Public library has to play a crucial role in modern society in meeting many
of its social needs like communication, education, recreation and socio-cultural
development. This role is more crucial in developing countries like India where
societal changes are faster than elsewhere and the people need to be better
informed in order to be successfully involved in the process of change and
development. For the public library to play this role effectively it must be
established on a statutory foundation. At least this has been the universal
consensus with regard to the public library. In India the statutory public
library has been late of emerge and slow to develop. The first State to bring
out library legislation was Tamil Nadu in 1948, tube followed by Hyderabad in
1955, Andhra Pradesh in 1960, Karnataka in 1965, Maharashtra in 1967, West
Bengal in 1979, Manipur in 1988,and Kerala in 1989. The save Acts now in force
show similarities and differences in matters relating to agencies, structure,
administration and finance. These aspects were examined in a national
perspective so as to identify the general reatures of the evolving public
library system of India. There are in all 12 papers in this volume that were
contributed by distinguished persons. The Kerala Public Libraries Act 1989 has
been subjected to a close scrutiny and evaluation in the light of the evolving
national public library system.
Preface
Prof. M.N. Ramakrishnan Nayar: A Sport biography
1. Public Libraries in India --------K. Ravindran
2. Public Library Legislation in India -----------Alexander Abraham
3. Public Library legislation in India : A National Perspective-------P.
Gopalakrishnan Nair
4. Library Legislation in Kerala ------Need and Purpose --------P. Vasudevan
5. Changing concept of Public Library Development in Kerala-----------G.
Devarajan
6. Attempts to Library Legislation in Kerala: A Survey-------------K. Sunil
Kumar
7. Kerala Granthasala Sanghom Act: Background and Special
Features----------Manayath Chandran
8. Kerala Public Libraries Act, 1989: An Overview -----------M.
N.Ramakrishnan
9. Public Library Situation in Kerala and Public libraries (Kerala
Granthansala Sanghom) Act, 1989---------V. Rajam
10. Kerala Public Libraries Act; An Appraisal-------C. A Augustine
11. Kerala Public Libraries Act: Guidelines for Development with a
perspective proposal for phased development programme-----------G. Deverajan
12. Legal provision for Public Library Finance in UK and India-------------M.
N. Ramakrishnan
13. Summary of the Seminar proceedings and Recommendations
Appendix: Kerala Public Libraries
(Kerala Granthasala Sanghom) Act 1989
Bibliography
Index
Mr. C. A. Augustine (b. 1935) took his post -graduate Diploma in
Librarianship from the University of Madras in 1958 and the Masters Degree in
Library Science from the University of Delhi in 1964. He worked in University
and College Libraries for more than 12 years prior to his joining the Department
of Library and Information Science in the University of Kerala. During the last
25 years of his Library Science teaching career Mr. Augustine has been actively
involved in the development of the library profession in the state of Kerala. he
was President of the Kerala Library Association for a long period. He is a
member of the FID. He has to his credit a number of research publications and
significant conference papers besides a few collections he has compiled and
edited. His works in the area of comparative library legislation and library
movement in Kerala are basic and original in nature. Mr. Augustine has travelled
widely and have observed the working of libraries and information systems in
countries like USA UK, Belgium Holland, West Germany, Japan and Singapore.
Dr. G. Devarajan did his B.Sc. (Botany), B. Lib. Sc., M. A. (Russian Language
& Literature) from the University of Kerala. He secured M. L.I.S. Degree from
the University of Madras securing First Rank with distinction. He secured his
Ph.D. Degree in Library and Information. Science from the University of Keala.
He is doing Post-Doctoral research in Library and Information Science in the
University of Kerala. He has completed two research projects financed by the
ICSSR and UGC. He worked in Kerala University Library and centre for Development
Studies Library in various professional capacities from 1973 onwards until he
joined as Lecturer in the department of Library and Information Science,
University of Kerala in 1983. He has about 23 years professional experience in
the teaching and Library field. Dr. Devarajan has already authored 15 books and
85 research papers in the field of Library and information science. Dr.
Devarajan is an active member of several professional bodies in India. He was
general secretary and President of the Kerala Library Association for several
terms. He is a life member of KLA, KUTA, ILA, IASLI ,IATLI and CITS Presently he
is the Head of the Department of Library and Information Science, University of
Kerala and the Secretary of the Centre for Information and Technology Studies (CITS).
