Assignment Code: MLIE-106/AST/TMA/Jul.2022-Jan.2023

Course Code: MLIE-106

Assignment Name: Public Library System and Services

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

1.1 Explain the role of Department of Culture, Govt. of India, and Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation in the development of public libraries in India. (10)

Ans) Role of Department of Culture, Govt. of India, and Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation in the development of public libraries as follows:

Role of Department of Culture, Govt. of India

The Government of India (Assignment of Business) Rules say that the Department of Culture is in charge of the Central Libraries, Libraries of National Importance, and the Delivery of Books Act. The Library Section of the Department looks after the development of libraries. It is in charge of the National Library in Kolkata, the Central Reference Library in Kolkata, and the Central Secretariat Library in New Delhi, which are all subordinate offices. The Delhi Public Library, the Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library, the Rampur Raza Library and Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) are also receiving full financial assistance from the Government.  The Government also cares about keeping records and manuscripts that are important and valuable to the country safe. So, as institutions of national importance, the Department of Culture has taken over two important manuscript libraries.

Role of Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation

Even though Item 12 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution says that "Libraries" are a State subject, the Central Government has been trying to help public libraries grow by giving them money. In 1972, the Department of Culture set up the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation in Kolkata as a separate body for this purpose. The RRRLF is not a library; it is a marketing group that works with the states and Union territories to support and promote library services across the country.

The Foundation reaches out to public libraries and works to help them grow by giving them help in the form of "book assistance" and "financial assistance." Help for these programmes comes either from the Foundation's own money or from money shared with the states and Union territories. To get help from the Matching Fund, a state or Union territory has to take part in the Foundation's programmes and pay contributions on a set schedule. The amount ranges from Rs.1 lakh to less than Rs.1 lakh, depending on the library's size, population, infrastructure, and how the money has been used in the past. Most of the time, non-matching aid is given to the state central libraries and district central libraries of all the states and Union territories. This is sometimes to help them get more books or build up their children's sections. Volunteer groups that run public libraries can get help with building new buildings, buying furniture and equipment, and buying books without having to pay back the money. There is help for all types of libraries, including government, semi-government, statutory, and libraries run by non-profits.

2.1 Discuss the different aspects to be kept in mind while preparing a plan document for public library tasks. (10)

Ans) Some aspects to be kept in mind in preparing a plan document:

Introduction: The introduction talks about the history of library services and gives a quick look at how libraries have grown in other countries. It also talks about why the plan is being made. the administrative and legal history up to this point, etc. This is how the plan will be put together.

Aims, objectives and options: After a serious intellectual effort, which should include a report on the consultations with educators, sociologists, economists, and administrators of education at all levels, the goals, objectives, and options need to be spelled out in a clear and precise way. Directors of research programmes and people who work in libraries.

Structure: This is what will make up the administrative and financial structure as a whole. I.e., relationship with the people in charge. as well as the way things work right now. I.e., how the library services are run and how much money they have, One of the best ways to make a system work may be to put the technical tasks in one place and the services in different places.

Legislation: The library services plan must be backed up by library laws, and if more laws are needed to meet the goals of the new system, the plan must include provisions for writing and quickly passing those laws. relations with all the authorities that matter.

Staff: The first thing that needs to be fixed is the staff. The plan must include provisions for both training before and during service.

Organisation of library services: This is meant to make sure that people get good library services. The plan must list the functions, possible needs, collection growth, infrastructure and equipment, transportation, office supplies and consumables, staff salaries, and how the collection will be used. The plan must also say how long it will take to reach each of its goals. This is a stage of running things.

Costs: The short-, medium-, and long-term costs, as well as the total cost of the plan as a whole, should be shown clearly in a costing table. There may be things that could be paid for with money from international organisations, bilateral aid, or other sources. In a second table, one should list the type of activity and how much money it will cost to do it in the given amount of time.

Publicity: Planning is a job for experts, but for a democracy to work, there must be free discussion, and the public should be involved in a systematic way to get constructive criticism and ideas about how to plan well and get real community support for the plan, which is then adopted.

3.1 Describe the main considerations that need to be adhered to, while planning the interiors of the public library buildings. (10)

Ans) First, books need space to be kept, and second, and most importantly, readers need space to read and look at the books. So that users can get the amenities they need and readers can get good service, the staff, furniture, and equipment also need to move quickly. There may also be a need for space for people who come to the library to see what it has to offer and find out more about it.

