Evidence based Librarianship

User-friendly Libraries:

Dr. S R Ranganathan has given many instances, or case-studies, of how he dealt with the users, or how his staff in the library performed or how the reference section provided reference service. He is realistic in narrating the cases, because he does not shy in quoting instances of reference librarians being problem creators, rather than problem solvers.

Case One (Reference Librarian):

"John Bourdillon Bilderbeck was a local celebrity at Madras about the end of last century. He was a professor and principal in the Presidency College, a government institution."

"One afternoon the office of the Director of Public Instruction wanted details of his career. They were found in the History of Services of gazetted and other officers in the civil department serving in the Madras Presidency corrected up to 1st July 1906 (the year of retirement of Bilderbeck). As the reference librarian began to read out from it, the man at the other end of the wire said:

It is all too much within the next few minutes. The office of the Director of Public Instruction had its own copy of this publication of the Government. But there was no reference librarian in the office. Nor was there any one with ready wit to look up at that publication. But, it was almost a reflex action of our reference librarian to look it up." (1961: 208-209).

Case Two (Ready Reference):

"The award of Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938 to Mrs. Pearl S. Buck was the occasion for a rush to inquirers. The Who's Who in America gave only four inches of information.

The other two books were known to devote some pages for her.. but these were not available in the library. However, the practice of the reference staff of perusing and mentally noting outstanding facts appearing in periodicals came to our rescue. It was recollected that some information about her had occurred in the Wilson Bulletin. A search of its file disclosed that volume 6 (1931-32) contained six columns of biographical information with a picture and that volume 9 (1934-35) contained two more pictures. From the moment this reference was located, the problem changed over from long range to ready reference." (pp. 209-210).

Case Three (handling reference queries):

Ranganathan did tremendous work in promoting the idea of reference service, in pre-independent India. In his book, Reference Service, has cited fifty four queries that were received and attended by himself and his colleagues. He has stated the details of each query, the chain of works consulted, and time taken in responding to these reference requests.

A few of these questions and the sources consulted can be reproduced:

-----Addresses of some prominent biochemists of India (A professor. In person. Handbook of Indian Universities, 1938. Year-book of the Universities of the Empire, 1939. Official Chemical Appointments, 1937. 5 minutes)

----- The verses in Kumarasambhava describing the wedding of Parvathi (An artist. In person. Verses 71-91 of Chapter 7. 15 minutes)

----- Any material on the art of lettering (A lady. In person. The article on Calligraphy in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Ed. 14. Reference catalogue of current literature, 1938. Wade (Cecil): Modern Lettering From A-Z, 1938. 15 minutes)

----- A description of the Ekadesi festival at Srirangam. (Journalist. In person. The three books in the Library on Hindu festivals were out on loan. Hence Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics. Not of help. Imperial Gazetter of India. Moniker Williams: Brahmanism and Hinduism, p. 448-450. Not available in the library. Index to Indian Antiquity vi. p. 322. 5 minutes)

-----Any book or article on beggar problem relating to India in particular (A local library. No book. Birendranath Ganguly: "Street Beggars of Calcutta: A Study of the problem and its solution," in the Indian Journal of Economics, v.8 1927-28, p. 373-386. 45 minutes)

----- I am told that the words 'Zamorin' and 'Mappilla' are loan words from Persian or Arabic. The original of Zamorin is Tamuir and of Mopilla is Moufla. I shall be much obliged if you will let me know ... whether there are any words in those languages exactly corresponding to them or resembling them... (A lecturer. By post. Yule's Hobson-Jobson. 10 minutes)

----- A book on Pakistan (A student. In person. Was told that it can be read only in newspapers and periodicals of the months as the problem was quite new. 1 minute)

----- Is Sankara a crypto-Buddhist? (A philosophy student. In person. Student also participated in the search. A search of articles by G. V. Budhekar entitled 'Is the Advaita of Sankara Buddhism in disguise'? in the Quarterly Journal of the Mystic Society, v.24, 1933-34. One hour.).

