A Practical Guide To Library Management

CHAPTER 1

MEANING OF LIBRARY

The library is a collection of sources of information for reading and reference or borrowing. It provides physical or digital access to reading and learning material. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Library is a building in which collections of books, CDs, newspapers, etc. are kept for people to read, study or borrow. The dictionary further enumerates that it is a room in a large house where most of the books, personal collection, other reading material, CDs, etc. are kept. For example- a public library, a reference library, a university library, etc. The Hindi word Pustakalaya is generally used for the term Library. In Hindi, the word pustakalaya means the place where books are kept. This is the original meaning of the word Library.  It is also known as granthalaya, granthagar, kutubkhana or kitabghar.  When we visit a library, we see things as under:

Huge stock of books.

Readers are reading the books.

Different types of works being performed by the various staff for the effective use of the books.

In this way, it can be said that the collection of books for public use in the library. We can also say that an organized collection of books, magazines and other readable and audio, video material is a library.  

HISTORY OF LIBRARY

In ancient times, pieces of knowledge and information were written on earthen slabs, tree’s bark (Bhojptra), copper leaf, etc. We can call them the ancestors of the modern library. Earlier to the invention of paper and printing, knowledge was recorded on these objects only. The arrival of books in human life has taken place earlier than the invention of paper and printing. In the beginning, the work of writing was performed for the fulfilment of under mentioned objectives:

To keep a personal account.

To write general and remarkable matters.

To have a record of Government orders.

For the publicity of work.  

By the end of the medieval period, libraries began to be established and owned for personal and family uses. The contemporary learned scholars and sages preserved ancient and traditional cultural treasure. Rich people maintained a rich collection of books for their prestige and dignity. Kings and emperors maintained libraries in their palaces for the sake of knowledge, dignity and love for books.  They founded a library to serve the state and the church; to sing the glory of their founders and for expansion of scientific knowledge for common people.

Later on, the foundation of libraries was no more a personal cause but a public one. In other words, they began to be founded for the use of the public at large.

In the modern age, the invention of the press, its expansion and the rise of democratic ideologies contributed a lot to the increase in the public use of books. The number of printed books kept on increasing. The books began to be available for common readers. Consequently, the number of learned increased. New subjects began to be created.  During the 18th century Industrial Revolution, the people grew more conscious of their rights. The humanistic approach began to spread everywhere. The culture and civilization of other countries began to be presented publicly. Hence, the importance of the library increased.

It is always necessary to keep a record of every new thing. It began to be published and presented by various media. Books and their other forms became essential for the existence of improved civilization and culture, their publicity and expansion. In the 20th century, a fundamental change came in the form of a library. By the 20th century, in libraries, not only books but also microfilms, video, computer, TV, etc. began to be collected and preserved for the publicity and expansion of knowledge.  

CHAPTER 2

PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM IN INDIA

An important landmark in the history of public library services in India was made by Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad by introducing free compulsory elementary education backed by the library in 1883 in the district of Baroda, and thus free public library services in India were introduced as a system in 1907. It can, therefore, be traced out that 2007 is the centenary year of free public library services in India. In spite of several drawbacks, the public library system in India has made considerable progress.

A public library is regarded as the people’s source of learning and wisdom.  It caters to the sections of the public with information and knowledge. It supports individuals in life-long learning. Education and library are inter-related. The history of the development of a public library may be said to be as old as that of education in India. During ancient times, the seekers of education used to stay in the Ashrams of Gurus for several years. Students joined Ashrams from many neighbouring countries. The oral tradition of education was imported were writing was not available in early times. Writing tradition came a little bit later. This is evident from the written and recorded material found in India. In the Ashrams, the manuscripts were kept for the use of the teachers and students as well as for the visitors.  Ashrams were known as Vidyapeeth, where numbers of teachers are engaged to teach students like modern universities.

References are available to prove that Nalanda  Univerity in Bihar had its own multi-storied library in 600 AD with a massive collection of manuscripts. The collection of the library was housed in three buildings, each having nine floors and three hundred rooms. This library was opened by the then Emperor of India, King Davapal. The library was opened for known scholars who took an interest in reading, interpreting and even copying the documents kept in the library. The Chinese traveller Huen Tsang is known to have consulted this library in the seventh century and to have taken from here hundreds of treaties to China and Japan. This library was completely destroyed by a Turkish Muslim invader Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193 AD. 

