LIS Notes for Competitive Examinations 5 : Madras (Tamilnadu) Public Libraries Act

 MadrasPublic Libraries Act was passed in the year 1948.

It is the first Act for the public libraries in Independent India.

The Act came in to effect in 1 April 1950.

The Connemara Public Library, Chennai,  became the first library to come under the purview of this act, as a "State central library". 

The Connemara Public Library was started in 1869 and became public library in 1896.

Nine District Libraries were came under the purview of this Act during first five year plan 1951-1956

The Madras Public Libraries Act became Tamilnadu Public Libraries Act in 1956, subsequent to the reorganization of states, and came in to effect from 1957. All the public libraries came under the Act till then.

The act was enacted based on research and activity by Dr S R Ranganathan and the Madras Library Association (founded in 1928).

The Madras Public Libraries Act has 19 sections.

The Madras Public Libraries Act provides for overall governance by a State Library Committee presided over by the Education Minister for the State. 

In 1972 a separate Department for Libraries was created in Tamilnadu.

Revenue is obtained via a cess, a tax which is collected by local administrative bodies such as the municipalities and panchayaths. It is 5% of the property tax.

Two levels of administrative structure  District Library Authority and State Library Authority to look after the library system of the state.

The Act amended the section 9 of  Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. All publishers within the State are required to provide five copies of their output to the State government, which in turn passes on four of those copies to the State Central Library.

Organisational Structure of Public Libraries

LIS Notes for Competitive Examinations 3 : Library Legislation - Model Library Bill by Dr. S R Ranganathan

By adapting the public library system in London Dr. S R Ranganathan studied to implement such a system in India and the result of the study was presented at the First All Asia Educational Conference in 1930, Benares. This report included a proposed Model Library Act.

The features of the bill are;

1. Model Libraries Act will provide a system of public libraries for the city, rural and other areas.

2. Minister of Education shall be the State Library Authority ( S L A). It shall be the duty of the State Library Authority to provide for adequate library service in the State.

3. Constitution of a State Library Committee for the purpose of advising the State Library Authority on all matters arising under the Act.

4. Constitution of a Local Library Authority (LLA) for each city and one for each district.

5. The State Library Authority and Government, and a Local Library Authority may raise the library rate in such a manner and at such cess as may be determined from time to time.

This bill was attempted to introduce in West Bengal in 1931 and Madras in 1933. But it could not be enacted due to some compulsory clauses. Dr. S R Rangananthan revised the bill in 1957 as Model Public Libraries Act and later revised in 1972.