The Library And Its Uses

Library is a room or building containing books for reading or reference. In general sense, however, the emphasis is on the collection of books, whether stationed under a roof or not.

Libraries are divisble into three kinds-personal, public and institutional. The first type implies individual ownership and exclusive right of access. A private person of sufficient means, both out of thirst for reading and fashion, may collect a series of books on different subjects and place them in a corner of his residence or office. Such a collection is called his library. Private libraries of real quality band use were owned in the past by British Lords and Zemindars and Maharajas of this sub-contintnet. Many of them possessed more and better books than some of our present college libraries. With the growth of industrial society, private library began to decay, until at last in our time the institution is nearly extinct. In western countries, private library bis, however, yet an index of culture and, therefore, maintained by the cultured section of the industrial and commercial magnates. In our country small-scale private libraries are possesed by solvent middle-class people, particularly lawyers, officers and educationists.The second type, that is, public library is the order of the day. It is to be seen in large number in every country. A public library may comprise a few hundreds of books and be housed in a thatched cottage vor possess lacs of valuable books and occupy one of the magnificent buildings of the land. Whatever its size and situation, a public library, by its nature, is open to the public in general. Accordingly, it contains books of different varieties and subjects with a view to responding to the varving need and taste of its readers. Almost every country has its state-managed public libraries. The British Museum Library of London and the Central Library of Moscow are examplesof this class. The primary function of a public library is to land books but in any library worth the name there is spacious reading accommodation where readers may sit in solitude and study for hours together.

The third of the king is the institutional library, as it may be called, because it is maintained by some institution-a cpllege, a university, a trade union, a chambers of commerce or a goverment department. Such a library is open to the members of the institution concerned. Its possession also is qualified by the needs and taste of its readers, though books of general interest may not be lacking. It is never possible to describe the uses of library in full. Man needs to read as direly as he needs to eat. Reading not only strengthens his knowledge but also preserves his mental health and thus keeps him fit for the struggle of life. But none except a few can buy all the books he must read. Besides, those who read and need to read most are mostly those who lack means of buying one tenth of their requirement of books. If there were no libraries, both public and vinstitutional, to lend them books, such persons would have to forgo nine-tenth of their reading. As for the students and teachers, their occupational pursuits would be badly affected without the library maintained by their respective institutions. Gradually, with the growth of the habit of reading, the reader develops the instinct of possessing at least some of the worthy books which leads him to the book-shop. It there were no libraries, it is doubtful if the common readers, who constitute the nine-tenth of the reading public, would ever grow any habit of reading at all. There would be no authors, no poets, no thinkers because there would be few readers to sustain them. Library has also other important uses. Without well-euqipped library, ehether public, private or institutional, research work is next to impossible. Because all the valuable books of all ages and the rare manuscripts and old records of the past can be maintained only by a library and never by an individual unless he has the wealth of Rockfeller. Libraries maintain the fabric of human tradition in an unbroken continuity. Every century is connected with every other through the books produced in it. 

In consideration of these and other uses of the vlibrary, every nation aiming at the enrichment of its civilization should treat the organization of libraries with a high degree of attention. Every effort should be made to build at least one State-subsidized Public library in each sub-divisional town, while encouragement should be given to the betterment of those that now exist here and there. In the mufassil bareas, school libraries should be enriched and broadened in scope and their membership be enlarged to the local public. In short, an all-out drive should be launched upon to build up in the country a net-work of libraries and make arrangement of financial assistance that they may not be closed down in future for want of funds.