UNIT 1 PUBLIC LIBRARY: ORIGIN AND

GROWTH
Structure

1.0 Objectives
l.l Introduction
12 'Ancient Libraries
1.2.1 Libraries in Greek and Roman Times
1.3 Public Libraries and Social Change
1.3.1 Higher Education
'1.3.2 Impetus to Scientific Research
1.3.3 Publishing
1.4 Forerunners of Public Libraries
1.4.1 Personal Libraries
1.4.2 Parish Libraries
1.4.3 Social or Subscription Libraries
1.5 Origin and Growth of Public Libraries in India
1.6 Growth of Public Library after Independence
1.7 Summary
1.8 Answers to Self-Check Exercises
1.9 Key Words
1.10 References and Further Reading

1.0 OBJECTIVES
After reading this u~it, you will able to:

• learn about the growth of public libraries since ancient days;

• understand the origin and growth of public libraries inIndia; and
• appreciate the role of government in the development of public libraries in India.

1.1 INTRODUCTION
What distinguishes a human being from the animal kingdom is his faculty to think and
communicate. It is only the human begins who are curious to know through their imagination
and pragmatism from which emerges the knowledge. Before the invention of writing, our
knowledge was stored in memory what was called the "oral tradition".

A Brahmin who could memorize and recite shlokas in Sanskrit for one Veda was named as
Vedi; those memorising two were called Dwivedi, those memorising three were called Trivedi,
and those who could recite all the four Vedas were known as Chaturvedi.

Vedas were composed in Sanskrit in between ISO(} and 2000 B.C, the oldest living piece of
literature in the world. Then the Devnagri script, had not been invented. The Indus valleys
script though 3,300 year old was not yet been deciphered. Had the Vedas no! been memorized,
these would have been lost for ever. It was the oral tradition which saved the Vedas from
extinction.

Once the art of writing developed, man began to maintain his records on whatever writing
material he could ,lay his hands on, such as clay tablets, papyrus, parchment, metal sheets, 5
Public Library: Basic Concepts cloth and engravings on stone. Real breakthrough came with the invention of paper making
and printing which were developed in Europe in the 15th century.

1.2 ANCIENT LIBRARIES

Greece had its Golden Age, from 480 to 404 B.C., when Athens was destroyed by Sparta in 404
B.C. During this period flourished the world's top philosophers and thinkers, such as Socrates
(469-399), Plato (428-347 B.C.)and Aristt>tle(384-322 B.C.). Greetings excelled in art, {sculptures
of human figures, painting, mosaic, and crafts).

Greek is the world's second oldest language, (1400 B.C.) after Sanskrit, (1500 B.C.). Greek
civilization was superseded by the Roman civilization (founded in 753 B.C.) and it lasted some
800 years up to 41 0 A.p.

1.2.1 Libraries in Greek and Roman Times

The ancient "public" libraries in Greece ~ere for use not only by their founders but also by the
scholars, students, priests and officials who were permitted to use.their ~o!Jections for approved
studies. In the middle of the sixth century B.C., a large library of books was opened to the
..
public in the city of Athens.

Julius Caesar had the idea offounding a national or a public library in Rome with the greatest
possible collections, of Greek and Latin books available in manuscript form written on papyrus.
He had planned to place C. Asinius Pollio as in charge of the library. Caesar was assassinated
before he could accomplish this project. It then fell to one of his successors to do so, and the
library was opened in 39 B.C. as originally planned by Caesar.

Rome by the end of the 4th century A.D., was reputed to have 28-30 public libraries. Again,
these were not the public libraries of today but were available to those who could and would
use them. Rome did have, after all, in the imperial period an increasing number of persons who
were literate. There were booksellers as well in Rome and in many larger cities ofthe provinces.
It was also considered fashionable to have books' in one's home. As the Roman empire
declined in the West, the libraries also declined, so did book publishing and acquisitions.

1.3· PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND SOCIAL CHANGE

A student ofhistory of public libraries around the world ought to know that the public library
is as much a product of social change as it is the promoter of it. Once public library service is
well established and is universalized, its role changes. Instead of being a product of social
change, it becomes an instrument of social change. The British experience confirms this
phenomenon. The modern public library appeared on the British scene only after the country
reached a certain stage of development conducive to the growth of public libraries. We
enumerate the movement of below the developments which were the forerunners of the
movement of public library development.

