Library and the Community

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Library: historical perspective the world. 3. Library: historical perspective India. 4. Library: a social institution. 5. Library: as a system. 6. Library: interaction with the individual. 7. Library: Interaction with the individual. 8. Library: a people\'s University. 9. Library: a medium of mass communication. 10. Library: the changing face. Bibliography. Index. 

"The library is a repository of knowledge in a community. The number of libraries and the varieties of books they posses are, in fact, the Index of Community Consciousness and its Intellectual Awakening. In many places, with different ethnic and social groups. Libraries have become closely interwoven with the life about men and in the process have achieved significance as a Community Institution. As the impact of the library moves beyond its four walls and we strive for economic and social change, the necessity for a study of library and the Community becomes apparent.

In India, the library movement, though fairly old does not seem to have struck roots. This is obvious from the extension and functional aspects of the library service. The growth and direction of the literature and literary trends of a society depends largely on the growth of the library movement; especially in a economically sub-marginal society, where only a few individuals can affords book of their own. The deficiency in the promotional role of the library in the community is worth exploring.

This book attempts to seek answers to such searching problems as why do we find a general apathy towards the library? Is the library playing its ideal role? Does any relation exist between the readers personality traits and the nature and content of literature that they read? Are readers here still habituated to go in for the traditional subjects and have they not yet developed a taste for modern scientific and technological subjects? Has library any role in moulding the reading pattern of the people?

These questions have been bothering the serious students of library science for long. Some of the findings and the suggestion made in this book may be extremely useful for them. "