned off during the session, and reading must be done on physical materials. The event began on National Librarian's Day, which commemorates the 134th anniversary of the birth of Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan, often called the "father of library science in India." This initiative is part of a growing trend. Similar events, such as Cubbon Reads in Bengaluru, have been running since 2022, with over 70 cities participating by the end of 2024. The Lucknow event stands out by explicitly banning the use of screens during the session, even though the library offers extensive digital resources, including 123,059 entries in the "Books" category on its digital portal. The library's history is somewhat debated. The Times of India reports that it was established in 1868, while the library's own historical account begins in 1882, when the collection was part of the Provincial Museum of Lucknow. The building, named after Mohammad Amir Hasan Khan, was constructed in 1926 and features Indo-Islamic architecture. It houses collections in multiple languages, reflecting the region's diverse cultural heritage. The event's organizers, including librarian Supriya Sharma, hope to connect younger audiences with the library's historical collections, especially those related to the Awadh region. Some participants have requested an evening session, and the library is considering this proposal for implementation in the coming months.