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Unit 9: National Libraries

Calcutta Public Library had a unique position as the first public library in this part of the Notes
country. Such a tidy and efficiently run library was rare even in Europe during the first half of
the 19th century. Thanks to the efforts of the proprietors of Calcutta Public Library, the National
Library has many rare books and journals in its collection.

Second Phase (1903-1947): The Imperial Library

In 1899, when Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India; visited the Library,
he found it in a miserable condition. Lord Curzon, who was interested in art and learning,
immediately swung into action. He bought the rights of the Library from the proprietors. He
later merged this Library with the Official Imperial Library consisting of government
departmental libraries and the eminent of the East India Company Library. With this nucleus,
Lord Curzon declared open the new Imperial Library of India on 30th January 1903 in the
Metcalf Hall. John Macfarlane of the British Museum was invited to look after the new Imperial
Library, as its first librarian.
In 1928, the Government of India appointed a Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. J. A.
Richey, to suggest measures for reorganising the administration of the Library. This Committee
recommended among other things, that the Imperial Library should be declared as a copyright
depository Library. This recommendation was followed up by the successive librarians, Mr.
Chapman and Khan Bahadur K. M. Asadullah; to secure for the Imperial Library, the privilege
of copyright deposit. But their efforts were not realised until the enactment of the Delivery of
Books (Public Libraries) Act, 1954.
While the Calcutta Public Library had Peary Chanda Mitra and Bipin Chandra Pal as librarians,
the Imperial Library also had a galaxy of great librarians as for example, Harinath De, a scholar
and linguist, John Alexander Chapman, K M Asadullah, a good organiser and administrator,
who had the credit of starting library training courses in 1935 in the Imperial Library, Calcutta.

Third Phase (1948-1947): The National Library of India

With the dawn of freedom, the founding fathers of the new nation transformed the former
Imperial Library into the new National Library of India in 1948. One of the most pressing needs
of the Library was additional space. This problem was solved by a magnanimous gesture which
the then Governor-General of India, Shri C. Rajagopalachari, made by offering the Viceroy’s
Palace in Calcutta, namely, the Belvedere Palace, with its sprawling, lush green lawns, for
housing the new National Library. Shri S. Kesavan, a man of vision, enthusiasm and administrative
skill, was appointed the first Librarian of the new National Library. The imperial institution
was transformed into a temple of knowledge of free India. The new National Library was
declared open to the nation by the then Union Minister for Education, Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad on 1st February 1953, in connection with the golden Jubilee celebrations of the library.

Organisation and Management

The National Library became a department of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The Director is the head of the Institution, assisted by two professional librarians. There are
deputy and assistant librarians to look after the technical and professional work of the library.
Two administrative officers assist the director in administrative matters.
The Library is organised on a functional basis. The technical and professional functions operate
under two main divisions viz., Professional and Conservation. The professional divisions now
42 in number look after acquisition, processing, maintenance of reading materials and readers
services. Divisions of reprography; preservation and laboratory functions come under the

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