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Unit 15: Promoters of Library and Information Services

services is a nascent development in our country. The promotion of information has been a Notes
popular topic in the library profession in recent years. But at the same time there has been much
controversy regarding the concept of marketing in the library and information services
profession. There is still much resistance in the library and information services field to the use
of promotion approach. The information product and services are like customer product and
services in many respects. But there is reluctance on the part of librarians to employ marketing
principles in libraries. Marketing as a concept and as a practice, still seems alien to many library
and information personnel. Some librarians still hold this view and see no room for such
practice in a not for profit profession like librarianship. Libraries have been considered essential
to educational and research endeavours and have relied on institutional financial support for
their continuing operations. The value of the library is also being called into question with
increasing “googleisation” and new generations of users are making new demands on library
service provision. The public library is the local centre of information, making all kinds of
knowledge and information readily available to its users. Librarians and information specialists
have debated the idea of marketing for the information sector. Several things have compelled us
to learn about marketing and begin doing it. Librarianship is experiencing rapid change.
Information technology has created a new gateway for information services. Information products
and services in a multiplicity of formats have made libraries and information centres more
competitive and alert. Libraries are being subjected to significant pressures from the information
revolution. The challenges of budget cuts, increased user base, the rapid growth of material,
rising costs, networking demands, competition by database vendors, and complexity in
information requirements are forcing the professionals to adopt marketing to improve the
management of library and information centres. The purpose of this unit is to enable the students
to comprehend basic expressions. At the end of this unit, you should be able to understand the
Promoters of Library and Information Services that is Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation
(RRRLF), The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

15.1 Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF)

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first social reformer of Modern India and he is rightly called the
‘Father of Modern India’. He had a rational and scientific approach and believed in the principle
of human dignity and social equality. He was a perfect combination of the East and the West.
He was deeply devoted to the work of religious and social reform, so he founded the ‘Brahmo
Samaj’ in 1825. He condemned polytheism and idol worship and propagated the concept of one
God. His religious ideas had assimilated elements of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and modern
European liberal philosophy. He translated ancient Indian works on religion and philosophy
into Bengali.

15.1.1 Genesis

The year 1972 is a significant year in the history of library movement in India. The country was
celebrating silver jubilee of independence. It was the bicentenary year of the birth of Raja Ram
Mohan Roy, a pioneer social reformer who had stressed the need for modern education for the
progress of the nation. The year was also being celebrated as an International Book Year with
the slogan BOOKS FOR ALL. Emphasis was laid on promotion of reading habit among the
masses for betterment of their lives. It was in this auspicious year that Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Library Foundation (RRRLF) was established in May, 1972 by the Department of Culture, Govt.
of India to spread library services all over the country in cooperation with State Governments,
Union Territory Administrations and Organisation working in the field.

The Government of India decided that a library foundation would be the best tribute to the
memory of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who spent his life in fighting against forces that shackle and

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