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Unit 14: Promoters of Library and Information Services

The establishment of the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation has given an impetus to the Notes
development of public libraries in India. The foundation seeks to assist to state government for
rural libraries.
RRRLF is central autonomous organization established and fully financed by the Ministry of culture,
Government of India. RRRLF is registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961. It
is the nodal agency of the Government of India to support public library services and systems and
promote public library movement in the country commensurate with the objectives as embodied in
its Memorandum of association.
The supreme policy-making body of RRRLF is called the Foundation. It consists of 22 members
nominated by the Government of India from amongst eminent educationists, Librarians,
administrators and sernior officials. The Minister of the Department of Culture, Government of
India or his nominee is the Chairman of RRRLF. Shri Jawhar Sircar, Secretary to the Govt. of India,
Ministry of Culture is the present Chairman and Shri K.K.Banerjee, Director is the executive head
and ex-office Member-Secretary of the foundation. The foundation functions in each state/U.T.
through a machinery called state Library Committee (SLC).
The Foundation works in close association and active co-operation with different state Govts. and
Union Territory Administrations through machinery called state library planning committee (SLPC/
SLC) set up in each state at the instance of the foundation. To participate in foundation’s programmes,
a State Government/U.T. is required to contribute a certain amount fixed by the foundation.
Since, 2005-06 the foundation has also taken up the initiative to develop the District Youth Resource
Centre (DYRC) in collaboration with Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathana, an autonomous organization
under the Ministry of sports & Youth Affairs.
The University Grants Commission, in pursuance of the National Policy on Education1986 and its
programme of action, had set up 66 Academic Staff Colleges (ASCs) in different Universities/
Institutions in the country. The Academic Staff Colleges so established are conducting specially
designed orientation programmes for newly appointed lecturers and refresher courses for in service
teachers.
The Orientation programme is intended to inculcate in the young lecturers the quality of self-reliance
through awareness of the social, intellectual and moral environment as well as to discover self-
potential and confidence. The orientation programmes contributes to the teacher awareness of the
problems of the Indian society and the role of education, higher education leaders and educators in
the resolution of these problems to achieve desired goals in national development.
The Commission has identified 5 Universities/Institutions on the recommendation of Expert
Committee as UGC refresher course centres to run Specialized Refresher courses during the year
2009-2010 around the country on the basis of requests received from number of
Universities/Institution of Higher Education and Research.

14.5.1 Objectives of RRRLF

RRRLF function as a promotional agency, an advisory and consultancy organisation and a funding
body for public library developement in India. Some important objectives are :
• To promote library movement in the country ;
• To enunciate a national library policy and to help build up a national library system ;
• To provide financial and technical assistance to libraries ;
• To provide financial assistance to organisations, regional or national engaged in the promotion
of library developement ;
• To publish appropriate literature and to act as a clearing house of ideas and information on
library developement in India and abroad ;

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