National Library of India History and Collections

National Library of India

The National Library of India, located in the historic Belvedere Estate in Kolkata, is the largest national library in the country. Established in 1836 as the Calcutta Public Library and later transformed into the Imperial Library in 1891, the library became the National Library of India in 1953 when it was officially transferred to the Ministry of Culture.

History

Initially, the library began as a private collection owned by individuals like Governor-General Lord Wellesley and Rev. Dr. Henry Martyn. In 1832, Bishop Heber of Calcutta collected books from these sources to form what would eventually become the nucleus of the Calcutta Public Library. Over time, the library grew significantly through various acquisitions, including the collection of Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, who donated his personal library of 80,000 books in 1910.

After India's independence in 1947, the Imperial Library was renamed as the National Library by the Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act, 1948. During this period, it relocated from The Esplanade to Belvedere Estate and opened to the public on 1 February 1953 at a ceremony presided over by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Later, the name was changed again to National Library of India through Section 18 of the National Library of India Act, 1976.

The library has an impressive collection of various materials, including books, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings, and manuscripts, totaling more than 2.5 million items. It also holds numerous special collections, such as the Hindi department's early printed works dating back to the nineteenth century and rare manuscripts.

Collections

The National Library of India collects material published within India and work produced by foreign authors wherever they are published, in any language. Its extensive holdings include titles in virtually all Indian languages, breaking down into 86,000 maps and 3,200 manuscripts. The library even houses previously unknown materials and undiscovered historical treasures like a secret room discovered in 2010 during restoration efforts.

Services

As one of the four designated libraries entitled to receive publications under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954, the National Library serves as a permanent depository of all reading and printed materials produced in India. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to offer its vast treasure of books, magazines, and journals not only to researchers and scholars but also to lay readers.

To accommodate changing circumstances, the library introduced an online registration process where citizens beyond 18 years of age can become members without restrictions based on location. Additionally, the library utilizes social media platforms like Facebook Page, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to reach out to users.

Location

The National Library sits on Belvedere Road in Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal, within the historic Belvedere Estate. Access to the library is provided between 9 am and 8 pm on all working days and from 9.30 am to 6 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and government holidays.