1.
Introduction: Raja Rammohun
Roy Library Foundation was set up by the government of India in 1972 as an
autonomous body under the then Department of Culture, Ministry of Education and
Social Welfare with its head quarters in Calcutta (Kolkata). The foundation
was established on the occasion of the bicentenary of Raja Rammohun Roy who
raised the banner of revolt against obscurantism in the society and devoted his
life to fight against injustice. RRRLF is registered under the West
Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961. RRRLF functions as a promotional agency,
an advisory and consultancy organization, a funding body for public library
development in India.
2. Objectives: The major
objectives of the foundation are as follows:-
i)
To promote library movement in the country.
ii)
To enunciate a national library policy and to help build up a national library
system.
iii)
To provide financial and technical assistance to libraries.
iv)
To provide financial assistance to organisations, regional or national engaged
in the promotion of library development.
v)
To publish appropriate literature and to act as a clearing house of ideas and
information on library development in India and abroad.
vi)
To promote research in problems of library development.
vii)
To advise the government on all matters pertaining to the library development
in the country.
3. Organization: The foundation consists
of 22 members nominated by the Government of India from amongst eminent
educationists, librarians, administrators and senior officials. The Minister of
the Department of Culture, Government of India or his nominee is the Chairman
of RRRLF. Director General is the executive head and ex-officio
Member-Secretary of the Foundation. The Foundation functions in each State/Union
Territory through a machinery called State Library Committee (SLC). Indian
Library Association is represented on the foundation. In addition, four eminent
librarians are also its member. As on 23rd February, 2017, Shri Brij
Kishore Sharma is the Chairman and Dr. Arun Kumar Chakraborty is the Director
General (Member Secretary) of RRRLF.
4. Functions: Some of the
activities of the foundation are mentioned below.
a) Assistance Programme: RRRLF provide book
and financial assistance to the public libraries under different schemes of
assistance in collaboration with Library Department or Department in charge of
Public Library Services. The grants are of two types-
i) Matching: Assistance
under these programmes is given from the resources shared on matching basis
with the States/Union Territory Administrations. For developed States 50: 50,
Developing and lagging states 60: 40 & North-Eastern States 90: 10.
ii)
Non-Matching: Assistance under
these schemes is given fully from the Foundation's own resources.
b) Promotion of District Youth Resource Centres
(DYRCs):
Since 2005-06 the Foundation has also taken up the initiative to develop the
District Youth Resource Centre (DYRC) in collaboration with Nehru Yuvak Kendra
Sangathana, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Sports & Youth
Affairs. The DYRCs are assisted in various activities.
c) Promotional Activities: It has played a major role in the
preparation of National Policy on Library & Information System. It has also
issued guidelines on public library systems and services. Raja Rammohun Roy Memorial
Lecture by a scholar of eminence is an annual feature of anniversary
celebrations for the Foundation. RRRLF also interacts with many national and
international professional associations like IFLA, ILA, IASLIC and different
state level library associations. It also organized many seminars and
conferences.
d) Awards: To disseminate
innovative, new concepts and ideas for the development of Public Library
Services and system in the country through research oriented activities, the
Foundation introduced Annual Raja Rammohun Roy Award to the best contributor of
an article covering the area of development of Public Library Systems and
Services or suggesting measures for promotion of reading habit.
The Foundation has also
undertaken a programme of giving seven awards annually - one for the best State
Central Library and six for the best District Libraries of six regions in the
country. Since 2005 the Foundation also instituted RRRLF Best Rural Library
Awards - one per each state.
The Foundation institutes “RRRLF Fellowship”
to offer fellowship to five eminent men and women in the field of Library
Services who have contributed to the library movement in the country through
active involvement in the movement, organizational initiative or intellectual
leadership or are dedicated to the propagation of reading habit among the
masses.
e) Research Project: Besides carrying on Research Projects on
public library or allied subject, the Research Cell renders advisory and
consultancy services whenever required. It has prepared and published a report
on loss of books in libraries for the Government of India. About 5000 important
books and journals on Library & Information Science and allied fields have
been acquired in the library.
f) Modernisation Programme: The Foundation
has installed computers in its Computer Section for building-up data-bank of
Public Libraries for the country. The Foundation's computer unit is intended to
give information storage, retrieval and data processing support for all the
application areas. As a step towards modernisation and to become a fully
automated institution, the Foundation has upgraded its computer system with
inter office LAN. The INTERNET connectivity and E-mail facility has been
installed in the office of the Foundation through National Informatics Centre.
The Scheme of Central Selection has since been computerised fully; other
activities are on the way of being fully computerised.
g) Publication: RRRLF has
brought out a number of publications. The significant publications are
i)
Granthana, Indian Journal of Library Studies (bi-annual).
ii)
Indian Libraries: Trends and Perspectives
iii)
Raja Rammohun Roy and the New Learning
iv)
Directory of Indian Public Libraries
v)
RRRLF Newsletter (bi-monthly)
vi)
Annual Report
vii)
Books for the Millions at their Doorsteps (Information Manual)
5. Conclusion: RRRLF is an
autonomous organization under Dept of Culture, Govt of India and it provides
book assistance (matching and non matching grants) and financial assistance to
different kinds of public libraries. The Foundation has taken long strides in
promoting library services in the country. The foundation has covered over
thirty one thousand libraries at different levels. The
Granthana act as an official publication of RRRLF.
How to Cite this
Article?
APA Citation, 7th Ed.: Barman, B. (2020). A comprehensive book on Library and Information Science. New
Publications.
Chicago 16th Ed.: Barman, Badan. A Comprehensive Book on Library and Information Science. Guwahati:
New Publications, 2020.
MLA Citation 8th Ed: Barman, Badan. A Comprehensive Book on Library and Information Science. New
Publications, 2020.

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