LIBRARY MOVEMENT IN INDIA :
with special reference to contribution of
The Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad
Meghna J Vyas
Jaydeep D.Mehta
Librarian,
Research Scholar,
C.U.Shah Technical
SCSVMV, Kanchipuram
Institute of Diploma
& Librarian of C.U.Shah
Wadhwan City. (Gujarat)
College of Pharmacy &
Research Wadhwan City (Gujarat)
Dr. Mayank J Trivedi
University Librarian
The Maharaja Shiyajirao
University
Vadodara. (Gujarat)
Major Points undertaken as……….
۞ FIRST PHASE
Ancient Period of library movement up to 12th Century
۞ SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th
Century
۞ THIRD PHASE
Modern Period of library movement up to 20th Century
۞ AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION –
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of
Gujarat
INTRODUCTION
Library movement in India has remarkable achievement as especially in these
100 years.
“After Independence, India has experienced growing population of literate
and educated citizens due to various efforts in universalisation of elementary
education through programs like, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), District
Primary Education Program (DPEP), and National Literacy Mission and so
on.” For the same, facilitating educated people with the sufficient
documentary and knowledge resources, government and other agencies
have established public libraries.
The society information centers and village knowledge centers are the current
additions to this effort that would transform India into an information
society, where information and knowledge resources are considered as prime
and significant ingredient for development.
http://openmed.nic.in/1278/01/Information_Literacy_Public_Libraries_India.pdf
FIRST PHASE
Ancient Period of library movement up to 12th Century
۞
In India, since the ancient times libraries have been
functioning as light houses for those who wanted to read and
to extend the boundaries of various disciplines.
In the ancient times, libraries were essentially places for
scholarship, archives of government and business transactions,
and places for intellectual discourse, in addition to being
social and cultural institutions
Nalanda Library (4th Century India)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda
The library of Nalanda, known as Dharma Gunj (Mountain of Truth) or
Dharmagañja (Treasury of Truth), was the most renowned repository of
Buddhist knowledge in the world at the time. Its collection was said to
comprise hundreds of thousands of volumes, so extensive that it burned for
months
when
set
aflame
by
Muslim
invaders.
The other important academic library of that period was Taxsila, Vikramsila,
Odantapuri,
Somapuri,
Jaggadal,
Mithila,
Vallabhi,
Kanheri.
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century

Personnel Libraries From the initial times the kings and nobles
of India patronized education and encouraged writing of manuscripts and
their preservation of the Mughal emperors were famous for there great
love for books Even the princes of small states maintained their
manuscripts libraries. The period of Mughal is considered as the golden
period of Indian history for its educational, literary, and library activities.
http://images.search.conduit.com/search/?q=anicient+manuscript&ctid=CT3106777&SearchSource=13&Pa
geSource=HomePage&SSPV=
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century
Purana Quila

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



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P
urana_Qila,_Delhi
The libraries also made remarkable progress during
their times.
Humayun converted a pleasure house in purana quila
in Delhi into a library.
Akbar maintained an “imperial library”.
Jahangir is said to have maintained a personnel
library which moved with him wherever he went.
The head librarian was known as “Nizam” and the
assistant librarian as “Muhatin” or “Darogha”.
Other staff of libraries during Mughal period is
Scribes, Book Illustrators, Calligraphers, Copyists,
Translators, Bookbinders and Gilders”.
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century
Public / State Libraries
Saraswathi Mahal Library,
Tanjavur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara
swathi_Mahal_Library