Case Four (Preparedness):

"On morning in 1943, an American lady cam and presented to me a confidential letter from the Chief Secretary of the Government of Madras. The letter disclosed that she was the Field Librarian of the South East Asian Theatre of War. She had been given an aeroplane to go out and collect from important libraries in India, the information needed for organising their proposed offensive. In the course of a short discussion with the lady librarian, I noted down in successive slips of paper, the Class Numbers for the publications likely to have the information needed and passed on, one at a time to the Reference Section giving some important hints about the exact kind of information needed. From about an hour thereafter, trolley loads of publications were wheeled into my rooms, with flags at relevant pages. By about 5 p.m. the field librarian told me, you seem to have organized your publications as if, for war purposes! I know that you had done this in the natural course of processing work. We in America, do not do our work in such a detailed way (The moral of the story is libraries should be prepared, as in war instances, for any in-depth search and be ready for immediate offense)." (Ranganathan: 1972: Part II: 5)

Case Five (Just-in-case):

University Library, Madras & nbsp; 9-12-1939

My dear friend,

I remember your telling me about a year ago about a correspondence, originated by the Surgeon-General during your predecessor's time about the ultra-violet energy content of the solar radiation in our city. You said that the Surgeon-General sought your cooperation in estimating it.

At that time I could only lay my hands on some scrappy material in the Journal of research of the American Bureau of Standards, the Journal of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Public Health Bulletin. I wonder if you are still interested in the subject. If you are, I have come across something which may be of real use to you. This morning the foreign mail brought the October issue of the Journal of the Franklin Institute. It contains an article entitled a 'Four-year record of the ul-violet energy in daylight,' by Mathew Luckiesh and others of the Lighting Research Laboratory of the General Electric Company.

The bibliography at the end of the article mentions the following five titles...

The first of the above articles gives a detailed description of the necessary apparatus. It may be of great interest to the Secretary-General.

Perhaps you may call at the Library for these references.

I have assembled all of them in my room to save your time.

You may call at any time between 9 AM and 6 PM. I am sure it will be very nice if your laboratory can build data for our city.

Yours sincerely

sd.

Librarian.

Case Six (reading rooms in demand - I):

How much was the user-friendliness lacking? One has to dig a vast amount of treasures to identify this aspect. But there is one letter published in The Statesman, 29 March 1892:

Sir, Among the wants I feel in Calcutta is that of good up-to-date reading, which I find I cannot procure except through the medium of a few literary friends. I hear that there is an Imperial Library in Calcutta, which contains some solid works relating to India, and some valuable publications for the student of modern history; and I am told that permission to use this library can be obtained by application in the right quarter. Would any of your readers kindly inform me where this library is situated, and to whom I must apply for admission thereto? A clerical friend tells me that there is an excellent library at St. Paul's Cathedral, which is replete with theological and other works; but I am ignorant of the conditions of membership, and would like information on the point. It is a pity, I think, that the Bentinck Library is such a hodge-podge as to be useless to the systematic reader, and that there is really no good useful library in Calcutta; for there are several like myself who have a taste for serious reading, and cannot stand the trashy publications which seem to be the vogue here' (Ohdedar: 1996: 28)

In another publication J A Chapman, the Imperial Librarian, Calcutta, stated:

If the Imperial Library, an institution to which, nine out of ten, if not oftener, the student must come, the benefit of it would be for Calcutta to enjoy, and a restricted Calcutta; for Europeans who read, read at home. I should deplore such a limiting of its usefulness. There are many students scattered throughout India, within whose reach if the Imperial Library were not a lending library, there would not be one. Another fact no to be overlooked is that the life of a modern printed book in India is short. All the world knows how difficult it is to preserve books in India from getting worm-eaten. It will be a solace to the 'future historians of India' who shall find a gap in our shelves, to know that the book was read, while was still legible (Ohdedar: 1996: 69-70).

Case Seven (reading rooms in demand - II):

Another instance of the use of a public reading room, is cited from Madras (1946), by Julia Thomas -- wife of Mr. James Thomas, a judicial officer -- who started the reading room in 1839:

"The reading room is established and much approved. The doors are opened before six in the morning, but there are always waiting outside, ready for the first moment they can get in. Always twenty or thirty at a time are sitting there and about a hundred come in course of the day. The wall is hung divers of your peeny pictures, which are much admired, especially that of the Queen on the horse-back. We have found plenty of suitable books in English, Hindustanee, Tamil and Gentoo (Telegu) and I think it seems to be very petty invention, and likely to get great satisfaction."

