LIBRARIES
Libraries are the keepers of our history and culture. The development of the library systems is an important component of the scheme of non-formal education and continuing education. Constitutionally the subject Libraries is included in the State List. The Central Government has jurisdictions of national importance as declared by the Central Government. However, the Central Government takes initiative to secrete the voluntary cooperation of the State Governments and promote coordinated development of national, and State Library system. Funds for such an integrated development forms a part of Central and State Five Years Plans.
The Central Libraries, Libraries of National importance and the Delivery of Books Act come under the Department of Culture. A separate Libraries Section was created in the Department to look into overall development of the Libraries. Apart from maintaining and developing the libraries of national importance the Central Government is giving financial aid to libraries sponsored by voluntary organisations throughout the country. The Ministry of Education and Culture has been taking keen interest in the country's public library movement programme by providing full financial support. The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, Indian Library Association, Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres, Governments of India, Librarians Association etc. are some of the pioneer professional bodies whose library movement programmes are given support and encouragement.
Delhi Public Library has been declared as the fourth recipient Library, under the Delivery of Books Act, 1954.
National Library, Calcutta The National Library serves as a permanent repository of all reading and information material produced in India as well as for all printed material written by Indians and concerning India written by foreigners, wherever published and in whatever language. In addition, it has a rich collection of Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and Tamil manuscripts and also of rare books. It is a recipient Library under the Delivery of Books Act, 1954. It has exchange relations with 144 foreign countries.
The set-up of the Library broadly consists of technical Divisions which look after acquisition, processing, reader's services, conservation etc. and the Administrative side concerned with personnel, maintenance of buildings, security etc.
The biggest problem facing the Library is acute shortage of shelf space for accommodating new acquisitions. This problem is being tackled by taking both long-term and short-term measures. As a Ion term measure a Second Annexe consisting of sixteen storeys is to be constructed. To obviate the problem immediately, a three storey Building with pile foundation at a cost of Rs. 1,11,47,000/- is to be started during the current financial year. As a short term measure additional space has been created in Processing Division, Laboratory Division, Stack Division etc. to accommodate about one lakh books. The top two posts of Librarian/Director lying vacant since 1980, are Rely to be filled up during the current financial year. Further addition has been proposed in the Reader's Hostels, Guards Barracks during the Sixth Five Year Plan.
Central Library Bombay This Library is one of the four recipient libraries authorised to receive books, newspapers etc. published in India under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954. The Library is assisted by
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Central Government and the Government of Maharashtra on a sharing basis in so far as non- recurring expenditure on maintenance of Delivery of Books Act, Section of the Library is concerned. The Central Government's contribution is limited to the extant of two thirds of the non-recurring expenditure and one-half of the recurring expenditure on the Delivery of Books Act Section. Besides, the Central Government has also been giving grants for the development of the library. Grants are released subject to recommendation of the State government.
Central Reference Library, Calcutta The Central Reference Library located in the National Library premises is mainly responsible for the implementation of the following schemes :
(i) Compilation, editing, printing and sale of Indian National Bibliography. This is an monthly/annual bibliography containing the entries of current Indian Publications in Major Indian Languages and in English received in the National Library under the Delivery of Books (P.L.) Act, 1954;
(ii) Setting up of a book Exchange Unit to serve as National Book Exchange Centre; and
(iii) Compilation, editing, printing and sale of Index Indiana. This is a quarterly Index to articles appearing in current Indian periodicals in major Indian Languages.
Indian National Bibliography The Indian National Bibliography was being published as the monthly issues upto 1977 with its annual cumulation issue of 1977 published during the year 1980. In order to bring the Bibliography upto-date within the shortest possible time, it has been decided to publish the Indian National Bibliography 1978 and onwards as Annual Volumes only. The periodicity will again be changed to monthly as soon as the Government of India Presses will be able to print Bibliography upto-date and bring out regularly in time.
The position of Annual Volume of the Indian National Bibliography is given below :
(1) Annual volume of 1976 has been published. Annual Volume of 1968, 1977 and 1978 are in the press of which 1977 is expected to be published by March, 1983.
After final editing Annual Volume of 1979 is ready for the press.
Compilation of Bibliography entries upto August, 1982 of the Indian National Bibliography has been done.
One Photo-composing machine is being imported from USA to get the matter composed at the Central Reference Library so that the Government of India Presses may print each issue more expeditiously.
Apart from the Roman script issues of the bibliography mentioned above, Language fascicules are published in respective language scripts.
The following language bibliographies (in respective language script) are in the press :-
Assamese 1968-70
Hindi 1971
Gujarati 1962-71
Marathi 1970
Sanskrit fascicule 1971-80 (Ten year Cumulation) has been published. Malayalam Bibliography 1971-80 is expected to be published by March, 1983.
Index Indiana One quarterly issue of the Index Indiana October-December, 1977 covering six languages viz. Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam and Tamil has been published. It has been decided to publish the Index Indiana in printed form instead of cyclostyled form. This will be published annually from 1981. Annual Volume 1981 has been compiled and made ready for the Press.