In the seventeenth and the eighteenth century, the
development of libraries received an impetus due
to rise of European settlement in India.
 A number of Academic institutions were
established during the British period by the East
India Company and by the Christian missionaries.
 Some of the scattered manuscripts of the early
periods have been collected and preserved in
many modern manuscripts libraries. These are
found in many states in India. Those of Baroda,
Banaras, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Mysore,
Poona, Tanjavur and Trivandrum are well known.
Manuscripts
National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi
A manuscript is a handwritten
composition on paper, bark,
cloth, metal, palm leaf or any
other material dating back at
least seventy-five years that has
significant scientific, historical
or aesthetic value. Lithographs
and printed volumes are not
manuscripts. Manuscripts are
found in hundreds of different
languages and scripts. Often,
one language is written in a
number of different scripts. For
example, Sanskrit is written in
Oriya script, Grantha script,
Devanagari script and many
other scripts.
Manuscripts are distinct from
historical records such as
epigraphs on rocks, firmans,
revenue records which provide
direct information on events or
processes in history. Manuscript
have knowledge content.
http://www.namami.org/history.htm
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century
Public / State Libraries conti……..
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
The first significant period in the development of libraries in India for the public
is 1808. It was in this year that the Bombay Presidency initiated a proposal to
register libraries, which were to be given copies of books published from the
“Funds for the Encouragement of Literature”
Some of the important libraries set up in 19th. Century in India
Year
Library
1835
The Calcutta public library was established.
(National Library)
1848
Gujarat Vernacular Society along with a library, in
Ahmedabad
1850
Andrews Library, Surat
1852
Indore established General Library in Indore
1855
Gaya Public Library, Gaya
1856
Lang Library, Rajkot
>
>
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century
Public / State Libraries conti……..
Year
Library
1856
Victoria General Library in Dhar
1860
Connemara Public Library, Madras
1867
Government Library, Janagarh
1873
Cochin established Public Library and Reading Room in
Trichur
1876
Khuda Baksh Oriental public library (Patna)
>
>
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century
Public / State Libraries conti……..
Year
Library
1877
Baroda established Baroda State Library in Baroda
1879
Jammu and Kashmir state library
1882
Barton Library, Bhavnagar
1886
Adyar Library in Adyar
1892
Dahi Laxmi Library, Nadiad
1899
Jaipur established Maharajah’s Public Library
www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/wani.pdf
http://www. netugc.com/library-movement-in.-india
SECOND PHASE
Medieval Period of library movement up to 19th Century
Academic Libraries

http://images.search.con
duit.com/ImagePreview/
?q=Fort%20William%20
College%20in%201800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
ki/University_of_Calcutta
The first college to be started in this country is the Fort
William College in 1800.
 The first modern university was started at Calcutta in
1857 based on the patterns of London University
 1869 Mr. Joy Kissen Mookherjee donated Rs. 5,000.00 to
the University for Purchasing Books for the library The
senate in the year 1872 succeeded in constructing a
beautiful building at a cost of Rs. 4, 34,697.00
 This is the first and oldest university library that was
established in British India.

In 1937, the Calcutta University Library selected the
professionally qualified librarian, Dr. Nihar Ranjan Roy.
He for the first time in India introduced the DDC and
AACR rule for providing effective library services to the
user.
http://www.banglapedia.org/HT/R_0149.HTM
THIRD PHASE
Modern Period of library movement up to 20th Century
Academic libraries initiatives
Madras University Library
was opened in 1907. The government of India gave a special grant
of Rs.1,00,000.00. In 1924, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan joined the
Madras University Library as librarian. He was the first
professionally qualified librarian in Indian history.
http://www.unom.ac.in/uplo
ads/library/mul/mul.html
http://www.mu.ac.in/Librar
y/index.html
The Bombay University library was established very lately due to
the lack of donation. It was the university authorities of
Bombay that offered a donation of Rs. 20,000.00 for construction
of library building. In 1939, the Central government provides a
special grant of Rs. 50,000.00 to the University of Bombay library
to strengthen its collection.
Punjab University Library: Punjab University was established in
1882 and in the year 1908 Punjab University Library was opened.
Banaras Hindu University Library:
Banaras Hindu University was established in 1916. In 1926-27
the construction of the library was made by the huge donation of
Rs. 2,00,000.00 by the Sir Siyaji Rao, the Maharaja of Baroda
http://crl.du.ac.in/ical09/papers/index_files/ical-101804942RV.pdf
http://www.bhu.ac.in/bhulibrary/index.htm
THIRD PHASE
Modern Period of library movement up to 20th Century
Library Legislation in India
The Indian Union consists of 28 States and 7 Union Territories
In India, presently nineteen states have so far enacted library legislation.
The list of the nineteen Acts is given below.
1. Tamil Nadu (Madras) Public Libraries Act, 1948
2. Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad) Public Libraries Act, 1960
3. Karnataka (Mysore) Public Libraries Act, 1965
4. Maharashtra Public Libraries Act, 1967
5. West Bengal Public Libraries Act, 1979
6. Manipur Public Libraries Act, 1988
7. Haryana Public Libraries Act, 1989
8. Kerala Public Libraries Act, 1989
9. Goa Public Libraries Act, 1993
10. Mizoram Public Libraries Act, 1993
THIRD PHASE
Modern Period of library movement up to 20th Century
Library Legislation in India
11. Gujarat Public Libraries Act, 2001
12. Orissa Public Libraries Act, 2001
13. Uttar Pradesh Public Libraries Act, 2005
14. Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal) Public Libraries Act, 2005
15. Rajasthan Public Libraries Act, 2006
16. Bihar Public Libraries Act, 2007
17. Chattisgarh Public Libraries Act, 2007
18. Pondichery Public Libraries Act, 2007
19. Arunachal Pradesh Public Libraries Act, 2009
http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/22285
http://lislinks.com/forum/topics/public-libraries-act-and-library-legislation-in- india
THIRD PHASE
Modern Period of library movement up to 20th Century
LIS Education in India : historical movement
Formal library education in India has a history of 100 years
behind it. Chronological developments as reported in the
literature reveal the following as important milestones in the
history of LIS education in India.
► John Macfarlane, the first Librarian of the Imperial Library
http://www.nationalli
(now the National Library) Kolkata started the first inbrary.gov.in/nat_lib_s
tat/history.html
service training program for the staff in 1901.
► W.A. Borden initiated training for librarians at the invitation
of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad of Baroda in 1911.
► Asa Don Dickinson started a systematic training programme
at the Punjab University in Lahore in 1915.This was first
university course in the undivided India. He also prepared a
manual namely, “The Punjab Library Primer.
http://library.brooklyn.cun
y.edu/pages/archives/findai
d/Dickinson/index.html
THIRD PHASE
Modern Period of library movement up to 20th Century
LIS Education in India : historical movement
►
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►
Andhra Desa Library Association, founded in 1914, started conducting training
classes for library personnel in 1920 at Vijaywada. This is known as the
“Peoples’ Movement.”
M. Vishveshwaraiah, the Diwan of Mysore state in 1920, started training course
for librarians at Bangalore as, “Programme of Library Development.”
University of Madras in collaboration with the Madras Library Association
started offering a certificate course in librarianship form 1929, which was taken
over by the University in 1931. In 1937, it converted the certificate course in
librarianship to Postgraduate diploma course of one year duration.
Andhra University, the Imperial Library, and the Bengal Library Association
imparted training through Certificate/Diploma courses for shorter duration of
varying period.
Banaras Hindu University in 1941, University of Bombay in 1944, Calcutta
University in 1946, and Delhi University in 1947 too started diploma courses.
Aligarh Muslim University is the first university to start the degree course as
Bachelor of Library Science. At present, there are about 100 universities in India
which are imparting different levels of courses in LIS training from certificate
course to PhD. DRTC and INSDOC (now NISCAIR) offer two-years Associate
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION –
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of Gujarat