We have received a petition, signed by the principal people, chiefly Mussalmans, in several villages, begging us to supply them with books of the same kind as those in our reading room mentioning the names of several that they particularly wish to have and saying that they will thankfully pay for them, if we will procure them. Therefore, we have now a sort of circulating library in the district. We consign a packet of books to the headman of the village, and he passes them to the rest, and when they are all read, we sent out a fresh supply." (quoted in Venkatappaiah: 1996: 139-140)

Information Profession's Performance

Case One (Local vs. global):

"Under the pressure of the blind imitation of everything of the West, that took possession of us in the days of decadence, there is a tendency among the indolent and the predatory in the profession to adopt mangled forms of outmoded techniques of the West. The classification of the West gives no help in the classification of Indian thought and classics. So it is in cataloging. And yet, there is a cursed allergy in regard to any good technique developed in India" (p. 24)

Case Two (Skills in question):

"Some years ago, the University of Madras was asked to arrange a course of lectures on School Library Work. It was stressed that a teacher of English was the most appropriate person to give the course. At the time of my selection to librarian's post, my having specialized in mathematics threatened to stand in my way. At about the same time, a former colleague of mine who was teaching languages--Latin and Greek--was easily preferred for the Librarian's post of a science library" (p. 22)

Case Three (You are Welcome, no formalities, please):

A recent Annual Report of a State Central Library describes its Reference Service in the following words:

"Some years back an American Library issued the following invitation to its readers: 'Telephone in for what you want, get the formula you have forgotten, the quotation you can only half remember, the word you want defined or correctly pronounced or ask for material for your club paper, after dinner or political speech.'"

"We extend a hearty welcome to all such inquiries and assist them in their searches without extending a formal invitation as such, as it is one of our regular features of service" (Ranganathan: 1972: Part II: 3).

Case Four (Manuscripts are for use):

A newspaper representative who was in England happened to visit John Ryland's Library. This is one of the libraries in England well known for its collection of manuscripts, in various languages, written on many types of surfaces--clay, bamboo, papyrus, palm-leaf, cloth and paper. As he was been shown round by the Keeper of the Manuscripts, he noticed three small cupboard boxes labeled 'Canarese MSS.' since this was the visitor's mother tongue, his curiosity was roused and he asked to see these manuscripts. One was on the Mahabharatha epic called Vani Vilasa and the second on Nala Charita and the third he did not examine. These manuscripts belonged to the collection known as Bibliotheca Lindeseana which the library had acquired from the Earl of Crawford in 1901. On returning to India, he mentioned the existence of these manuscripts to his friend, a Professor of Kannada in Bangalore, and also wrote to us to obtain microfilm copies of these to enable the Professor to do some research on these manuscripts. Although our part in it lay only in negotiating through our London office with John Ryland's library and obtaining the microfilm copies, this involved a certain amount of correspondence and organisation. But we were eventually able to do it. These manuscripts were on palm-leaf strips, nearly 2' in length and the process of reproducing was limited to 12" X 10". It was therefore necessary to photograph each strip in two overlapping sections, each photograph comprising 4 strips of palm-leaf. But this was successfully done and after the necessary undertaking was given by the scholar that he would not publish any part of it without the permission from John Ryland's and that he would only use it for the purpose of his research, we were able to obtain the information, thus completing a quadrangular cycle of information--Manchester-Delhi-Madras-Bangalore (Suseela Kumar: 1974: 235-36)

Case Five (Outreaching):

"A research scholar on Indian history had chosen the 'Moplah Rebellion' for his subject. He wanted books, articles and documents on the subject.

He had consulted the available records in the Tamil Nadu Archives and was laboriously going through the microfilm copies of the issues of The Hindu from 1920 onwards. He also wanted to know whether we could provide further information.

A list of manuscript material and articles in periodicals was compiled by our Home Library (British Library) in London. Home Library was also able to enlist the help of the India Office Library and their librarian provided a further list of relevant books and files in the India Office dealing with the Rebellion. The research scholar was also informed of the cost of obtaining positive microfilm copies of the files and Xerox copies of the periodical articles. The books could be borrowed from the India Office Library through the National Library, Calcutta" (Suseela Kumar: 1974: 273-74)

Case Six (Job Satisfaction):

The question is what motivates some professionals to be zealous and some others to be otherwise?

