CHAPTER 3 STATE CENTRAL LIBRARIES IN NORTH INDIA AND ITS CHILDREN SECTION: A PROFILE

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1 CHAPTER 3 STATE CENTRAL LIBRARIES IN NORTH INDIA AND ITS CHILDREN SECTION: A PROFILE A library is an organization, a system designed to preserve and facilitate use of recorded knowledge or reading materials for every members of society. It is the only organized social institution which fosters the reading of books, extends facilities to the mass literates, neo-literates and even illiterates for getting an opportunity to gain knowledge to become better citizens and to develop among themselves a modern mental and scientific outlook while, at the same time, retaining the basic values of our ancient culture. The public library as it is understood today is a multi-purpose informative, educative and cultural agency and is measured to be an scholarly power-house, which makes every effort to discharge and meet the cultural, educational and informational needs of the society by providing documents containing information relating to their fields of specialization, activities, professions and occupations. It makes them aware of the economic, social, cultural, and political developments that take place around them and are also considered to be an institution for recreational value for a positive use of their leisure time. 3.1 Public Library Public Library is a social institution, which is based on the concept of democracy, i.e., public library is an institution for the people, by the people and of the people. Public library is free to all, irrespective of age, profession, race, sex, colour or creed and provides free access to any literature required. According to S.R. Ranganathan, A library owned and maintained by the public of its area for the socialization of its books and kindred materials for free service to the people of the area (Ranganathan, S.R., 1960). 46

2 The Sinha Committee s (India, Ministry of Education and Youth services, 1959) definition of public library is widely accepted in India. According to this definition a public library is an organization: (i) (ii) (iii) which charges no fees from readers and yet is open for full use by the public without distinction of caste, creed or sex; which is intended as an auxiliary educational institution providing a means of self education which is endless; and which houses learning materials giving reliable information freely and without partiality or prejudice on as wide variety of subjects as will satisfy the interest of readers. According to Librarians Glossary, a library provided wholly or partly from public funds, and the use of which is not restricted to any class of persons in the community but is freely available to all (Harrod, LM, 1987). According to Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, Public library is a public institution, supported by taxation, one that opens its collections, facilities and services, without distinction to all students (Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, 1978) According to UNESCO Public Library Manifesto originally framed in 1949 and the lately revised in 1994, The public library is a living force for education, culture and information, and an essential agent for the fostering of peace and spiritual welfare through the minds of men and women. The public library, a local gateway to knowledge, provides a basic condition for lifelong learning, independent decisionmaking and cultural development of the individual and social groups (UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, 1995). Today, public library is considered as an information, education and cultural centre to disseminate information and knowledge to the society. Public libraries also play an important role to provide recreative literature to the society. In India, many public libraries have different section for children where they can increase their knowledge and can develop themselves. 47

3 3.1.1 Objectives and Functions of Public Library are: The objectives and functions of public library as enumerated by Ranganathan (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) Help the life-long self education of one and all; Furnish up-to-date facts and information on all subjects to one and all; Distribute in an unbiased and balanced way all sources or recorded reviews and thoughts to one and all, and serve as a help in the discharge of their political responsibilities in respect of local, national and international affairs; Contribute to productive drive by information to management of the latest trends in diverse enterprises by ploughing back in the minds of researchers, designers and technologists, every piece of relevant new thought promptly; Preserve the literary remains of humanity for posterity as vehicles of culture and source materials for antiquarian research; Provide to one and all worthy and elevating use of leisure; and In general, work for continued social wellbeing as the agency in- charge of all socialized thought. (Thomas VK, 1997) American Library Association, in its publication entitled Public Library Services: A Guide to Evaluation with Minimum Standards described the functions of public library are: (i) (ii) (iii) To facilitate informal education of all people in the community; To enrich and further develop the subjects on which individuals are taking formal education; To meet the information need of all; 48

4 (iv) (v) To support the educational, civic and cultural activities of groups and organizations; and To encourage wholesome recreation and constructive use of leisure time. (Thomas VK, 1997) Public Library Enquiry Committee (U.K.) presents the following three functions: (i) (ii) (iii) To gather resources in order to promote an enlightened citizenship and enrich personal life; To provide reliable information to the community; and To provide opportunity for self-education to children, young people men and women. (Thomas VK, 1997) Functions of Public Library (i) To Act as Community Centre: The public library acts as a community centre. It is the place where all types of people come and can use the resources of the library. They get knowledge and information. It is the one secular institution, which encourages self-development as an aim. In this way, it is not only meant for a special group but for a public and everybody can come in this library without any restriction. (ii) To Provide Facility for Recreation: Public library provides various types of material for its users for recreation. It provides novels, fiction, audio video material, cassettes for children. It also provides various games, toys, pictures books and other books. In this way, it helps the people and children in recreation. (iii) To Provide Reference Service: Public library provides the reference service to its users. It is personal help that is provided by library staff to the users. It helps the users to provide them the latest information from the sources concerned. 49