The pride of this period was the library movement
in the princely state of Baroda, it was remarkable
contribution of Library movement in India.

From 1906 to 1911, Sir Sayaji Rao In the ruler of
the state, set up an elaborate system of public
libraries, composed of Central Library, Village
Libraries and Traveling Libraries.

In this movement the Sir Gaikwad took great
interest and under his energetic rule it not only
spread over the State but acted as an intellectual
stimulus to the rest of India.

The system served as a model for the rest of the
country
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION
–
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of Gujarat

A Short Introduction of The Maharaja Sayajirao
Gaikwad
The Maharaja Sayajirao, Gaikwad of Baroda, is
undoubtedly the father of the Library Movement in
India. He was a great patron of learning.
“He received an extensive as well as intensive education
and training under the fostering care of Dewan Raja
Sir. T. Madhav Rao
Maharaja’s life was fully influenced by his guru and all
credit achieved during his life in every sphere of human
activity must be given to his great guru, F. A. H. Elliot.
It is acknowledged that the Maharaja Sayajirao was a
prince among the educators and an educator among the
princes”.
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION
–
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of Gujarat
The Maharaja Sayajirao as devoted Traveler - this
promotes education and libraries—1906
He believed that journey is one of the most effective
means of education. He had already visited England
and Europe quite a few times.

On May 5, 1906, He went to America as an observer,
a student, desirous of acquiring all the knowledge and
experience that could enable him to make his own
State a model one in India
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION
–
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of Gujarat


Origin of the Baroda Library Movement
The Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad of Baroda is the
pioneer of the public library movement in India.
 It was the State of Baroda which established for the
first time on the soil of India a state-supported
network of free public libraries available to all
irrespective of caste, class, color, creed, social status
or any other differentiating characteristic.
 Maharaja Promotes learning and culture in his
State.
 Introduced free and compulsory education in his
princely states.
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION
–
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of Gujarat
Origin of the Baroda Library Movement contin….
The Maharaja decided to establish library as an
experiment in one of the towns of a taluka and in
order to implement his idea in 1906.
He brought to Baroda an American library expert Mr.
Borden who started a system of public libraries in the
state.
Borden reached Baroda on November 6, 1910, and
became the Director of State Libraries. Borden makes
a survey of libraries in Baroda and concludes that
there were over 241 libraries, holding a little over
100000 volumes.
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION
–
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO GAIKWAD
The Father of Library Movement in India & Proud of Gujarat

