Unit 2: Library Development in Modern India : Plans and Programmes

The three landmarks indicating the progress of libraries in India in the post-independence period are:

i) the growth and development of the-National Library at Calcutta;

ii) public library legislation in six states of India leading to the development of public library systems in these states;

iii) the increase in the number of university and college libraries.

 The main aims of the National Policy on Library and Information System are:

i) to foster, promote, and sustain the organisation, availability and use of information, in all sectors of national activity;

ii) to take steps for mobilising and upgrading the existing library and information systems and services;

iii) to encourage and initiate, programmes for the library and information personnel;

iv) to set up adequate monitoring mechanisms for ensuring a rapid development of library and information facilities and services;

v) to encourage individual initiatives for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and for the discovery of new knowledge in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom;

vi) to secure for the people of the country all the benefits that can accrue from the acquisition and application of knowledge; and 

vii) to preserve and make known the nation's cultural heritage in its multiple forms.

The national sectoral policies which have a bearing on the library development are:

i) Education Policy;

ii) Book Policy;

iii) Scientific Policy Resolution;

iv) Technology Policy;

v) Information (Communication) Policy. 

All these policies deal with libraries explicitly and implicitly.

The areas of recommendation of the Report of the Library Advisory Committee are:

i) structure of library system (for public libraries)

ii) library cooperation

iii) compilation of union catalogues

iv) library personnel, status, powers, duties and responsibilities

v) training for librarianship

vi) auxiliary services, like book bureaux, development of library association, formation of Mitra Mandals.

vii) library Finance

viii) interaction between libraries and social education programme.

i) establishment of good libraries in schools and provision of intelligent and effective library service;

ii) emphasis on the habit of general reading by children;

iii) in smaller places, school libraries could function as public libraries also. University

i) central position of the library in the academic system;

ii) preferred self study and library work by way of supplementing class instructions;

iii) higher branches of learning is mainly a question of learning how to use tools and techniques.

i) discussed role of libraries in higher education

ii) highlighted the skill to use independently books and documents by the students in the learning process;

iii) offered eleven useful and important suggestions for the improvement of university and college libraries.

The areas of recommendation of the UGC Library Committee are:

i) provided a framework and important guidelines to implement its grant-in-aid programmes

ii) library finance

iii) personnel, status, salary etc:

vi) staff strength

v) a blueprint for the systematic development of university libraries in the country.

Preparation of a scheme of phased and coordinated programmes for laying the foundation of an efficient system of public library service for the country with a financial out of Rs.30.00 crores. Importance was given to library development as a sub-sector;-but the implementation did not match the identified programmes of the working group.

The report dealt with the requirements of public, academic, special and national libraries, and the use of computers and manpower development and training. Discussed the feasible perspective of development of library services up to 2000 A.D. The report carried five general recommendation relating to such issues as national library policy, separate library directorates/departments, All-India Library Service cadre, and publication and production of materials and use of computers and  information technology. Specific recommendations were made regarding public, university, college, special libraries, information systems and centres, national libraries, education and training, and library associations. The second part of the report dealt with informatics and computer application. It identified areas of computer application in libraries, outlined a plan for library and information networks and made proposals for international networking and on-line database services. Recommendations on informatics referred to the computer culture in the library community, education and training, computerisation of major libraries, constituting a working group to design, monitor, and evaluate activities. The financial profile suggested was Rs.996 crores, with an allocation of Rs.100 crores, Rs.360 crores, Rs.280 crores and Rs.40 crores for public, academic, special and national library systems respectively; for National Information System and Informatics Rs.10 crores and Rs.150 crores. An expenditure of Rs.12 crores was earmarked for the proposed National Institute of Library and Information Science, Library Directorates, Library Associations and publications and production of material.

Network : A system comprising of compatible units with a common purpose, linked together formally or informally.

Planning : A formulated method of doing something and refers to any method of thinking out acts and purposes beforehand. Plan, project, design and scheme are often synonymously used.

Programme : A scheduled set of activities or tasks to implement a strategy and a tactical action unit of the goal-seeking process.

Policy : A statement of a commitment to a generic course of action, necessary for or conducive to the attainment of a goal.

Resource Sharing : Mobilising, optimising and utilising on a sharing basis by formal or informal agreements the resources, facilities and services of a system by its components.

Sector : Broad areas devoted to subject/discipline/mission.

Strategy :  A predetermined course of action, usually selected from a number of alternatives