5 (iv) Centre of Self Education: More important concept of the public library is as a centre of self-education. Formal education institute provides only particular subjects materials. But, the public library provides the material in which the user is interested and in which the user would like to seek knowledge at a pace of time, which suits his intelligence. It is the institution that provides self-education suiting one s interests through one s life span. Such self-education enriches a person s life to a great extent and migrated day-to-day hardship. (v) A Centre of National and Local Culture: Public library in spite of being a hub of information and education is required to serve as a platform to promote local, regional or national culture. The UNESCO Manifesto declares that the public library is concerned with the refreshment of man s spirit by the provision of books for recreation and pleasure. It collects the material of regional and local culture and if we want to know the local and regional culture it provides us the material related to them. (vi) A Centre of Information: The public library is a hub of information. It provides reliable information free of cost, without favoritism or injustice and on a wide variety of subjects that would satisfy the interest of readers. It provides the individual the reliable information about his/her particular field. The library staff must have a clear knowledge of all such educational and informative materials, which could satisfy the varied interests of the local public, and in order to satisfy such interests they must systematically undertake reader surveys to know their nature and content. As the interests of the individuals change with the change in the structure of the society, the information role of public libraries poses a challenge to the public library staff. In this way, it is a centre of information that provides latest and pinpointed information to its users. (vii) To Popularize Science and Technology Another important function of the public library is to popularize science and technology. Scientific and technological information also needs to be published 50

6 widely and in an understandable manner so that favorable attitude for such information is created among people. The public library organizes lecture, science exhibition and demonstrations to provide the information to the people relating to science and technology that could apply in our day-to-day life. In addition to above mention functions the public library also provides various facilities and services to the public. 3.2 Present Scenario of Public Libraries in India Libraries function as an instrument for cultural, social and economic development of any country. The importance of a society attaches to libraries is a significant indicator of its commitment to information, ideas, creativity and knowledge. A library symbolizes our respect for intellectual and imaginative capabilities. In India, libraries have been in existence in ancient times and in medieval periods, hundreds of libraries were established in Maths, Khankhas and Madrasas, besides the palaces libraries of the Maharajas, Nawabs and Noblemen. The Public libraries concept took a shape in the 19 th century, since 1808 when the British Govt. decided to register libraries, which would be given copies of books published from the Funds for the Encouragement of a Literature for the use of the public. With the advent of education and culture public libraries in India grew in numbers and also played an important role in country s struggle for independence. In post independence era, the concept of libraries and librarianship has tremendously changed. Since independence, the public libraries system has developed for providing a meaningful library services to the people of the country. During last thirty years, the public libraries are moving up in performance but also going down in some parts of the country to a condition where they have neither access to necessary and sufficient printed works for the libraries nor have the capacities to access the important digital resources available in the world. Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation The most remarkable phase in the public library scenario in India is the year 1972 when Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation was established by the Govt. of 51

7 India to perpetuate the memory of great social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy. It was set up on the occasion of the bi-century year of the Great Raja as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India to promote and support public library services in the country. Since its inception 1972, the Foundation has been engaged in the promotion of public library movement and in the development of public library services with active cooperation of State Government and UT Administrations and other organizations working in the field. At present, the foundation working with the following schemes: Scheme of Matching Assistance: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) Assistance towards building up of adequate stock of books; Assistance towards organization of mobile libraries and rural book deposit centers; Assistance towards acquiring storage materials and library furniture; Assistance towards seminars, workshops and book exhibitions etc. and awareness programme; Assistance to public libraries towards increasing accommodation; Assistance towards acquisition of TV-cum-VCP sets for educational purpose/computer for library automation; Assistance towards networking of public libraries. ( Schemes of Non-Matching Assistance: (i) (ii) (iii) Assistance to voluntary organization providing public library services; Assistance to children libraries of children section of general public libraries including women s section & senior citizen section; Assistance to state central libraries and district libraries through central selection of books; 52

8 (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) Assistance to centrally sponsored libraries like affiliated libraries under Central Universities or recommended by the Central Government; Assistance towards organization of seminar, conferences, etc. by an All India level Professional body like ILA etc.; Assistance to public libraries towards centenary celebrations including celebrations of 50 years/75 years; Assistance towards collection and compilation of library statistics through official and non-official agencies; (viii) Assistance towards establishment of Children s corner. ( Over the last 33 years, a little over public libraries have been supported by the Foundation, which includes State Central Libraries, District Libraries and Divisional Libraries, Sub-divisional/ Taluka/ Tehsil/ Town and Rural Libraries/ Nehru Yuva Kendras/ Jawahar Bal Bhavan and Libraries run by voluntary organizations (NGO s). A couple of years back, the foundation engaged M/s AC Nielsen ORG-MARC Pvt. Ltd. with a task of undertaking a detailed evaluation study of status of public library with reference to the schemes operated by the RRRLF. The report of the study was prepared after conducting an all India survey in 32 States and UT s covering a large number of samples and institutions. The study report has come to the positive finding that the schemes operated by RRRLF are of critical importance to the libraries at the state, district and sub-district level. It has also been observed that without the support of RRRLF, many libraries would find it difficult to function effectively. The report has also points out that the library movement has not yet gathered momentum and vast areas remain outside its reach. The public library system in India being controlled mostly by the State Governments and being State subject under the constitutional parameters, the library sector mostly dependants on the priority set by a particular state. The absence of library legislation and consequent lack of resource mobilization through library cess or in any other manner debars the public library services from picking up in volume, velocity and vigour. Though, RRRLF always 53