Libraries in ancient India also developed as other famous centres of learning such as Vikramshila and Odantapuri universities of ancient India. Taxila and Vikramshila also have valuable manuscripts and collection on Tantras in their libraries.

Medieval Period (1200-1757 AD): Muslims ruled India in the medieval period, and hence, it is also known as the Mughal period. All the succession of rulers, namely, Babur, Humayun, Akbar and Jahangir, etc. made their distinctive contributions to education and libraries. Babur established the first Mughal Imperial Library in 1526 and his son Humayun set up a library at the Agra Fort with books, portfolios, picture books and beautiful works of calligraphy. After the death of Humayun, Akbar improved the management of the library with the same technique works and appointed calligraphers to copy good manuscripts. He also established a separate library for women at Fatehpur Sikri. Jahangir, another ruler of Mughal period, made a law that when a wealthy man dies heirless, the property should be used for building and repairing schools, monasteries, libraries, and other institutions, which helped the development of libraries in the late medieval period. During this period, the library staff had distinct designations like Nizam (Head Librarian), and Muhatin (Assistant Librarian) and those were assisted by scribes, illustrators, calligraphers and copyists.

During the late medieval period, Christian missionaries also contributed to the development of education and libraries.

The British Period (1757-1947):  Though the British came to India primarily to establish trade and commerce, they established a number of educational societies with libraries in India. The establishment of the Bengal Royal Asiatic Society Library (1784), the Bombay Royal Asiatic Society (1804) and the Calcutta Public Library (1835) enlightened the public with knowledge. The important libraries set up in 19th century in India are Andrews Library, Surat (1850), Gaya Public Library (1855), Long Library, Rajkot (1856), Connemara Public Library, Madras (1860), Baroda State Library (1877), Cochin Public Library and Reading Room, Trichur (1873) , Indore General Library (1852), Maharaja’s Public Library, Jaipur (1899), Jammu and Kashmir Library (1879). The Calcutta Public Library became Imperial Library in 1903 and later became the National Library of India after independence.

A very significant contribution to the public library movement in India was made by His Highness the Maharaja of Baroda Sayaji Rao III Gaekwad. He is remembered today as the Father of Library Movement in India. As education is the foundation to reconstruct a new social and economic life, he introduced free and compulsory education in his princely states. Thus, Baroda became the first state among the native states in British India to have compulsory free primary education. He also decided to establish a library as an experiment in one of the towns with State financial assistance. In 1906, he went to America and studied the libraries there. He was very much impressed by the library services there for the development of the people in their social, economic and educational life.

Dr S. R. Ranganathan also placed a significant role in library development as well as knowledge of library science. After joining the post of University Librarian at the University of Madras in 1924, Dr Ranganathan went to the United Kingdom and joined the knowledge committee on libraries. Ranganathan published his Five Laws of Library Science (1931), Colon Classification (1933), and Classified Catalogue Code (1934). He also prepared a Model Public Library Bill which helped to enact Public Library Legislation in the Indian States. Dr Ranganathan has made a noteworthy contribution to the domain knowledge of library science through his 60 books and 2000 seminal research articles during his lifetime and has been revered as the Father of Library Science in India.

Post Independence Period: Public libraries in India made tremendous growth after independence. The Union and the State Government took considerable interest in the development of education and considered the library as an essential part of it. To enhance the level of literacy, the government initiated some programmes such as extension service, continuing education, social education, non-formal education and adult education. The public libraries played a considerable role in the community. The Delhi Public Library was established in 1951 under the joint auspices of the UNESCO and the Government of India to serve as a model Public Library for Asia.

In 1954, the Delivery of Books Act was passed and later amended in 1956 to include newspapers also. As per the Act, every publisher in India is obliged to deposit one copy each of its publications to the National Library in Calcutta, the Asiatic Society Library in Bombay, and the Connemara Public Library in Madras and the Delhi Public Library in New Delhi.

Rajaram Mohan Roy Library Foundation: It is an autonomous body under the Department of Culture established in 1972 with the main objective to promote and support public library movement in the country. Grants are provided to other libraries by the Foundation to assist their services in development.

In 1979, a separate Library Section was established in the Department of Culture under the Ministry of Education, Government of India with an objective to promote and develop public libraries in India.

CHAPTER 3

PROMINENT LIBRARIES  IN INDIA 

NATIONAL LIBRARY, CALCUTTA

The National Library of India is located