When planning the inside of the library, need to think about the following:

1. Types of services that the library is offering or should be able to offer.

2. How the different parts of the library work.

3. There is a link between them.

4. Close to one another.

5. Area that they need.

6. Staff members work in each section.

7. What kind of furniture and equipment will be in each section and what they will be.

Only then could a building be made that would make the whole library work like an assembly line, save time, make people happier, and cost less money. In light of this, the information below tries to explain the different parts of the library, what they do, etc.:

Entrance Hall: Every library needs to have a nice entrance hall that is both large and well-designed. In the first ninety seconds after entering the Entrance Hall, the user forms 90% of his or her opinion about how nice, efficient, and useful the library is.

Browsing Hall: The Browsing Hall should be right next to the Entrance Hall. In the Browsing Hall, one can find fiction and other light books. There are funny books, travel books, art books, popular magazines, etc. on display: Most of the time, it has nice furniture like sofa sets, etc.

Conference cum-Exhibition Hall: Every library will have to have a room that can be used for both meetings and exhibitions, where books, pictures, prints, etc. can be shown from time to time. Popular lectures, poetry readings, and other events can also be set up here. This Hall is a good place to hold film shows, "Gamaka" sessions, and puppet shows. The Conference Hall could also be near the Entrance Hall, so that people using the library seriously in other parts of the library won't be bothered by people using the Conference Hall.

Children's library: A Children's Library is a smaller library inside a larger library. Every public library should have a separate Children's Library near the entrance hall. To make the children's section the most interesting part of the library, it would need to be set up in a special way.

4.1 Explain the organisation of the different sections of a public library. (10)

Ans) The library is set up so that different sections can be used for different kinds of work.

Acquisition Section

Getting books is such an important job that it should be set up in a way that makes sure the library gets the best books. The acquisition section handles things like selection, placing orders, sorting, accessioning, payment, and more.

Technical Section

This section is where the physical and technical work on books is done. Putting the book tag, date label, and book pocket in the right places is part of the physical processing. In technical processing, the main things that need to be done are classification and making catalogue cards. In the field, there are a number of classification schemes and cataloguing codes.

Maintenance Section

When the books come from the processing section or come back from being used, they are put back on the right shelves in the maintenance section. This is especially important when the open access system is used. The maintenance section is also in charge of keeping the reading materials in good shape.

Reference Section

There is a special place in libraries just for reference service. This part of the building will be away from the main passageway to make it a quiet place for research and serious study. There, one can find reference materials like a dictionary, encyclopaedia, yearbook, gazetteer, who's who, etc. Important reference materials 011 will be found and made available for almost every subject.

Periodical Section

One of the first things the public library did was set up reading rooms where newspapers and magazines could be read by the public. People thought that they were the best way to find out about current events. Even in the world of information technology that we live in now, periodicals still have this role.

Circulation Section

The circulation desk is near the front door of the library. The following jobs are part of circulation work:

Signing up new members.

1. Giving away books

2. Charging for late payments.

3. Reserving, reminding, renewing, and calling back.

4. Keep track of things.

5. Keeping track of numbers.

6. Books can be borrowed from other libraries.

7. Miscellaneous jobs.

Children's Section

Even if there aren't separate children's sections, all public libraries may have a collection of books for kids. Reading should be taught to children at a young age, because it will become a habit they keep for life.

Women's Section

This section is not usually found in public libraries, either. Since family units are the foundation of a better society and women are important to the growth of the family, it is important for all public libraries to have women's units.

5.0 Write short notes on any two of the following: (10)

a) Book mobiles

Ans) With bookmobiles, the library can be very close to all of the people it serves. The main reason for setting up a library on wheels is to avoid having to build a good building and hire enough people to run the services. It is used to offer a book service to rural communities that are spread out. In cities with a lot of people, it is cheaper to run mobile libraries out of the central libraries. The book mobile is a specially made can that is put on the frame of a truck and has shelves for books. The library has a variety of books and other materials to meet the needs of people with different interests. It is set up so that people can borrow them at each stop for a set amount of time, according to a schedule that has already been made. This will make it possible for people to borrow books from this library.

b) Children’s libraries

Ans) It is very important for the public library to let kids choose their own books and other materials. If at all possible, unique collections should be kept in their own rooms. The children's library can then become a lively, interesting place where different kinds of activities can help kids learn about other cultures. In the Guidelines' section on layout and planning, it is suggested that children and adults be kept apart and that materials be borrowed from the library. More emphasis is put on the fact that children do need their own space in the library. Size, decorating style, and some nice but unusual pieces of furniture all help them feel at home and relaxed.  As readership of children is found at all places children's library essential everywhere. Due to this, these libraries are established as a part or as an independent unit in all public libraries: small and large, urban and inofussil.