Page 48 - DLIS104_MANAGEMENT OF LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTRES

Seema Sharma, Lovely Professional University Unit 7: Development of Libraries in India

Unit 7: Development of Libraries in India Notes

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
7.1 The Working of the Trust
7.2 Accessioning
7.3 Good Offices Committee (GOC)
7.3.1 Acquisition of Non Print
7.3.2 Multimedia Materials
7.4 Summary
7.5 Keywords
7.6 Review Questions
7.7 Further Readings

Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Understand the development of libraries in India
Know about accessioning
Explain good offices committee.

Introduction

It was just about a decade after independence and the nation was going through the arduous
process of building itself anew. Foundations were being laid in all areas so that the edifice of
prosperity could be built with confidence. The industry of organized publishing, as we know it
today, was only in its infancy and books had not percolated to the bottom rungs of the society. It
was at this time, Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, realized that alongwith
scientific, technological and industrial advancement, equal emphasis should also be given to the
social and culture development of the nation and for which he felt that book reading must be
widely propagated to develop in people an abiding interest to understand and appreciate the
various cultural and traditional heritage of the country. He himself a great writer and lover of
books, Nehru conceived the idea of setting up institutions which without bureaucratic controls
and direction could work towards this cause. Thus institutions like Sahitya Akademy, Lalit Kala
Akademi and NBT came into being as autonomous organizations funded by the Government but
with functional autonomy.

Thus National Book Trust, India, came to be established. National Book Trust was inaugurated in
August 1957 by the president of India, the great philosopher and teacher Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
Speaking on the occasion Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru shared with the select audience his views on the
importance of books, the habit of reading and his dream of a book reading society and the role to
be played by National Book Trust, India in realizing the dream. The function was also graced by
Dr.Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Shri John Mathai, the first chairman of the Trust. The Trust was
formally constituted as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Education, Govt. of
India, with its corporate office in New Delhi. Fully financed by the Govt. of India the NBT has a
Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 43