NATIONAL
DEPOSITORY CENTRES IN INDIA
Library
is a dream place for a booklover. For them, it grows beyond the concept of mere
collection of books. It takes a place in the heart of bookaholics who loves the
feeling of reading in a massive library. With their nostalgic structure,
libraries become more inspiring and beautiful. When knowledge combines with
beauty, it becomes a worth visiting place where fantasy blends with reality. Today
we are going to meet a list of libraries in India, which will leave you spell
bound.
Have
you ever been in a situation when the copy of your favorite book is not
available in the library? Have you ever been disappointed that the periodicals
you wanted to read is not handy in your library? Here is the solution.A library
which contains the copies of all books and periodicals. Is it possible? Yes.
A
National Depository Centre is a
public library in India which receives a copy of all books, newspapers and
periodicals published in the country. There are four National Depository Centres
in India which contain huge collections of rare books. They are:
Connemara
Public Library in Chennai
Connemara Public Library
is one of the four National Depository Libraries which is located in Egmore in
Chennai, Tamilnadu. The library was established in 1890 and Lord Connemara the then Governor of Madras
State laid the foundation stone for the present structure, on 5th December 1896
and the library named after Lord Connemara was formally opened. The library is
in pantheon road, Egmore and adjucent to the Madras Museum and Art Gallery. The
library has a colonial ambience with teak shelves and standard glass windows
with a very tall ceiling built in a truncated semi-circle. Under the provision of
Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act 1954, every publisher
in India has to compulsorily send a copy of each publication to the library.
Apart from this a good number of publications and periodicals of UN and its specialized
organs and Asian Development Bank were also received. Furthermore, several
books were added every year by purchasing from the funds made available by the
state government budget.
The library is open from 9am to 7.30pm {Mondays to
Saturdays} and from 9.30am to 6pm {on Sundays}. Anyone who is over 17 years of
age can become the member by paying an annual subscription of just Rs 50.
Asiatic Society of Bombay in Mumbai
The Asiatic Society of
Mumbai is a rich repository of rare documents, books, periodicals, manuscripts
and maps. It came into being in 1804 as the Literary Society of Bombay and
moved into the Town Hall in 1830. It was founded by Sir James Mackintosh, a
distinguished lawyer and built by Colonel Thomas Cowper. The library has nearly
three lakhs books and periodicals including valuable items like a
fourteenth-century manuscript of Dante’s The Divine Comedy and a
nineteenth-century copy of Firdausi’s Persian epic poem Shahnama.
The magnificient structure of the library gives an experience full of
interwoven textures of past and present. Membership to the library is open
to all adult persons for Rs 125 per month and students are given special
membership with lower fees.
National Library,
Calcutta
The National Library on the Belvedere
Estate in Alipore, Kolkata, is the largest library in India by volume and 14th
in the list of largest libraries. It is situated on the scenic 30-acre of Belvedere
Estate with a collection of 2.2 million
books. The library was opened to
the public on 1 February 1953 by Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and B. S. Kesavan was
appointed the first Librarian. The National Library is a result of
the merging of the public library with the Imperial Library—several government
libraries. The library is open
from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all the working days, and from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays. Any person above 18 years of age, can
become the member of the National Library.
Delhi Public Library, Delhi
Delhi Public Library is a national depository
library in the Indian state of Delhi. It was established on 27 October 1951 as
a pilot project sponsored by UNESCO and the Government of India. It was
inaugurated by then Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The library contains a
huge collection of more than 18 Lakh books. It has a network of Zonal
Libraries, Branches & Sub-branches, R.C.Libraries, Community Libraries,
Deposit Stations, Mobile Library, Braille library, etc. It is the busiest
Public Library in South-East Asia. The users are free to use the library and
books upon one time subscription. The
library is open from 9.00am to 7.00pm on working days and from 10.00am to
5.00pm on Sundays/holidays.
As
the national depository centres, these libraries work under the Government of
India along with the collaboration of
UNESCO. They provide funds to these libraries each year to expand their
facilities and purchase books. These libraries are highly useful to students,
scholars, teachers, researchers and other bibliophiles who require a huge
collection of books in variety topics. If you are searching for a rare book,
then these libraries would be the best place to go.
It
is a fit place for enlightenment and entertainment. The studious and quiet
atmosphere with big tables and comfortable chairs opens the urge in readers to
indulge themselves in the world of books. Finding a good library makes your
quest through books easier and interesting.
Hope you will find the best.
Thank you