9 responds to the different needs of public libraries and acts as a dynamic force with its effective need based services, it failed to some extent in motivating the thoughts and creativeness of children and youth promoting understanding of the cultural heritage, admiration of the earth s scientific achievements and emotions among other activities. The study divides the state and union territories into three categories with regard to the health of the public library sector. The states are classified as lagging, developing and developed. Following is the classification of states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi are lagging. Andaman & Nicobar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttaranchal & are developing. Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra are developed. Status of Infrastructure & Facilities Available at Different Central State Libraries At the state central libraries and the district level libraries in all the states more or less having minimal infrastructure and facilities like, reading room, lending facilities, bibliographical services, extension services (viz. lecture, study group etc.) almirahs, racks/shelves, catalogue cabinet, cardex etc. However, at the below district level libraries this has observed that tremendous cash crunch and non-availability of the bare minimum infrastructure being key issue raised by the different libraries. Majority of the state central and district level libraries are classifying the collection automatically and using Dewy Decimal (70%) and Colon Classification System (30%). However, only 15% of the libraries indicated that the entire collection of the library been classified. However, in case of the below district libraries only 25% having the automated classification systems and the rest keeping it manually through accession register. 54

10 Major needs observed for audiovisual equipment, computer, internet/ and photocopier as perceived by the different categories of libraries. Different category of libraries at all the states are involved in conducting book fair, book exhibition, seminar, children storytelling, seminar/workshop, cultural programmes etc. Below district and district level libraries at different states are involved in providing consultation to the local inhabitants about the jobs, education, and self-employment schemes. (Banerjee KK, 2006) From the picture that emerges from the study, it may be concluded that public library system at present is not equipped enough to face the challenges of the information and knowledge revolution. The strengthening of the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India by Constitutional amendment, democratic election and financial devolution has seen the beginning of the new empowerment at the grassroots. The emergence of India as a waking up economic giant with a skilled human resources needs a vibrant public library sector that would serve the public with all types of resources. The fact that India has today a growing young population that makes this task compelling. The youth of the country should get the benefit of the growing global knowledge society. It calls for a dynamic agenda of the library sector in coming years so that the public libraries could begin to play a proactive role to address these new challenges. 3.3 Children Library Public Library has a duty to provide satisfactory library services to the children. For this purpose public library has a separate section reserved for the exclusive use of children. This section is also called Junior Library or Children Library. Children's libraries are particular collections of books intended for young patrons and generally kept in separate rooms of general public libraries. Bigger children's libraries have entire floors dedicated to them while smaller ones may have a separate room or area for children. It is an organization that works outside the regular 55

11 educational system. Readers in a children s library are usually pupils of the first through eighth grades (seven to 14 years who know how to read). Services usually provided by public libraries may include storytelling sessions for infants, toddlers, preschool children, or after-school programs, all with an intention of developing early literacy skills and a love of books. Thus, we can say that children library is a part or section of a public library, which is exclusively devoted to need, and interest of children. 3.4 State Central Libraries of North India: Profile The current study pertains to the State Central Libraries of North India which have a children section. They have been explained below:- 1. Tirlok Singh Central State Library, Chandigarh (U.T.) 2. Central State Library, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. 3. M.M. Musafir State Central Library, Patiala, Punjab. 4. Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 5. State Central Library, Ambala, Haryana. 6. Shri Ranbir Singh Central Library, Jammu Trilok Singh Central State Library, Chandigarh The Government of India in the First, Second and Third Five Years Plans, provided for the improvement of library services in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. As a result thereof a Central State Library at Chandigarh, A Central Public Library at Patiala and Three District Libraries at Dharamsala, Jalandhar and Ambala were set up. The Tirlok Singh Central State Library at Chandigarh was set up in the year 1955 under the scheme of Govt. of India Promotion of Art and Culture. After reorganization of the State of Punjab, it came under the control of Chandigarh Administration. 56

12 Building Fig. 3.1: T.S. Central State Library, Chandigarh. The five-storey building is situated in the heart of Chandigarh at sector 17. The credit for designing this beautiful building goes to Piere Jeanerret, the French architect, who has, with great skill combined the aesthetic and utility aspects of a library to bestow on this piece of architecture perfect nobility, grace and serenity. The stair-cases, the ramps, the projections of counters, the working halls and rooms and, above all, the colour scheme nothing pinches or oppresses the eye. One feels real pleasure to come to the library and spend a quire evening in company of great masters of the past and present. The rooms and the halls are comfortable and well ventilated. They admit as much natural light as possible through huge glass panes which quire successfully shut out dust. Inside this five-storey building the colour scheme is soothing and pleasing. It is charmed with principles of Beauty in the Simplicity which is noticeable in this reservoir of knowledge. Utility and beauty supplement each other to provide an air of relaxed reading, which is an indispensable pre-requisite of a good library. Surrounded by lush lawns with placid little pool, this piece of architecture admits of sufficient supply of fresh air and natural light at all hours of the day Working Hours The library is open all seven days from Sunday to Saturday. It is only closed on gazette holidays. The timings of the Library are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Monday 57

