LIBRARIES
Libraries are the keepers of our history and culture. The development of the library system 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 juris- diction only over libraries established by the Central Government and insti- tutions of national importance as declared by the Central Government. However, the Central Government takes initiative to secure the voluntary cooperation of the State Governments and promote coordinated develop- ment of national, and State library systems. Funds for such an integrated development forms a part of Central and State Five Year Plans.
The Central Libraries, Libraries of national importance and the Delivery of Books Act, is assigned to the Department of Culture. A separate Lib- raries Section was created in the Department to look into overall develop- ment 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 through out 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 and Information Centres, Association, Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres, Government of India Librarians Association etc. are some of the pioneer professional bodies whose library movement programmes are given support and encouragement.
The Government has accepted the proposal to declare the Delhi Public Library as the fourth recipient Library, under the Delivery of Books Act 1954.
National Library, Culcutta
A. Holdings
1. Books 16,59,379
2. Indian Periodicals 14,937
3. Foreign Periodicals 820
4. Indian Official Documents 3,44,750
5. Foreign official Documents 3,52,270
6. Maps and Prints 73,527
7. Manuscripts 3,023
B. Acquisition :
1. Books received under Delivery of Books Act 5,79,046
2. Books received as Gift and Exchange 3,58,016
3. Books purchased 9,926 (Titles)
Central Library, Bombay 112
Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954. The library is assisted
by the Central Government and the Government of Maharashtra. The
Central Government's contribution is limited to the.extent 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 re-
leased subject to recommendations of the State Government.
Central Reference Library, The Central Reference Library located in the National Library premises
Calcutta is mainly responsible for the implementation of the following schemes : (1)
Compilation, editing, printing and. sale. of Indian National Bibliography.
This is a monthly/ annual bibliography containing the entries of current
Indian publication in major Indian Languages and in English received in
the National Library under the Delivery of Books Act, 1954. (2) Setting
up of a Book Exchange Unit to serve as National Book Exchange Centre
and (3) Compilation, editing, printing and sale of Index Indiana. This
is a quarterly Index to articles appearing in current Indian periodicals in
major Indian languages.
The Book Exchange project could not be, taken up for want of funds
and accommodation. Activities during 1981-82 (up to 31-10-1981) in
respect of the other two schemes are given below
Indian National Bibliography.-Two monthly issues (June and July,
1977) of,the Indian National Bibliography (Roman Script) have been pub-
lished during the year.
In order to bring the Bibliography up-to-date within the shortest possi-
ble time, it has been decided to publish the Indian National Bibliography
1978 and 1979 only as Annual Volumes. The periodicity will again be
changed to Monthly as soon as the Government of India Presses will be
able to print the Bibliography up-to-date.
The position of Annual Volume of the Indian National Bibliography
is given below :
Annual Volume of 1976 has been published. Annual Volumes
of 1968, 1977 and 1978 are in the Press. Annual Volume of
1979 is under preparation. Besides, one language fascicule (Tamil) 1968-
74 Vol. I of the Indian National Bibliography has been published.
The following language bibliographies (irrespective of language scripts)
are in the press :
Assamese 1962-70
Hindi 1971
Gujarati 1962-71
Malayalam 1971-80
Marathi 1970
Sanskrit. 1968-77
Index Indiana.-One quarterly issue of the 'Index Indiana October- December, 1977 covering the articles appeared in periodicals of six Indian Languages viz. Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam and Tamil is under print.
Sale of Publications.-Sale of publications of this library is handled by this Library. Total receipt on account of the sale of publications came to Rs. 55,160/- (up to October, 1981) including foreign exchange amounting to Rs. 35,060/- as on October 31, 1981.
Progressive use of Hindi for Official purposes, of the Union of India.- An official language implementation Committee has been set up for imple- menting the Government orders relating to progressive use of Hindi in the Central Reference Library. In all four meetings: were held during the year. According to committees recommendation one post of Hindi Assistant has been created exclusively for Hindi work. 'Me post is still to be filled up. Two officials have been deputed for Praveen Class and one Clerk for Hindi Typing course.
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Indian Council of World Affairs This library is meant to provide research facilities on international re-
Library, New Delhi lations, 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. Likewise, the Indian Council of Social Science Re-
search, New Delhi would also pay to the Library, an annual grant of Rs. 2.00
lakhs.
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
October, 1951, has grown into a metropolitan public library system consist-
ing of the Central Library, 4 Branches, 20 Sub-branches, a Braille Depart-
ment for the blind, 11 Deposit stations, 5 book mobiles with a network of
mobile service stations.
The erstwhile Vallabh Bhai Patel Library at Narela which was taken-
over by the Delhi Library Board last year has been a phenomenal success.