1) England was the first to build up a legal system and a parlimentary government that
brought the country to a strong and united nationhood under a liberal monarchy which
reigned but not ruled.

2) ,It was also the first to become a bastion of parliamentary democracy. King John was
forced to sign Magna Carta on June 15, 1215, traditionally seen as guaranteeing human
rights against the excessive use of royal power. British Parliament is known as "the
Mother of Parliaments", set up as early as in 1295. The Civil War of 1642-52 in England,
between Royalists and Parliamentarians, resulted in the victory for Parliament.

3) English language emerged some times in A.D. 1100, called old English, followed by
Middle English from then till about 1500 and Modem English from 1500 onwards. It is
. among the oldest modem European languages and is most widely used internationally.
The total output of writings in the English language is the largest among the European
languages.'
6
 4) After the sacking of Rome by the barbarians in 4 J 0 A.D. Dark Ages descended on Public Library: Ori~in and
Europe lasting about 1.000 years from 500 to 1500 A.D. Nothing worthwhile could be Gruwth
noticed during this period. Europe woke up after a long slumber in 1500 A.D,

The stimulant was provided by the Renaissance. which occurred between 14th and 17th
centuries as the means of education and social change.

The aim of Renaissance education was to produce the "complete man", conversant in '
humanities. mathematics, and science (including their application in war), art and crafts,
athletics and sports. to enlarge the bounds of learning and geographical knowledge: to
encourage the growth of scepticism and free thought. It also encouraged the study and
imitation of Greek and Roman literatures and arts. A large amount of writings, both from
translations from Arabic publications and originals, were generated by Renaissance.

5) In the 17th century started the European expansion overseas. By mid-19th century, the
European powers occupied all the countries of the world outside of Europe, barring 10.
But even these were mauled. Britain alone occupied as many as 85 countries, building
thereby world's largest empire on which the sun never set. '

6) The Industrial Recolunon broke out in Britain in 1750 This revolution led to massive
urbanization and the emergence of educated and prosperous middle classes, in between
the working class and the aristocracy. The sprawling British Empire provided a wide and
stable market for the British manufactures and became the purveyor of raw material for
the British factories. That brought tremendous wealth into the country.

7) The social reforms programme began in 1906, which improved social status of the working
class hitherto neglected. .

8) In 1870, the Elementary Education Act was passed which accepted the principle that the
establishment of a system of elementary schools was the responsibility of the state.

Earlier, it was left to the church and the voluntary organizations. Secondary education was,
however, left in the hands of the fee-charging Grammar Schools or the so called public schools
until 1918 when the national system of public education was truly laid as it made public
education available to all. The Education Act of 1944 involved a thorough recasting of the
educational system. The Minister of Education was given the power to enforce minimum
standards of education in terms of school buildings, equipment and qualified teachers. A
similar provision was ••made in the Public Libraries Act of 1944 which we shall presently
discuss.

1.3.1 Higher Education

As in the case of elementary and secondary education, a beginning in the provision of higher
education was also made by voluntary organizations. The Balliol University College was
established as early as in 1263. Merton College in 1264 at Oxford leading to the opening of the
University of Oxford soon thereafter. In 1233, Cambridge University was in place. In the 19th
century, the dominance of Oxford was challenged by the rise ofthe'civic universities, such as
London, Manchester and Birmingham. The university began to be financed by the central
Government through the University Grants Committee, established in 191] and reorganized in
1920. During the 1960's, many new universities were established popularly known asRed
Brick universities. Several of them had a strong scientific and technological bias.

1.3.2 Impetus to Scientific Research

Seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw flowering of scientific temper in England; The new
findings resulting from scientific inquiry during those years marked a major turning point in
human history. The Royal Society of London was founded in 1662. lsaac Newton's contlibution
to scientific research started in'1687 and continued up to 1704. A galaxy of British scientists
had been in the forefront in almost all fields. Research laboratories, institutes and academies
were established from 1700 A.D. onwards. A number ofNobel prizes were won by the British
scientists. Most of the inventions made during 1750-1900 emanated from Britain.
1.3.3 Publishing
The history of publishing in England is characterized by a close interplay of technical
innovations and social change, each promoting the other. ' 7
Public Library: Basic Concepts Publishing as known today depends upon on a series of three major Inventions: namely,
writing, paper, and printing, besides one crucial social development, i.e., the spread ofliteracy.