13 to Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The reading room is open for 12 hours a day i.e. from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on all days Membership Although the Library membership is free, it charges Rs 500 as refundable security. This means that if any member wants to leave membership this amount will be refunded to him. Four types of membership are offered: Children membership, Adult membership, Senior citizen membership and Institutional membership. Adult members are given special facility to issue 4 books for 4 weeks, whereas in case of others it is 2 books for 2 weeks. In case of Institutional membership, five membership cards are issued and the refundable security is Rs Staff Mrs. Anju Gupta is currently the chief librarian of this library. The library has been divided into nine major sections. These sections functions under the charge of the senior librarian except the newspaper, magazine and binding sections. Professional, semi-professional and other supportive staffs assist the section heads. The circulation section has the largest share of the staff, which includes two professional, four semi-professional and two supportive staff. The reference section, acquisition sections have one professional each and one semi-professional each. One librarian is deputed to the American Corner in the designation of the Director, American Corner. Magazine section and newspaper section functions under the semiprofessional. The binding section functions under one senior and two other junior binders. Branch library, Manimajra functions under the one professional, one semiprofessional and supportive staff. The Integrated Library Centre at Government School, Sector- 27, Chandigarh functions under a professional and the mobile library functions under one semi-professional and trained driver, specifically for this purpose Processing Section After the books are acquired, these have to be processed technically before these are read by the readers. The main activities in this section are classification and cataloguing of the documents. For classification DDC 23rd edition is followed. The 58

14 activities of this section include entering the documents in database, pasting labels, due data slips, book pocket, accessioning slip and stamping with the library seal Circulation Section This section facilitated readers with lending out of books for home use. Such other jobs as the registration of new members, lending of books, reminders for overdue books, reservation of books, statistics and inter library loan are looked after by this section. This section also displays the new books received from the processing section and also displays the monthly topical books for the readers. Two books are issued for a period of 14 days whereas for senior citizens 4 books are issued for 1 month. Members also receive SMS on issuing and returning of books Reference Section The basic objective of this section is to assist the clientele to all resources of the library in an effective manner leading to their optimum utilization. This section provide two types of reference services namely- direct and indirect. This section has also rare books, manuscripts besides the reference books and the books written by authors based in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. This section also has CD Section from where CDs and DVDs are issued to the members of the library Magazine Section The aim of this section is to provide inspiration, recreation and current information to the readers. This section subscribes the magazines keeping in view the interest of the readers. The readers have access to wide range of magazines. About 200 magazines are received annually in Hindi, English and Punjabi languages. Back issues of magazines are also issued to members Newspaper Section Besides the daily newspaper received, this section also provides the newspaper clipping service. Clipping files are prepared from newspapers announcements relating to admissions, vacancies, employment, and examination result. This section also bounded some of the important newspapers. 59

15 Binding Section Binding section binds the old books and newspapers. professional binders, which extend the lives of the old books. This section has Branch Libraries The administration has extended the services of T.S. Central State Library by establishing a branch library in Manimajra, and Integrated Library Centre in Sector 27 to fulfill the demand of the literate population in its nearby areas Mobile Library Mobile library service is the collection of books arranged in a vehicle and so staffed as to provide a library service capable of being directed to communities. In 1978, the library started mobile services to the people who cannot come to the Central State Library because of long distance of the library from their residence. The working hours of this service is from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. The norms of membership for the service are same as of the library. This service is available to readers for five days in a week and Thursday is reserved for service/repair of van and transferring of books and Sunday remains off. The mobile van provides its services in the villages, localities, sectors which are far from the library. This service has been currently discontinued but will resume with a new bus with modern equipment and facilities by end of the year Physically Challenged Corner A section for the physically handicapped is located on the ground floor of the library. A grant of Rs 2.5 lakhs was given by Raja Ram Mohan Library Foundation, Kolkata to set up this section. This section consists of Braille books, talking software and special equipment for the partially blind I.T. Infrastructure/ Automation The library has about 40 computer systems out of which 15 computers are exclusively for the use of members of the library. Photocopy facility is also available in the reference section. Printers are also available. The library is automated and is 60

16 using Libsys software for automation. The Library has its own website. It is using social media to popularise its services. The library has its own blog and also has a profile on facebook. Whatsapp services are also being provided. s are also sent to members for any updates American Corner American Corner is a joint venture between the American Information Resource Center, US Embassy, New Delhi and the T.S. Central State Library, Chandigarh. It was inaugurated by Robert O Blake; The Deputy Chief of Mission in the US Embassy, New Delhi on December 12, 2004 in the T.S. Central State Library, Chandigarh, being a capital city of both Punjab and Haryana State was the obvious choice for the North Indian American Corner. The American Corner provides a window on the life and culture in the United States and is the first place to visit for the accurate and update information about political, cultural, economical, educational and social trends in the United States. The American Corner is enriching with books, magazines, CD-ROMs with full text articles, videos and DVD s and Internet access. It stocks about 700 books, 35 DVDs, 60 VCDs and 36 periodicals. Access to American Corner is open to all the members of the T.S. Central State Library, Chandigarh. Any person, who seeks to get the information regarding his/her queries, can avail the services provided by the information specialist. The working hours are same as per the library. The American Corner has seating capacity of 30 readers, with standard wooden tables and chairs. The wooden shelves increased the grace of the corner and the whole corner is carpeted. The American Corner provides the facilities for group or individual orientations, invitations to special programs/events, reference service by information specialist, referral to the American Information Resource Centre, New Delhi for queries, consultation and guidance. 61

