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Unit 6: Public Libraries

spread over 32 lakh square kilometres, with a spectrum of literacy, intelligence, money, cultural Notes
and caste values. And just as States differ in size, population, literacy rate, status of books
produced in the particular regional language, and economic growth, so does the public library
system also differ from State to State. Also there are administrative problems such as the fact
that rural libraries in some States form a part of the public library system and in some other
States they came under the jurisdiction of the Adult Education Department or Public Relations
Department. Widespread illiteracy is the greatest handicap for developing library services,
both in certain urban and rural areas set in the traditional pattern.

The RRRLF’s program of assistance is most helpful to the cause of public library services in the
countryside. The program provides the best example of resource sharing of public library
services at all levels and the Foundation has made great strides in promoting library service
across the country. During the last 28 years, out of 60,000 public libraries scattered over the
country, the Foundation has helped more than 31,000 libraries at different levels. But a great
number of these public libraries (of which approximately 70 per cent may be rural) are merely
reading rooms with neither a generous supply of books, nor adequate infrastructure nor trained
staff. According to the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
standards, there should be one public library for every 3,000 people. Thus, with over one billion
people, India needs more than 343,000 public library units. India has around 568,558 inhabited
villages and there may be just one public library for eight to ten of them.

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Caution Yet one of the IFLA standards stipulates that the nearest library unit should not be
more than a mile away from the residential area it serves. The discrepancy is clear.
To summarise, the major constraints faced by the public library system which militate against
effective dissemination of information are:

A considerable percentage of the population is illiterate or functionally literate making
libraries of minimal use to them.

Poor resource allocation for infrastructure improvement and collection development for
public libraries.

Lack of sufficient sanctioned posts, forcing most services to be operated by voluntary non-
professional staff, which damages information organization and services.
The problem of educated professionals preferring to work in special and academic libraries
than public libraries.
Little emphasis on the adoption of information and communication technology for public
library systems and services.

Task Critically analyse the current status of the public library service in Orissa.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
1. Public libraries exist in many countries across the world.
2. There are few numbers of linguistic groups residing in unilingual or bilingual states.

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