The invention of printing with movable type is usuaily attributed to Johannes Gutenberg, a
German printer (1440-50), after a period of block printing from about 1400 A.D.

Gutenberg's achievements was not a single invention but a whole craft involving movable
metal type, ink. paper and printing press. In less than 50 years, it had been spread most of
Europe, including England, largely by German printers. The mechanization of printing in the
19th century and its further development in the 20th century, went hand in hand with an ever
increasing spread of literacy and ever rising standards of education. It finally brought the
printed word to its powerful position as-a means of influencing minds and, hence societies.

It was William Caxton, an Englishman who for the first time introduced printing in the country
in 1474. Early printing had a profound effect on the development of national language and
literature. World's first Copyright Act was passed in England in 1709. It was meantto encourage
learning by vesting the copyright in the author for a period of21 years. The Act protected the
interests of those who made their living from writing an producingbooks, namely. writers,
printers. publishers and those of the reading public.

New developments of vast potential, particularly after the Second World War. were the book
clubs, emergence of paperbacks and mail order advertising and selling. A book club was an
association of members who undertook to purchase, usually each month, a book selected for
them by a committee of knowledgeable persons. The advantage being that the book in question
was supplied are a lower price than that at which it could be purchased in a bookshop.
England again was the first to create literary agents in 1875. The agents were of great help to
authors, particularly those who were unable themselves to handle their business with publ ishers
•satisfactorily.

1.4 FORERUNNERS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES

There were some forerunners of modern public library: such as personal libraries. Parish
libraries, Mechanic's Institute libraries. But, ultimately these tumed into subscription libraries
as they could not survive on their own.

1.4.1 Personal Libraries

There were personal libraries for use by the owner, members of his family and friends.

Because of abysmally low rate of literacy, largely confined to the priestly class, the number of
users of personal libraries was very small. This was the first stage of public library development
once printed books became available though ina limited number. As methods of printing
improved and better quality paper became available in the market, book printing and publishing
became a business to contend with.

1.4.2 ' Parish Libraries

There was another class of forerunner of the modern public Library. These were called the
parish libraries which were open both to the clerics and laymen. The books had a strongly
religious cast, but there were books of popular nature in the arts and-sciences as well as
history, biography, and travel. Some of the parish libraries had circulating units as well,
sending boxes of books around to the habitations on regular intervals, (forerunners of modern
bookmobiles). -

In mid-80's appeared circulation libraries which were strictly profit-making enterprises. Anyone
could borrow books from these libraries for a specified period on rental basis. Besides, there
were libraries for the workers, known as Apprentices' libraries. and Mechanics' institutes;

1.4.3 Social or Subscription Libraries

In end of the 18th century when more books were available in the market. the buyers of books
realized that, it would be cheaper to establish subscription or social libraries than, buying
, books of their own for personal reading. A group of people would cooperate to establish such'
8

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 libraries by raising the admission fee and paying annual subscription and cash deposit for the PubU( Library: Origin and
safe .retum of books or buy shares as if In a company. The idea was to share the use of books Growth
among the members of such libraries and outsiders on payment of a small fee.

These libraries were dubbed as elitist and unegalitarian in character as their use was confined
to those who could afford to pay for them. Since the use of these libraries was confined to
their members on payment, such libraries could not be termed as public libraries (as we .
understand them today).

Libraries in Scandinavia

After the UK and the USA came-the Scandinavian countries in terms of coverage and use of
public library services. The greatest growth in public library-services took place in Scandinavia
in the 19th and 20th centuries. The special feature of the Scandinavian public library systems
have been:

l) Strong influence of Angle-American librarianship.

2) A long history of government legislation and support.

3) Development of public library systems' based on regional central or county libraries .

. 4) Extensive inter library-lending system.

S) Creation and growth of the library servioe bureau.

6) Construction of many new and imaginative library buildings.

7) Compensation to the authors for the use of their book l~libraries.

8) Provision of library services to special groups through outreach activities.

9) Involvement in arrangement and provision of cultural events.