17 Children Section The T.S. Central State Library has a separate children section on the ground floor of its building. Although the library was established in the year 1955, yet this essential section was added to the library in the year 1958 only, when the library shifted to its present new five storey building. A big hall is allotted for this section in one corner, near the entrance of the library. The children s section, as the name, implies, and caters to special needs of the citizens of tomorrow. This section is also called junior library. This section is exclusively devoted to the needs and interest of children. Books are selected in this section keeping in view the interest and level of understanding of the young and growing, keeping in view the interest and level of understanding of the young and growing minds. The room has seating capacity of 50 children. Children below the age of 14 years can become the members of this section. There is no separate budget for this section Staff of the Children Section The children section works under the one professional librarian, two semi professional and two supportive staff. Mrs. Neeza Singh is currently the in charge of this section Collection in the Children Section The collection of the children section includes the books, reference sources, non-book material and magazines. The table 3.1 shows the last three years collection of the children section. Table 3.1 Collection of the Children Section, T.S. Central State Library, Chandigarh. Collection General Books 26,251 26,794 27,531 Magazines/periodicals CD/VCDs

18 Fig. 3.2 : Children Section, T.S. Central State Library Membership Any child who is below the age of 14 years can become the member of this section. The refundable security of Rs. 500/- is charged for the membership. Two books are issued to children for 14 days. Besides books, the children can get the non book material issued which is issued for two days only. The table 3.2 below shows the number of children members during last three years. Table 3.2 Membership of the Children Section, T.S. Central State Library, Chandigarh. Year Children Members Children Corner A children corner was started in the children section on December 2006 under the non matching assistance for establishment of children corners from RRRLF. The 63

19 RRRLF granted Rs. 1, 50,000/- for the establishment of this corner and the grant was spent on computer, decoration of the corner, modern furniture and book racks, non books materials. The children corner increases the grace of the children section with wooden flooring and stocked with toys and games for children Special Programmes Besides the routine services of the section the children section also organize various special programmes, i.e., declamation contest, kavi samelan, book mark, reference hunting, plays puppets, story hours, etc Central State Library, Allahabad In the year 1946 this exquisite library of the city was established under the copyright act. In 1948, the library was inaugurated by education Minister Dr. Sampurnand (Ex. Chief Minister) then in the year 1961, the library was open for public use and in the year 1962the library started opening in two shifts for the convenient of readers and provide them more valuable services. In 1984, the library shifted to the new present building, Shaheed Roshan Singh Marg (Near S.R.N. Hospital Allahabad). The chief goal of the library is quality development in education and preservation of books. Member of any age group or community can avail the benefit of library. There is a total collection of about 98,000 books in this library. Fig. 3.3 : Central State Library, Allahabad. 64

20 Building The library shifted to its current own building in the year It is located in the heart of the city. It is a two storied building. It s all major sections including Children section, Lending section, Computer Section, Reference Section, Periodical Section and Reading Room being on the ground floor and a seminar hall on the first floor. The library is currently under complete renovation Working hours The Library opens from 8:00 a.m. in the morning till 5:00 p.m. in the evening from Monday to Sunday. It is closed on every Tuesday and second Monday of the month. It also remains closed on all government gazetted holidays Membership Members below 18 yrs have to deposit Rs.100 as caution money to carry books along with them. There is a provision of two way membership for the adult members, members who deposit Rs. 200 as caution money can get a book of Rs. 400 or two books of Rs. 200 each for a month. A member who deposits Rs. 500 as caution money can get a book of Rs or two books of Rs. 500 each for a month Staff The Librarian is in-charge, one deputy librarian who holds the library administration, management & Technical Supervision. Mr. Ravi Kumar Yadav, Deputy Librarian is currently the In-charge Librarian. There are four assistant librarians (senior technical assistant, assistant librarian (women), reference assistant, lending assistant) and one cataloguer. All are doing technical works such as accessioning, classification, cataloguing circulation, reference services Reference Section The reference section has a special collection of Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads and biographies. This section has a collection of about 12,000 books. There are also 65

21 old newspapers in this section which are kept for three years and after that they are disposed off. Gazettes are also available in this section Periodical Section There is a spacious periodical cum reading room on the ground floor of the library. There are 19 newspapers and 22 magazines subscribed by the library. This section provides a very peaceful atmosphere for the students to study Computer Room There is a separate computer room set up in this library for the use of members of the library. There are about 12 computers in this section with internet connection. The members can access this room and use the facilities. Free internet learning workshop is held every day from 2 to 3 p.m. for all types of members I.T Infrastructure The Library has a separate computer room which has about 15 computers for the use of library members. Broadband Internet connectivity is available in the library; LAN network is also available in the library. Wi-Fi is also available to all members so that they can search Internet on their laptops or mobiles. The Library has its own website. The library also has a blog Children Section It is located in the ground floor of the library. Ms Rekha Singh is currently Incharge of Children Library. It has a collection of books, CDs and magazines. The section stocks more than 14,000 books and 200 CDs. This section also has maps, charts, toys, games, T.V., computer (one) and Projector for children members. Various competitions and activities are organized from time to time like Book Exhibition, Child Book Exhibition, Plantation of trees, Art Competition, Rangoli Competition in Library. There is no separate budget for this section. 66