A study by Pulla Reddy was done to ascertain answers to some of this kind of questions. He surveyed 104 professionals in Delhi's academic libraries. According to the findings, 2.9% are highly satisfied; 27.9% are satisfied; 41.3% are not worried about this issue; 25% are satisfied; and 2.9% are highly dissatisfied. The study has done extensive inquiries on these matters and its finding include:

**there is no difference in satisfaction among the respondents in terms of college or university work areas;

**so also, satisfaction has not much to do with the pay;

**promotional matters do depend on the level of institution;

**matters relating to supervision do effect satisfaction;

**there is significant difference in these levels, when it comes to satisfaction with the readers;

**job satisfaction has much to do with age;

**sex of the professional does not differ in this matter.

Case Seven (Library movement, what is not):

"I am generally put off by the expression Library Movement. The very word 'movement' endows the whole business with an abstract, unreal air. It produces in one's mind a picture of humanity, jammed together, moving in a mass towards a goal - a very impressive picture no doubt, but having nothing to do with the business of reading. Or am I mistaken in thinking that the champions of the Library Movement are interested in the business of reading? Library Science seems all concerned with furniture, locks, keys, registers, vouchers, and statistics, everything except reading. The most noticeable deficiency in any library to-day seems to be a lack of propaganda for books themselves. It would be useful to inscribe on every library-wall the motto: 'Books are meant to be read and not merely to be classified and preserved.' In every library elaborate rules are being framed for borrowing and returning of books. There is a university library that I visit, where there are so many regulations for book-borrowing that few ever find the time to go in and borrow a volume. You have to spend half an hour before you get through the formalities of picking up a book from the shelf, and another half an hour before you can get through the various entries and signatures and go out of the library. Compared to this the ceremony of getting through a custom's inspection looks like child's play. In every library there are so many involved technicalities for this transaction that I sometimes wonder if they would not do better to keep dummy books with gilt titles in sealed almirahs, so that they may only be seen and counted and never taken out, which seems to be the best way of keeping a library secure, above reproach from auditors, and with unimpeachable stock registers." (R. K. Narayan, Hindu 5 April 1953).

Case Eight (Handle-with-care, locks and keys):

In Bihar... ""We chanced to come across a newly established college. Many colleges happen to be sign-board colleges in many parts of the country. But this was little more than a sign board college. It has a few rooms and I asked to see the library. There was a steel almirah, the locks and doors were rusted (probably never been opened), and a number of bags, gunny bags. When I asked what did they contain, I was told that they contain books which UGC somehow gave to them or somebody else gave them. They did not care to open them. Essentially, neither anybody is interested in looking at the books nor is anybody interested in distributing these books. I said, 'can I have the keys to the cupboards, so that I can look what the books are?' 'No, Sir, how can the keys be with us, the librarian hasn't come, he keeps the keys,' I was told. 'Why,' I asked. "Librarian can't possible give the keys to others supposing the books are stolen.' was the reply! I am sure the locks won't open if you try with keys" (Prof. Yeshpal: 1995: 10)

Lessons of History

Lesson One (professional organization's functioning):

Indian Library Association (ILA), has completed seventy four years of its existence, and has found a voice in its President, P. S. G. Kumar, to spell out what it has learnt in its past performance and what it can do to live long--duly contributing to the cause of progress.

The lessons in his words, are:

*** A professional body should be headed by a professional;

*** The president should have a control over the affairs of the Association;

*** There should be a close cooperation and understanding between the president and the general secretary

*** Frequent shifting of the office is not at all good for any association;

*** The Office of ILA should remain in Delhi for ever. If necessary, a small office be set-up for president or secretary when they stay outside Delhi;

*** A person elected as president should also be permitted to hold the office for two terms;

*** The membership of the Council be cancelled for al those elected persons who fail to attend two consecutive meetings of the ILA Council without giving reason;

*** Charge some fee for each nomination;

*** More ILA Bulletin more informative than enlightening;

*** Enlarge the publication program;

*** Publications are to be brought out timely;

*** All sub-committees appointed by ILA should be subservient to ILA;

*** Create professionalism among individuals;

*** Sound and detailed policy formulated with regard to financial management of the Association;

*** The action taken on a resolution of a body should be reported to the concerned body to the extent possible in writing before the next meeting; and

*** A library need to be created immediately and we should enrich the same so that it will serve as a good reference library (Krmar: 1994: 95-99).