Self-Check Exercises

1) What were the writing materials available during Greek and Roman period?

2) Who were the forerunners of public libraries?

Note: Q Write your answers in the space given below.

ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of the Unit.

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1.5 ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF PUBLIC LmRARIES

·IN INDIA
The Public Library system in India is the product of western impact. It came about through 185
. years of British rule in.India, from 1762 to 1947. The stages of development of public library,
. however, both in Britain and India, were identical though India took longer to move from one
stage to another. For example, the first public library law was passed in Britain in 1850
. against 1948 in India. The modern public library concept developed in Britain in 1945 against
1950 in India, when the-Delhi Public Library was established.Library education at university
level started in India and Britain about the same time during the First World War (1914-18).
9
Public Llbrary: Basic Concepts As subscription library was the forerunner of the modem public library in Britain, (1750) so
was it in India (1850) also. The subscription libraries received impetus from the freedom
struggle. It was estimated thatat the time of independenc~ in mid-1947, India had as many
as 50,000 subscription libraries, but these were very sma II in size. No other developing country
could boast of such a large number of public libraries.

The First Phase (1808-1900)

.
The first significant date in the development oflibraries in India for the public is 1808. It was
in this year that the then Bombay Presidency initiated aproposal to register libraries which·
were to be given copies of books published from the "Funds for the Encouragement of
Literature" .

By the middle of the 19th century, all the three Presidency towns-Bombay, Calcutta and
Madras-had their "public libraries" founded mostly with the active support and initiative of
the Europeans in those towns. Indians with western education, then picked up the idea and
established their own subscription libraries. Since subscription libraries were open only to
their members who paid security deposit as well as annual subscription, they could not be
called public libraries in actual sense of the term. Two conditions are necessary for a public
library: First, it should be open to all. Secondly, it should offer its services free of charge. A
library out of public funds can offer services free of charge only if it is established out of
public funds under a law by a public authority.

The Second Phase (1900-1937)

The second phase in the history of public library movement in India was from 1900 to 1937.
During the first phase, the state governments were more active, while during the second
phase, the intelligential took up the cause of public libraries. This phase began in 1900·when
a reading room of the Calcutta Library, initially a subscription library established in 1832, was
thrown open to the general public. The Calcutta library was taken over by Lord Curzon, the
then Governor-Generalof India, in 1902 and named as the Imperial Library. Later, after
independence, by an Act of Parliament in 1948, this library was named as National Library.

8aroda Movement

-,The pride of this period was, of course, the library movement in the princely state ofBaroda.
From 1906 to 1911, SirSayaji Rao Ill, the ruler of that state, set upan elaborate system of public
libraries, composed of Central Library, Village Libraries and Traveling Libraries. The system
served as a model for the rest of the country. The Maharaja had employed an American
Librarian, Mr. Bowden, to organise the system.

Library Education

Mr. Bowden also established India's first Library School at Baroda in 1906 in which students
were admitted from all over India. The Baroda library school continued for a 'humber of
years. The second library school was established at the Panjab University, Lahore (now in
Pakistan) in 1915, by Mr. Asa Don Dickinson, another American Librarian, who was a
contemporary ofMelvil Dewey. .

The first State Library Association was formed in Andhra in 1914, in Bengal in 1927 and the
Indian Library Association (ILA) was formed at Calcutta in 1933. Asa Don Dickinson was the
first in India to publish the Library Primer in 1916: which was used as a textbook by his
students. The Panjab Library Association was the first to publish the library journal in 1935,
entitled "Modern Librarian" from Lahore,

The Third Phase (1937-1947)·

The third phase of the library movement began in 1937 when the Indian National. Congress
Party came to power in many provinces. This phase was really a synthesis of the 'previous
two phases. Being elected governments, they were more responsive to the demands of the
people. During 1937 to 1942, as many as 13,000 village libraries were established by the state
governments on demand from the ,villagers. These libraries were the product of the Indian
Adult Education movement which swayed the country at that time,

10
 An important landmark of this period was the Report of the Library Development Committee, PubU( Library: Origin and
Bombay (1939-40), headed by Professor A.A.A.Fyze. It put forth a scheme of developing Growth
public libraries in the province in six stages, comprising a Central Library and a Regional
Library in each Revenue Division. The total cost ofthe scheme was estimated at Rs IS lakhs,
but the provincial government could not spare that amount.