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Indian Council of World Affairs
Library, New Delhi This Library is meant to provide research facilities on international and area studies. It has, the richest collection of books, documents, periodicals and press clippings on international relations. It has also a good collection of microfilms and maps. Its collection includes 1,05,300 books and documents, 16,75,000 press clippings, 11,200 microfilms. It has since been decided that the Central Government would meet the annual deficit of the Library by providing a sum of Rs. 2.00 lakhs annually during the VI Plan period.
During 1981-82, apart from annual grant of Rs. 2.00 lakhs, an ad hoc special grant was also given to the 'Library to meet expenses on purchase of special essential books and development of the Library. During 1982-83, a grant of Rs. 2.00 lakhs is being released.
Delhi Public Library, Delhi The Delhi Public Library which has been providing free library service to the citizens of the union Territory of Delhi since its establishment in 1951, has grown into a metropolitan public library system consisting of Central Library, 4 Branches, 20 Sub-branches, a Braille Department for the blind, 11 Deposit Stations and 5 book-mobiles serving 52 areas.
The Library has been declared by the Government. of India as, the fourth Recipient Library under the Delivery of Books and Newspaper,,; (Public Libraries) Act. By virtue of this, the Library would be receiving free of cost one copy of all books, newspapers etc. published in India in different languages.
The Library has a net collection of 6;64,761 volumes and 94,502 registered borrowers at the end of the year. It issued 24,65,657 volumes during 2the year.
Raja Rammohun Roy Library
Foundation, Calcutta Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation is an autonomous organisa tion sponsored by the Department of Culture, Government of India to support and promote library services in the country with a view to developing reading habit among the people.
Established in May, 1972 the Foundation completed a decade of service to the people in 1982. A new Foundation was constituted and started functioning during the year.
The Foundation continued to render assistance to the public libraries in different States and Union Territories under five schemes :
(1) Assistance towards building-up of adequate stock of books and reading and visual materials.
(2) Assistance towards development of rural book. deposit centres and mobile library services.
(3) Assistance towards binding and preservation of rare, books, journals and manuscripts.
(4) Assistance towards organisation of library workshops, seminars and book- exhibitions.
(5) Assistance towards storage of books.
During the period under report the Foundation rendered assistance worth Rs. 33 lakhs approximately to 6,676 libraries all over the country. Over a decade the value of assistance amounted to Rs. 277 lakhs and the number of libraries covered exceeded 16000 at different levels.
The Foundation is not merely grant giving body; it promotes library service in different other ways. A pilot survey of public library services in Karnataka was sponsored through the Department of Library Science, Mysore University. The Foundation continued the series of lectures started in the previous year on different aspects of librarianship by some eminent scholars of the country. A conference of the Conveners of State Library Committees was organised to discuss the problems and prospects
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of library development with particular emphasis on library statistics. The Foundation has also undertaken an important project to draft a 'National Policy of Library and Information System. In short, the Foundation's programmes and activities have been oriented towards both quantitative and qualitative development of library services in the country.
Central Secretariat Library, New
Delhi The Central Secretariat Library complex continued to provide research, reference and lending facilities to Government Organisations, registered members, general public and scholars during the year under report.
The Library enrolled 4087 members. Over 9000 new books in Hindi, English and regional languages were added to its collection. In addition, about 25000 official documents including Gazettes, Legislative Acts, Reports etc. were received in the Library. About 900 periodicals and 41 newspapers in Hindi, English and other regional languages are regularly received in this library. About 2 lakhs books, were lent out to the members during the year.
Under the Staff Development Programme which has been introduced from this year, the Library organised following programmes :
(1) Workshop on Anglo-American Cataloguing rules-II for two
(2) Workshop on PRECIS during August 23-27, 1982.
(3) Tape Slide Shows on Library Services on September 8, 15, 22 and 29 and October 21 and 22, 1982.
The Central Secretariat Library conducted its User's Survey during the months of July mid August, 1982.
A Seminar on the 'Use of Computer in Major Government of India aided Libraries' was also organised by the library on March 15, 1982.
Under the extension activities, the Central Secretariat Library organised the following book- exhibitions/symposia :
(i) Exhibition of books written by Non-Hindi speaking Indian Authors in February, 1982.
(ii) Exhibition of Hindi books acquired from Hindi Bhavan, Delhi from August 7 to 10, 1982.
(iii) Symposium and book exhibition on 'Contemporary, Gujarati Literature' on December 22, 1982.
Financial Assistance to Voluntary
Organisations Working in the field
of Public Libraries/Manuscript
Libraries Under this scheme, financial assistance is given on a sharing basis to voluntary educational bodies which have established public libraries, and which function as registered societies or trusts. Assistance is provided for the purchase of books, furniture and equipment in the ratio of 60 : 40 (Central Government's Assistance restricted to 60%) and for the construction of new buildings or extension of the present buildings in the ratio of 40 : 60 (Central Government's Assistance restricted to 40% ) subject to maximum of Rs. 50,000/-