22 Fig. 3.4 : Children Section, Central State Library, Allahabad Collection of Children Section The collection of the children section includes the books, reference sources, non-book material and magazines. The table 3.3 shows the last three years collection of the children section. Table 3.3 Collection of Children Section, Central State Library, Allahabad. Collection Books 14,236 14,347 14,412 Magazines CDs/DVDs Membership of Children Section A refundable security of Rs. 100/- is charged for the membership of children. Two books are issued to children for 14 days. The table 3.4 below shows the number of children members during last three years. 67

23 Table 3.4 Membership of Children Section, Central State Library, Allahabad. Children Members Musafir Memorial Central State library (MMCSL), Patiala Musafir Memorial Central State library (MMCSL) at Patiala is a state library of Punjab. Its foundation stone was laid on February 1, 1955 by the then Honorable chief minister of PEPSU Sh. Brish Bhan and was opened on July 23, 1956 by Honorable Sh. C.P.N. Singh, the then Governor of Punjab. Fig. 3.5 : Musafir Memorial Central State Library, Patiala. 68

24 M.M. Central State Library works as an apex library in Punjab and 14 district libraries of the state are under the administrative control of this library. This public library provides not only lending and reference services but also serves as community centre for educational and cultural activities. Mr. Kahlon is the current Librarian In charge of M.M.C.S.L. The library has more than 1,50,000 books. The total membership of the library is Building The total area of this library is 23 bighas and 2 biswas. It is situated at a central place on the mall road, Patiala. It is located in the heart of the city. Its surroundings are very cozy and beautiful. It has beautiful lawns and a fountain in the centre of the premises which adds to the beauty of the majestic building Working Hours The Library opens from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sunday, Last Thursday and government gazette holidays. The reading room opens for 2 hours even on Sunday and Last Thursday for the benefit of members Membership The membership fee is Rs 50 which is refundable. Two books can be issued for a period of 14 days on one membership card Staff The Library is working under One Chief Librarian. One librarian who is working in shifts, two sweepers, two maalis, two water boys, one peon and two cleaners. The library is so under staffed. There are sanctioned posts of seven librarians for this library, however only one librarian is available who is working in shifts. 69

25 Reference Section This section is open to all. Any person can consult books from this section. It contained reference books i.e. encyclopedias, directories, dictionaries, atlases, maps, etc. There are two types of books in this section. Firstly, the books which the library got as its share from the Archives department. This collection of 11,361 books is kept separately. Secondly, the reference books which the library purchased since Besides this, the section has a rich collection of about 3000 rare manuscripts. One of the oldest manuscripts is Sikand Puran. Another manuscript of Quran is famous for its calligraphy. Mahabharata, translated by Bias Dev in four volumes is also available in this section. There are a good number of manuscripts in Persian language Circulation Section This is the main section of this library. It is meant for members only. Anybody can be a member of this section who is above 14 years of age. It contains books on all subjects in languages of English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Books are arranged language wise arranged according to Dewy Decimal Classification scheme. New arrivals are displayed separately. This section has open access for browsing Periodical Section cum Reading Room This section is open to all for ten hours a day. Even on Sunday and last Thursday this section opens for 2 hours for the benefit of the public. This section subscribes to about 20 newspapers, 50 magazines and periodicals. It has a capacity to accommodate 100 readers. There is a special provision for senior citizens. Back issues of periodicals and newspapers are available for consultation on request I.T. Infrastructure The Library has about 5 computers for staff only. 2 printers and photocopier are also available for staff use. The library is automated using WINISIS software. There is no internet connection for members. The library has a Blog but no website of its own. 70

26 Children Section The children section of the Musafir Memorial Central State library is located on the ground floor of the beautiful library building. Mrs. Pramod Sharma, Library restorer is In-charge of this section who holds Bachelor s degree in Library Science. It caters to the need of children up to the age of 14 years. This section has books of almost all subjects. This section stocks more than 14,000 books, 150 CDs/DVDs and subscribes to 9 children magazines. The shelf arrangement is open access. Total membership of this section is 415 and daily visit of children ranges from 4 to 5 children. Fig. 3.6 : Children Section, Musafir Memorial Central State Library, Patiala Collection of Children Section The collection of the children section includes the books, reference sources, non-book material and magazines. The table 3.5 shows the last three years collection of the children section. 71

27 Table 3.5 Collection of Children Section, Musafir Memorial Central State Library, Patiala. Collection Books CD/DVD Magazines Membership of Children Section Any child who is below the age of 14 years can become the member of this section. The refundable security of Rs. 50/- is charged for the membership. Two books are issued to children for 14 days. The table 3.6 below shows the number of children members during last three years. Table 3.6 Membership of Children Section, Musafir Memorial Central State Library, Patiala. Year Children Members Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library is situated on The Mall, Solan, I the state of Himachal Pradesh. It was established on 29th June All the schools and public libraries in the state come under it. Until 1973 the library was also running a certificate course in library science, and had even started the mobile library project to benefit youth in rural areas of the state, which is now discontinued. 72

