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Academic Library System

Notes the University Grants Committee, the establishment of Madras University, University of Bombay,
University of Calcutta and their libraries, the constitution of Inter- University Board, the
appointment of Hartog Committee, the Montague-Chelmsford reforms of 1919, the Government
of India Act of 1935, and the Sargent Committee Report etc. laid foundation for establishment
of libraries in various parts of the country. In 1840 Presidency College was founded in Madras,
followed by a medical college in Bombay in 1845. This progress in education was instrumental
in establishing universities in India.
Library movement is a saga of organized growth and development of libraries giving the
details of establishment, maintenance and functioning of libraries in a geographical proximity.
These aspects viz., establishment, maintenance and functioning make a library a growing
organization. No country in the world can progress without providing free public library
services to the citizens. It is imperative on the part of the democratic country like India to
establish the service institutions like public libraries in order to strengthen the democratization
of information and to promote the social, cultural, historical and scientific and technical knowledge
in the public at large. The growth and development of public library system in India may be
studied by categorizing it broadly into three groups:
1. Ancient libraries;
2. Medieval Libraries and

3. Modern libraries.

2.2.4 Modern Libraries

The first landmark in the pre-independence history of the public library system in
India is the enactment of delivery and registration of publications Act of Bombay government
in May 1808.

2.2.5 Establishment of the Imperial Library

The first three decades of the 20th century can be marked as the golden period of Indian
library system. On 31st Jan 1902 the Imperial Library Act was passed and Lord Curzon transformed
the Calcutta Public Library into Imperial Library in 1906.
The two important landmarks in the pre independent history of public libraries in India are:
1. Baroda State Public Libraries Network of late Shri Sayajirao Gaikwad-III of Baroda. He
invited Mr. M.A.Borden, an American Librarian in 1910 to introduce a scientifically
organized free and open access public library system. He established stated wide free
public library network in the state.
2. Organisation of Library Conferences: Series of conferences were organized in continuation
of the Indian National Congress Sessions. A few of them are mentioned below;
(i) The first Conference of Library workers and persons interested in Library Movement
was held at Beswada, Andhra in 1914.

(ii) The first All India Library conference of Libraries was held in 1918 at Lahore.
(iii) The first All India Public Library Conference was held at Madras in 1934.
(iv) The first All India Library Conference was held at Calcutta in 1933.

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