The Fourth Phase (1947 TODATE)

The fourth phase started on August IS, 1947, when India attained independence. Its first
milestone was passing of the Madras Public Liraries Act in 1948, the first of its kind in the
history of the country. The second milestone was the establishment of the Delhi Public
Library, ajoint public library project of UNESCO and the Government of India.
Delhi Public Library

In 1949, Unesco decided on its own to set up a public library pilot project to demonstrate the
potential of a modem public library as cultural centre for the people. The project had to be
based on the Unesco manifesto, defining the nature and scope of its services. The scheme
was circulated to all the developing countries of the world to invite Unesco to establish the
project in one of them. India was the first to invite Unesco to do so.

The DPL had to be organised according to the Unesco Manifesto adopted in J948. The Delhi
Public Library is reckoned as the first public library of the country satisfying all the criteria
laid down in the Unesco Manifesto. The salient features of the resources and services of the
library are listed below:

1) The library is open to all, without any discrimination.

2) All its services are offered free of charge.

3) No cash security is to be deposited so long as the intending borrower can seek a

recommendation from a responsible person, otherwise only a refundable deposit ofRs
20 is to he made.

4) A~Ibooks are accessible on open shelves.

5) The library functions as a cultural centre and its members are organised into cultural .
groups, such as Literature Group, Drama Group, Arts Group. Each group elects its own
chairman and Secretary. Similar activities are to he organized for children (including
story hours) and young adults.

6) A fleet of bookmobiles delivers bool? at several centres throughout the city.

7) A Braille section produces braille books and talking books for the blind and are delivered
at their homes free of charge.

8) Music cassettes and gramophone records are provided free of charge.

9) The structural units are city central library, zonal libraries, social branches, and community
centres located all over the city.

10) The library is termed as Asia's busiest public library with an enrolment of about 100,000
and lendng about 10,000 books every? day a~one stage.

The library was evaluated in 1956 by Unesco and was declared as Unesco's most successful
project. An Asian seminar was organized the same year at the library to demonstrate its
services to librarians from all over Asia. Unesco also published a book on the library entitled
"The Delhi Public Library". .

Central Government Aided Public Library Projects

The Ministry of Education, Government of'India started giving grants in 1952-53 to the states
for the establishment of public libraries and later this scheme was incorporated in the First
Five Year Plan (J95J-56) under which provision was made for the establishment of state
central libraries, district central libraries with branches in all habitats of the districts. About
Rs 1 crore was spent on these libraries ofwhich two-thirds of the amount was provided by the
11
Public Library: Basic Concepts Central Government In 1952, the Government of India launched Community Development
programme in which social education was assigned an important role and it gave a fillip to
rural libraries.
In 1954, the Central Government adopted the Delivery of Books Act under which a publisher
is required to deposit a copy of the book to each of the four Public Libraries around the
country. The Act was amended in 1956 to include newspapers as well. The four libraries are:
the National Library, Calcutta; the Connemara Public Library, Madras; the Sachivalaya Central
Library, Bombay and the Delhi Public Library.
I

1.6 GROWTH OF PUBLIC LmRARY AFTER

INDEPENDENCE
Public library service under the Indian Constitution is exclusively a state subject and the
Central Government cannot legislate on it. Education is on the Concurrent List, which means
that both State and Central Governments can legislate, but the Central laws will supersede the
state laws on the subject.

The provision of public library service world over rests in the local governments, both in the
urban and rural areas. There is one exception however to this universal practice. In the former
British colonies in Africa, public library service is provided by the statutory national library
boards. The local governments were considered to' be unsuitable to undertake this
responsibility .

During 185 years of British rule in India the British Government never passed any public
library legislation of the kind it passed in its own country in 1850, nor did it appoint any
committee or commission t&> report on the status of public library services in .the country.
Instead, it vested public libraries in the local governments, both in urban and rural areas under
the Local Self-Government Act of 1882, but it was not made incumbent on them to do so.
Consequently hardly one-third of the local governments cared to provide modicum of public
library service due to for lack of resources and interest. Nor did the public ask for the service.

In 1948 when the Madras Public Library Act was passed by the state legislature. a number of
options were available to India based on the experience of some of the developed countries.

