Library Legislation in India - Librarians Portal

                  

                              Library Legislation 

S. R.  Ranganathan who visited UK in 1924 saw the functioning of the Library Act and was convinced of the role library legislation can play in the establishment of a network of public libraries for all sections of the society with public funds. Prof. Ranganathan prepared Model Library Act 7 and presented the same at the All Asia Educational Conference held at Banaras in 1930.

The first effort was made by Janab Basheer Ahmed Sayyad introduced a Library Bill in the Madras Legislature in 1931 on behalf of the Madras Library Association. The Bill could not get-through as the Local Self Government wanted an amendment making provision for a grant to the Department for collecting the cess by the local bodies.

The second effort was made in 1935. Unfortunately this time it could not get the approval as the Madras Legislature was dissolved by the direction of the Government of India.

The third effort made by the Madras Library Association in 1946 through the good offices of Ranganathan met with success in 1948. The then Minister for Education in Madras State Hon'ble Avinasalingam Chettiar took special interest and got the Bill passed in 1948. 

 Library Legislation provides the following advantages

-  It helps in the establishment of an organized network of public libraries

-  It helps to form a sound administrative set-up

-  It helps to form proper and continuous financial support

-  It helps to Coordination between the administration and the management of public libraries

-  It helps to Centralized services such as purchasing, processing, bibliographical and other services that can be provided conveniently

-  It helps to providing quality library service, with qualified hands, at free of charge 

Public Library Act in the year wise

1. Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Act                - 1948

2. Andhra Pradesh Public Libraries Act         - 1960

3. Karnataka Public Libraries Act                   - 1965

4. Maharashtra Public Libraries Act               - 1967

5. West Bengal Public Libraries Act               - 1979

6. Manipur Public Libraries Acts                    – 1988

7. Kerala Public Libraries Act                         – 1989

8. Haryana Public Libraries Act                      – 1989

9. Mizoram Public Libraries Act                     - 1993

10. Goa Public Libraries Act                          – 1993

11. Orissa Public Libraries Act                       - 2001

12. Gujarat Public Libraries Act                     - 2001

13. Uttaranchal Public Libraries Act              - 2005

14. Uttar Pradesh Public Libraries Act           - 2005

15. Rajasthan Public Libraries Act                 - 2006

16. Bihar Public Libraries Act                        - 2007

17. Chattisgarh Public Libraries Act               - 2007

18. Pondicherry Public Libraries Act              - 2008

19. Arunachal Pradesh Public Libraries Act   - 2009