28 Fig. 3.7 : Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan. This library is responsible for managing all school & public libraries in the state. There are thousands of precious and valuable books housed in this library. Mr. Anil Kumar is having additional charge of this Library apart from Librarian, Government College, Bilaspur Building The Library does not have a separate building of its own. It has occupied two rented buildings in the main street bazaar of the city. The place is very noisy as it is located on the national highway of Himachal Pradesh Working Hours The Library is open from Monday to Saturday. During summers (April September) the timings of the Library are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. During winters (October March), the timings are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 73

29 Membership Membership fee of this library is Rs 50. Two books are issued to each member for a period of 14 days Staff The staff consists of two librarians, three Library assistants (out of which two on contract) and nine peons. Office staff includes one Superintendent and one clerk Circulation Section The circulation section has about 75 thousand books in English and Hindi languages. 2 books are issued to each member for a period of 14 days. Mr. Shiv Kumar Puri, Assistant Librarian is In charge of this section Reference Section There are more than 35,000 books in the Reference Section. A special collection of about 25 manuscripts are also placed in this section which include the Vedas. A collection of rare books of about 220 in number is also present. Rare books include titles like My Struggle by Adolf Hitler (1937), Life and letters of Max Muller (1903), Life of Raja Sir Shamsher Prakash by Balgobind (1901), Overland to India by Sven Hedin (1910) Indian Languages Section This section stock books in Urdu, Punjabi, and South Indian languages. There are 816 Punjabi books, 3023 Urdu books and 300 books in Telugu, Malayalam and other languages. 74

30 Periodical Section cum Reading Room Fig. 3.8 : Periodical Section cum Reading Room, Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan. It is located on the first floor along the passage to other sections on the floor. The Library subscribes to 20 periodicals in English and Hindi languages. The reading room has a number of students who visit library to prepare for their examination I.T. Infrastructure Although the library has 5 computers, 4 laser printers and one reprographic machine but none of them are available for the facility of public. It is only for office use. A television and VCR has been placed in the Children library along with 10 video cassettes for viewing educational videos. Internet connection is there but only for staff. The Library is not automated and neither has it had any website. It is not using any social networking application. 75

31 Children Section Fig. 3.9: Children Section, Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan. Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Assistant Librarian, is the Incharge of the Children Library and Periodical section. The membership of this section is open for children between 3 years to 14 years. A refundable security of Rs 50 is charged from the children member. This section stocks 18,000 books and has open access system. Total members of children section are 3391, out of which 135 children members are active. There is no budget to purchase books. The collection only builds by the books which are donated by Raja Rammohan Library Foundation, Kolkata from time to time. School visits are conducted in the library from time to time to promote reading culture. Radio messaging through FM was also conducted for some time Collection of Children Section The collection of the children section includes the books, reference sources, non-book material and magazines. The table 3.7 shows the last three years collection of the children section. 76

32 Table 3.7 Collection of Children Section, Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan. Children Collection Books 18,034 18,095 18,158 CD/DVD None None None Magazines Membership of Children Section Any child who is below the age of 14 years can become the member of this section. Refundable security of Rs 50 is charged. Two books are issued to children for 14 days. Besides books, the children can get the non book material issued which is issued for two days only. The table 3.8 below shows the number of children members during last three years. Table 3.8 Membership of Children Section, Moti Lal Nehru Central State Library, Solan. Year Children Members State Central Library, Ambala The State Central Library was built during British rule in India in 1920 for education purposes. It was turned into Library in State Central Library is Haryana s main library, built over 85 years earlier on land provided by the British for a public service institution initially structure was used by the Education Department as a School of Instruction during British rule, taken over by the library only in

33 Fig : Central State Library, Ambala. It is Haryana's main Library. The library consists of 88,000 books which are available in many languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. Mr. Ram Kumar is having additional charge of this Library apart from Librarian, Government College, Ambala Building The library has its own spacious campus and building, though not properly maintained. It is in the heart of the city and very accessible by all members. It has sufficient parking space and open space all around the building. The place is very peaceful for the readers Working Hours The Library opens from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Saturday to Thursday. The Library is closed on Friday s and last Saturday of the month. It is also closed on government gazette holidays. 78

34 Membership A refundable security of Rs 510 is charged from adult members whereas for children the refundable security is Rs 110 only. 2 books are issued for a period of 2 weeks to the members Staff There is one Librarian who is deputed to Government College, Ambala Cantt. and having additional charge. The principal of the college is the DDO. There are 2 restorers on contract. Apart from these, 1 binder, 1 peon, 1 maali and 1 chowkidar are also employed. There are 3 posts of sanctioned librarians where there is not even one Circulation Section There are about 45,000 books stocked in this section. Two books are issued for a period of 14 days Reference Section The library has a collection of about 25,000 reference books in English and Hindi languages. The collection consists of encyclopedias, yearbooks, almanacs, atlases, maps, etc. It also has seven sets of educational DVDs Reading Room The library has a separate reading room. Apart from this due to increase in demand of more sitting space, the double storey children library building was also converted into reading hall. More than 100 students utilize the reading hall everyday to study. The readers are allowed to get their own personal books in the reading hall to study. 79

