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Unit 12: Library Legislation

12.2.3 A Brief Account of its Present Position in India Notes

India attained freedom in 1947 and became a Republic in 1950. For facilitation administrations,
it now has a National Capital Region of Delhi, 28 States and 6 Union Territories after
Independence. Even before Independence, Kolhapur Princely State, in the Western India passed
Public Libraries Act in 1945. Since independence of India the following States have passed Public
Libraries Acts.
The credit of enacting a library act for the first time in India goes to the Kolhapur princely state
of the present Maharashtra in 1945. The act is presently non-functional. In India, nineteen states
have so far enacted library legislation and the rest are providing library services without
legislation. The list of the nineteen Acts is given below:

Source: http://rrrlf.nic.in/lib_legislation.asp
So far, only half of the States of the Indian Union have successful passed the library legislation,
However, in the coming few years, there is greater possibility for a library law being enacted in
the remaining States. Out of these the enactment of Public Library Law at Pondicherry State is in
the fore front.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
4. The ……………….. Act was passed in 1867 for the British India.

5. The credit of enacting a library act for the first time in India goes to the ……………….
princely state of the present Maharashtra in 1945.
6. India attained freedom in 1947 and became a Republic in ………………..

12.3 Need for Library Legislation

The public library should serve as a local information centre making the sources of knowledge
readily available to the public. Public libraries should stimulate neo-literates, semi-literates,
non-users to become readers, and serve the population with knowledge and information. It is
recognised that ‘freedom, prosperity and the development of a society, and of individuals, are
fundamental human values.’ These values can be attained through well informed citizens, who
will be shaped through utilisation of public libraries. It is recognised all over the world that
education including the provision for free public libraries is the responsibility of the Government
at National, State and Local levels. A public library is the “People’s University”.
In the process of evolution, our country had established good number of public libraries
maintained by local bodies and voluntary organisations, arid some libraries through
subscriptions. But these libraries could not grow on modern lines because:

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