Efforts of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan for Public Library Legislation and Service-A Review
*Md. Azeem Siddiqui, Research Scholar, E-mail: - azeem_mlisc@yahoo.com
**Dr. K. L. Mahawar, Reader & Head, E-mail: -klmlis@indiatimes.com
Deptt. Library & Information Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University),Lucknow- 226025
ABSTRACTIn this presentation the authors aims to highlight the vision and efforts of Dr. Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan for the development and
enactment of public library legislation in India. It is an established fact that the enactment of public library legislation is essential to develop public library
services in a country. Legislation helps in creating necessary conditions for the establishment of public
libraries in the modern sense and laying down provisions so that they can be maintained properly to serve the needs of the public while being free from dependence on subscriptions, private gifts or donations alone.In 1924, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan visited a number of public libraries during his stay in United Kingdom. These visits enabled him to study the system, functioning, funding and services of various libraries. As a consequence he was convinced that library legislation alone would provide a systematic, well-knit and efficient public library service.Dr. S. R. Ranganathan drafted a
‘Model Library Act’ and presented it for discussion at the
First All Asia Educational Conference held in Banaras in December, 1930. He later on amended the draft Act twice- once in 1957 and again in 1972. He expressed his
last wish that “ some States in North
india should enact library law within 1972, the Silver Jubilee year of India’s independence.”
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