35 Fig : Reading Room, Central State Library, Ambala I.T. Infrastructure/ Automation The Library has 3 computers and one reprographic machine but only for the use of Library staff. It is not automated. It has Internet facility but that too not for members. The Library does not have a website. It does not use any social networking application to popularize its services Children Section The Children Section is located in the Technical Section of the Library. It had its own small building but due to demand of an additional reading room the children library was converted into reading room. There are 250 children members. There are more than 17,000 children books out of which 8000 are English books and 9000 are Hindi books. About 500 titles are added each year to its collection. Seven sets of educational CDs are available which were donated by a library member. A refundable security of Rs 110 is charged from children members. No special services for children have been introduced. 80

36 Fig : Children Section, Central State Library, Ambala Collection of Children Section The collection of the children section includes the books, reference sources, non-book material and magazines. The table 3.9 shows the last three years collection of the children section. Table 3.9 Collection of Children Section, Central State Library, Ambala. Collection Books 17,018 17,215 17,341 CD/DVD Magazines

37 Membership of Children Section Any child who is below the age of 14 years can become the member of this section. The refundable security of Rs. 110/- is charged for the membership. Two books are issued to children for 14 days. The table 3.2 below shows the number of children members during last three years. Table 3.10 Membership of Children Section, Central State Library, Ambala. Year Children Members SRS Central Library, Jammu The Department of Libraries & Research of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is engaged in knowledge dissemination by providing free library and reading room facilities to public. A chain of public libraries is present in blocks, tehsils, districts and divisions of the State. From small children to aged people and students to scholars, every section of the society is benefited from the facility. The first public library in Jammu & Kashmir was established by the then ruler, Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1879 at Jammu, named as SRS Library. The office of Deputy Director, Libraries is also in the adjacent building of the main library. Mrs. Irwin Kaur is currently Chief Librarian of SRS Central Library, Jammu. Fig : Sri Ranbir Singh Central Library, Jammu. 82

38 Building The Library has its own spacious building complex. The office of Deputy Director, Libraries is located in the building adjacent to the main building of the library, the ground floor of which is the Periodical section cum Reading Room Working Hours The working hours of the library are from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. from Friday to Wednesday in winters and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in summers. Library is closed on Thursday Membership There are more than 13,000 members in the library. The library membership is free. Even no refundable security is charged from the members. The membership is offered for only one year and renewed every year Staff The staff consists of one chief librarian, 1 librarian, 2 junior librarians, and 2 library assistants. The post of classifier, cataloguer and binder are lying vacant Circulation Section The Circulation or the lending section is located on the entrance of the ground floor of the main building. There is a separate Lending Section for English and Hindi books. There are about 16,204 English books and 10,964 Hindi books Reference Section This section stocks about 7532 reference books in English language. Old newspapers up till one year are available. Apart from this, Government gazettes, census reports, albums and manuscripts are also available in this section. About 295 manuscripts are available in Buddhist language. 83

39 Languages Section This section has a rich heritage collection. It stocks more than 9000 books in Urdu, Persian, Dogri, Kashmiri and Punjabi languages. Some of the rare books available are Diwan-e-Ghalib, Shahnama Firdosi and Ain-i-Akbari. Tariq Dugerdesh and Tariq Jammu are found in original. This Library caught fire in 1969 in which lots of books got burnt Reading Room cum Periodical Section This section is ideally placed on the ground floor of the front building, adjacent to the main building. A number of students visit here for preparation of examination. Because of the increased demand from the students, special corners have been added by the department in public libraries to prepare for competitive examinations like IAS and KAS in the year In the first instant about 100 titles each were provided to Central, District and Tehsil libraries. Orders for providing these titles to public libraries at the lowest level in blocks and border blocks have been issued and funds allotted for making the purchase. Senior citizens also visit here for reading newspapers I.T. Infrastructure and Automation The automation project is being implemented with the assistance of National Informatics Centre (NIC), Government of India. It is for the first time that a modern Public Library system will finally take shape in Jammu and Kashmir. For the purpose, state of the art hardware and communication infrastructure have been installed and made operational at these sites with the technical support from National Informatics Centre ( J&K).The library staff as well as the hired technical personnel is being trained for the purpose. In coming months, the state of Jammu and Kashmir would have its own Internet based Public Library Network for library users, researchers and students. The NIC designated e-granthalaya library management software and digital library software is being used for automation and networking of the libraries. The library is included in the common website of libraries in Jammu and Kashmir State. It is not using any social media application to popularize its services. 84

40 Children Section The Children Section of the library is on the first floor of the adjacent building behind the main building. Mrs. Kulwant Kaur, Library Assistant, is currently In charge of Children section. No special service or activities are being conducted for children. Fig : Children Section, Sri Ranbir Singh Central Library, Jammu Collection of Children Section The collection of the children section includes the books, reference sources, non-book material and magazines. collection of the children section. The table 3.11 shows the last three years Table 3.11 Collection of Children Section, Sri Ranbir Singh Central Library, Jammu. Collection Books CD/DVD None None None Magazines