The Government of India appointed a committee in 1959 to report on the status of public
libraries in the country, called the Sinha Committee, named after its Chairman, the late P.K.
Sinha, Director of Public Instructions, Bihar. The Committee found the situation as dismal.
The public libraries which existed were dubbed as "stagnant pools of books". Over 90% of
the public libraries were subscription libraries. Their number was estimated at 60.000. The
resources of each library were poor. But it is remarkable that the middle class in India could
establish such a large number of libraries out of voluntary efforts. No other country among
the developing countries could boast of such a large number of subscription libraries.

India for reasons of its own bypassed the local governments and constituted statutory Local
Library Authorities (LLAs) at the district and city levels under the Madras Public Library Act,
the first of its kind ever passed in the country. There was a feeling that the local government
administration in India was weak and lacked financial resources. The experience of the U.K.
and Sweden proved right in case of India. Both the countries had to reduce the number of
local governments drastically to make them viable.

Since the Local Library Authorities could not be given the constitutional status of local
governments with a right to levy library cess, the cess had to be collected through the local
governments and passed on to the LLAs. The local governments being short for funds all the
time, used the library cess collections on meeting their budget deficits and delayed for too
long the transfer of cess proceeds to the LLAs. Even today millions of rupees are due from the
local governments.

Further, an element of election was introduced in the formation of the LLAs which caused
delays in constituting them. Too many checks and balances were imposed on the LLAs in the
preparation of their development plans. The real power vested in the Directorate of Public
12
Libraries and the State Government. The LLAs were never allowed a free hand in running their Public Library: Origin and
Growth
affairs.

The elected chairmen of LLAs were replaced by District Magistrates as they were accused
of abusing their power. The employees ofLl.Aswere declared government employees which
immensely increased the financial burden of the LLAs. Later, state governments took the
responsibility to pay salaries of the staff working under the LLAs. Over 85% of the total funds
went into paying salaries of t'ie staff, leaving very little money for the purchase of books and
acquisition of other sundry items. Later, the financial burden on the LLAs was reduced and
the cess proceeds were allowed to be used for purchase of books. But, books to be purchased
by the LLAs had to be from the list approved by the government. Sometimes, because ofthe
procedural wrangles, books, are not purchased for years.

By 2002, only 12 states out of26 had legislated on public libraries. Of the 12 states, Haryana
and Mizoram despite passing the Acts have not cared to enforce them. In Haryana, local
bodies are empowered to levy library cess. But, by 2002, none had done so. In Mizoram, no
cess has been levied. The Act has not been enforced since 1993. Maharashtra, West Bengal,
Manipur, Mizoram,Gujarat and Orissa have not imposed any cess. Only Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh , Karnatka, Kerala and Goa have levied library cess on house tax varying from 5% in
Kerala to 10% in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Goa levies a surcharge on tiquor and @ of _
50 paise per liter, In addition, it is mandatory to spend at least I% to the state's education
budget on libraries. The same Mandatory clause applies in Kerala.

The second Five-Year Plan laid down the structure of public library system for the country-a
State Central Library in thecapital city of each state, a District Central Library in the headquarters
of each District and branches in towns and a central Iibrary at the Development Block level of
about 90 to 100 villages with a branch in every village.

The Central Government contributed a certain percentage of expenditure on these libraries.

Unfortunately, the scheme was discontinued from the Third Five-Year Plan. Instead of sharing
the expenditure with the state governments, the Planning Commission made lump sum grants .
to the states. With the result that the funds provided for public libraries were sometimes
diverted to other more pressing demands for expenditure.

Constitutional Amendments

Two amendments to the Indian Constitution were effected in 1992. The 73rd amendment
pertains to Panchayats and the 74th to the Muncipalities. Under the 73rd amendment, "libraries",
which include public libraries, have been assigned to the Panchayats as item No. 20 in the
11th schedule for the Panchayats. The Panchayat system will have three tiers, namely, the
village panchayat for each village or a group of villages (there are about 1,20,000 panchayats
in India). Intermediate Panchayats at Block and sub-district level called Samities, and the
.District Panchayats, called Parishad. The State Governments have been empowered to decide
whether public libraries be entrusted to each Panchayat or to the Samities or to the' Parishads.
Different states may evolve different systems and there may not be a uniform system for the
entire country.