It retained a membership of 1,908 by the end of March, 1981 and the daily
book issue went up from a mere 20 to 317.
During the year under report, the old Secretariat Sub-branch was con-
verted from part-time to full-time on an experimental basis from July, 1.981
to enable better use of its services. This paid expected dividends and the
membership of the Sub-branch went up from 786 in July, 1980 to 1193 by
March 31, 1981. The average daily issue likewise went up from 127 to
216.
Over 52,000 volumes were added to the stock. The net book stock of
the library at the end of the year consisted of 6,42,078 volumes out of which
3,46,391 were in Hindi, 1,97,066 in English, 69,666 in Urdu, 25,279 in
Punjabi and 3,676 in Bengali.
During the year under report, 51,620 adults and 7,156 children parti-
cipated in cultural activities e.g. lectures, discussions, dramas, film shows,
television viewing etc. The Library also arranged competitions in speech
making, acting, music and literary compositions etc. The registered mem-
bership of the library stood at 99,359 (53,742 adults and 45,617 children).
The total number of books issued for home reading during the year was
26,64,367. The Library had 2,945 gramophone records with a membership
of 305. It issued 33,915 gramophone records to members for home listen-
ing during the year.
Raja Rammohan Roy Library The Foundation is engaged in the promotion of Library services all over
Foundation, Calcutta the country and the development of reading habit among the people. It
supports the existing libraries and promotes the establishment of new lib-
raries, particularly in the non-metropolitan areas, in cooperation with the
State and Union Territory Governments. All kinds of public libraries come
under the scope of the Foundation's assistance programme.
Assistance is provided mainly on a matching basis, under certain schemes
towards :
(1) building up of adequate stock of books and reading and visual
materials;
(2) development of rural book deposit centres and mobile library
services;
(3) binding and preservation of out-of-print and rare books and
journals and of rare manuscripts;
(4) Organisation of library workshops, seminars and book exhibi-
tions;
(5) storage of books.
During 1980-81 the Foundation rendered assistance to 5,000 libraries at
various levels covering in the process, 14,000 libraries in the course of nine
years of its existence.. The extent of assistance rendered amounted to
Rs. 37.11. lakhs bringing the total of assistance during the last 9 years to
Rs. 2.44 crores.
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Apart from assistance rendered. to the, libraries under Various schemes,
the Foundation also undertook various promotional activities viz. propaga-
tion of library legislation, dissemination of the idea of linkage between lib-
rary service and adult education and Organisation of a series of lectures on
different 'aspects of librarianship with a view to formulating national library
policy and national library system, the two principal objectives of the
Foundation.
Central Secretariat Library, The Central Secretariat Library complex continued to provide research,
New Delhi reference and lending facilities to Government organisations, registered
members, general public and scholars during the year under report.
The Library enrolled 4,130 new members. 10,894 new books in
English, Hindi and regional languages were added to the collection. In
addition, about 7,000 volumes of official documents/reports were received.
898 current journals and 40 daily newspapers in various languages are regu-
larly received in the Library through subscription, gift and exchange agree-
ments. 1,93,266 books were lent out to the members during the year.
Two comprehensive surveys of Literature on Education (Backgrounder)
were completed during the year : (1) Development of Technical Education
in India, (2) Medium of Instruction in India. The Library also assisted in
selecting core books on Indian History and Archaeology, Art and Architec-
ture, Religion and Philosophy etc. with the ultimate aim of getting them
translated into Hindi and other regional. languages.
Under the Central Education. Legislation Project the library is preparing
a list of all comprehensive legislative enactments relating to education passed
by the Central Government as well as all the State Governments and Union
Territories in the country from 1947 onwards. This data is ultimately to
be put into computer. The work is now already halfway through.
The library organised a book exhibition on the 120th Birth Anniversary
of Rabindranath Tagore from May 8-16, 1981 and a literary discussion
with a display of books in commemoration of Munshi Prem Chand's 101st
Birth Anniversary on July 31, 1981. Another exhibition "Books in Hindi"
written by non-Hindi speaking persons is to be held in February, 1982.
The library has also undertaken the work of computerization Serial's
record. The work is in progress.
Financial Assistance to Volun- Under this scheme, financial assistance is given on a sharing basis to
tary Educational Organisations voluntary educational bodies which have established public libraries and
Working in the field of Public which function as registered societies or Trust. Assistance is provided for
libraries/Manuscripts Libraries the purchase of books, furniture and equipment and for the construction
of new buildings or extensions of the present buildings subject to maximum
of Rs. 50,000. So far, applications of about 80 institutions have been re-
ceived. Grants under the scheme are given on the recommendations of
a Grants Committee set up in the Department every year.