Sampath Bank launches Sri Lanka’s first community-powered book discovery platform at Colombo International Book Fair

Sampath Bank has launched a community-powered book-finding platform for visitors to the Colombo International Book Fair, which continues at BMICH until 4 October.

Sampath Book Finder allows readers to request help locating a title through bookfairtracker.com or a designated QR code. Visitors who have seen the book can respond with its location, helping others navigate the fair’s more than 150 stalls, according to the bank.

The service was introduced on the opening day, 25 September. It uses information shared by visitors to address the difficulty of finding particular books across different halls and stalls.

Readers can also recommend titles they encounter. Entries include the book’s title, publisher, hall and stall number, giving other visitors information they can use to find a recommended book.

Milinda Weerasinghe, the bank’s chief marketing officer, said the initiative was designed around an everyday challenge and used readers’ collective knowledge to help people find books and discover unfamiliar titles.

Sampath is the fair’s official banking partner and reports an association with the event spanning more than 20 years. Its presence includes a physical kiosk offering visitors access to banking services alongside the digital book-finding service.

The bank has also announced cashback and instalment offers for eligible customers making book purchases. These include 25 per cent cashback for Sampath GPay customers and three-month instalment plans advertised at zero interest for purchases using Sampath credit cards.

Customers registering to open selected fixed deposits at the fair are being offered an additional 0.25 per cent, according to the bank.

The Colombo International Book Fair is organised by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association. Daily opening hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., providing visitors with access to the stalls and the bank’s services through the final day on Sunday.