Origin of the Baroda Library Movement contin….....
As the Director of state libraries, Borden planned a
network of free public libraries consisting a state
central library, four district or divisional libraries,
forty-five town libraries, and more than a thousand
village libraries-all integrated into one chain
system.
Borden played a leading role for the establishment,
management and organization of public libraries in
India.
 Borden conducted the first formal library-training
program in India at Baroda in 1911.
The Maharaja’s great belief and words for Libraries
Libraries to Preserve Education –Having provided
education on a universal scale, the Maharaja
decided to “preserve it by means of libraries, which
were the only agencies, he believed, for perpetual
universal self-education.
 He did not give away libraries as gifts. He wanted
the people to contribute their share. "Nothing can
be got without trouble. Knowledge cannot be
attained without self-sacrifice”.
 An inspiring meeting of the Baroda Library Club
Maharaja addressing the librarians, he said: "Your
duties and responsibilities are great, greater even
than those of Magistrates and Subas”

https://wiki.phalkefactory.net/images/3/39/Syjrao.pdf
The Maharaja’s great belief and words for Libraries
Conti…..


At the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Shree
Jayasinhrao Library, Baroda, 16th December 1937,
Sayajirao spoke.- “Partly successful in my efforts to
promote the welfare of my people. We do not all get equal
opportunities in life, nor do we get sufficient scope or
encouragement for what we wish to do. I have done the
best I could within my limitations and I am happy to say
that I have been able to provide a network of libraries for
my people, bringing about a healthy change in their
outlook, culture and general knowledge.”
In the Concluding session, His Highness said that “The
libraries played an important part in various ways and
they could not speed up their development too much. The
aim of our work is the same to serve humanity and
promote a higher culture. With this object I have devoted
my time, and I feel that it is a work well worth doing. But
much remains to be done, and I hope that succeeding
generation will carry out what is lacking today”.
https://wiki.phalkefactory.net/images/3/39/Syjrao.pdf
The Maharaja’s great belief and words for Libraries
Conti…..
* Indian Library Association honors Sayajirao
:Maharaja Sayajirao received appreciation for
his work both in India and abroad.
* The All-India Library Association of Bezwada
(A.P) conferred upon him the title of “Sarasvat
Samrajya-Rama-Ramaea” like the Lord
Vishnu of the Universe of the Goddess of
Learning.
* In appreciative recognition of the pioneering
service provided by him to the cause of
libraries, the service which influenced other
parts of India, especially the Andhras, and
served as the guiding light in library
development in their region.
https://wiki.phalkefactory.net/images/3/39/Syjrao.pdf
The Maharaja’s creed for Library
* “The people must rise superior to their
circumstances and realize that more knowledge is
their greatest need, their greatest want. They must
be brought up to love books, not simply attractive
bindings or pretty pictures, but their contents.
They must be taught to regard books as part of
their lives. Libraries will not then appear a luxury,
but a inevitability of existence”.
• * “A library must be built up as a man is built,
slowly and carefully and with consideration of the
work to be done. This is an institution that should
never die, an Institution the work of which may
make or mar the men by whose hands the future
will be formed, and we must look well to our
handiwork that the generations to come may be
benefited, that we may be honored in the thoughts
of our children.”
•
http://archive.org/stream/libraryhandbooka035410mbp/librayhandbooka
The Maharaja’s creed for Library

* “A library is Instituted to preserve the
record of the deeds and the thoughts of
men, for the instruction and the
enlightenment of future generations, so
that those who are about to take up their
share of the work of the world, their own
part In the advance of the human race In
Intelligence, in civilization, In power, may
start from the basis of achievement gained
by the countless generations before them.”
http://archive.org/stream/libraryhandbooka035410mbp/librayhandbook
a035410mbp_djvu.txt

Conclusion
India has a long tradition of libraries.
Importance of library is very much as can be see
that from ancient time to 20th century but growth
is different and individual contribution mainly
influence the library movement in India like the
great pioneer of library movement in India- The
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad. This efforts and
contribution can improve thinking about library.
In earliest times there was no distinction between a
record room (or archive) and a library, and in this
sense libraries can be said to have existed for
almost as long as records have been kept.
Now people believe that library is not a building
stacked with books – it is a repository and source
of information and ideas, a place for learning and
enquiry, and for the generation of thought and
the creation of new knowledge.