The 12th Schedule for the municipalities does not specifically mention the word "libraries"
but (as item No. 13) "Promotion of cultural, educational and aesthetic aspects". "Culture"
•nowadays includes libraries, but it is all a matter of interpretation by the state governments.
What ultimate pattern is going to emerge is anybody's guess. But ,it has created uncertainty
in the prevailing pattern The question arises the Local Library Authorities at whether the
district and city levels be dissolved or retained. The Tamil Nadu Government has decided that
they would continue to function as before. Decision of other states is awaited. .

Self-Check Exercises

3) Explain the different phases of origin and growth of public libraries in India.

4) Discuss the remarkable developments that took place after independence in the
....
development of public libraries.

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, Public Library: Basle Concepts Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.

b) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of the Unit.

1.7 SUMMARY
The unit discusses the origin, growth and development of libraries in general and public
libraries in parti~ular by establishing the fact that public libraries served as an instrument of
social change. A clear description of evolution and growth of libraries have been discussed
right from ancient times to the present day. The unit described in detail: a) Ancient libraries,
b) public libraries and social change, c) fore runners of public libraries, d) growth and
development of public libraries in India, particularly after independence. It has been rightly
observed that if India has to be a knowledge superpower, the country has to strengthen its
free library services to promote the habit of reading as a life long process of self-education in
a informal manner. It is a truism that the, nations that read are the nations.lead.

1.8 ANSWERS TO SEL' CHECK EXERCISES ,

I) The forerwmers ofpubJic libraries were personal libraries, Parish libraries and subscription
libraries.

7) The working material available during the Greek and Roman period were clay tablets,
papyrus, .parchment, and metal sheet. Cloth and engravings on stone. etc.

3) The different phases of origin and growth of public libraries in India could be grouped
into four phases: (i) first phase (1808-1900), (ii) Second phase (1900-1937), (iii) Third
phase (1937-1947), and (iv) Forth Phase (1947 to till date).

4) Some of the remarkable developments that took place in the development of public
libraries in the country are; (a) Enacting Madras Public Libraries Act, 1948,. b) Approval
of K.P. Sinha Committee 19S~ c) Establish of Raja Ram Mohan Roy Libraryf'oundation
(RRRI.F).

1.9 KEY WORDS

Papyrus . Material in the form of thin sheets made from the fine slices or strips
of the stem of the papyrus plant soaked in water pressed together
and dried, used as writing material by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks
and Romans.

Parchment The skin of an animal, especially a sheep or a goat dressed and

prepared for writing. painting and book binding, etc.

Purveyor A person who prepares or pre-arranges something.

Skepticism The opinion that real knowledge of any kind is unattainable.

Truism A self-evident or indisputable truth.

Unegalitarian . Holding the principle of not equal treatment for all persons.
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 Public Library: Origin and
1.10 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING Growth

Johnson, Blmer D. (1965). A History of Libraries in the Western World New York: Scarecrow
~~ .

Irwin Irwin, Ancient and Medieval Libraries. In Encyclopedia of Library and Information
Science (A.Kent and H. Lancour( Eds), Vol.l, 1968.

Mumford, WilIiam A.and Penny Rate (1951). Aspects of British Public Library History, (1850-
-1950), London: Library Association.

Shera, Jesse H. (1965) Foundations of the Public Library: The Origins of the PUblic Library
Movement in New England, (1629-1855), Metuchen,NJ: Shoestring Press.
Nelson Associates (}967) Public Libraries in the United States: Trends, Problems, and
Recommendations: A Report Prepared for the National Advisory Commission on Libraries.
New York: Nelson Associates.
Public Library Association (1966). Standards Committee, Minimum Standards for Public Library
Systems. Chicago: ALA.
Sherill,L.L.(1969). Library Service for the Unnerved, New York: Bowker.
Harrison.K.C. (1969) Libraries in Scandinavia 2nd ed., London: Andr6 Deutsch.
Kalia D.R. (1990). Guidelines for Public Library Services and Systems, Calcutta: RRR Library
Foundation.

Kalia, D.R. (1998). Public Libraries, In 50 Years: Library and Information Services in India,
New Delhi: Shipra.

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