Lesson Two (misplaced jobs):

The following conversation that Ranganathan (SRR) had with a Reference Librarian (Ref Lib), in the context of the lack of intense reference assistance in libraries:

In the words of Ranganathan: "About a year ago, the Reference Librarian of a big library in India called on me. As most librarians to to-day, he began with thanking me for having succeeded in securing the reader's scale for a Reference Librarian." The dialogue begins:

SRR: Your face shows you are not fully satisfied? Am I right?

Ref Lib: Yes Sir. Money alone does not give satisfaction. I want also work satisfaction.

SRR: According to me, there is nothing in library work giving greater work satisfaction than Reference Service.

Ref Lib: My work as Reference Librarian is to sit in an enclosure, surrounded by the calendars of several universities. As students ask for information about any university, I find it out in the appropriate calendar and give it. But in our University Library, 99% of the questions are only about examination fees, examination time table and occasionally some point on some syllabus. To do this from morning to evening and from day to day is boring -- indeed maddening.

SRR: My recommendation of Reader's scale of salary and the corresponding professional qualification in the case of Reference Librarian were certainly not for this kind of Reference Service. This is merely Ready Reference Service. A semi-professional can do this work equally well.

Ref Lib: Sir, it is a pity that our Library Authorities have not understood this (Ranganathan: 1972: Part II: 2-3).

Lesson Three (Library movement in Andhra Pradesh):

"Politicians who provided leadership in the establishment of public libraries for awakening the masses in the pre-independence period lost interest in the library movement after the independence of the country;

Public library legislation gave wrong signals to the organizations and individuals who were interested in library movement that the government will do all that is needed for library development and their efforts are no more needed;

The qualified and salaried librarians started keeping the library workers at a distance" (Kumar: 1996: 16)

Social Responsibility

Case One (stealing):

"The absence of a properly developed civic responsibility make some readers so unscrupulous as to mutilate the costly reference books. Here is an extreme example of this anti-social propensity. Some years ago, the article on 'ethics' in the Encyclopedia Britannica of a big Madras Library was lost! Surely the book-vandal responsible for this would not have gained any special advantage in having committed that atrocity. It is only his failure to recognise that there were also others to benefit by that article that should have been responsible for his act. The (civic) sense that 'the greatest good for the greatest number' had not developed in him." (Ranganathan: 1988: 266)

Case Two (defacing books):

"I have come across an interesting case of disfigurement. Every line of some new medical books was found underlined in the Madras University Library. This was a problem for us. A new medical book had arrived. It was put on the recent additions shelf. Everybody was on the alert about it. Its inside was examined quite frequently. Its pages were quite clean at 12 noon. A t about 1.30 a reader replaced it on the shelf. The book was promptly examined. The lines in about 20 pages were found underlined. The color of the ink was just the one used by that reader in signing the gate register. He was a rich doctor with wide practice in the city. He was one respected by all. I showed him this new book. He was not conscious of having underlined in it. But he recognized the color of his ink. Then, the old underlined books were all shown to him. He felt his mistake. He said that it was probably his unconscious habits. He further offered not to come to the library any longer." (p. 266)

Case Three (discipline):

The new building of the Madras University Library was opened in September 1937. There was an unusual rush. I posted myself at the entrance gate to persuade the people to observe the queue. It was then something unknown to people. A knighted gentleman passed alongside the long line in the queue and reached the entrance wicked-gate. When I requested him to take his place in the queue, he asked for the meaning of the word (i.e., queue) and later for its spelling. But a more serious situation arose later. An elderly gentleman was exasperated beyond control, when requested to fall into the line and wait his turn to enter. However, mildly and however distantly he was requested to do so, he got exasperated and bowled out, 'We are not school children to stand in a line. I am not going to enter this library so long as we are asked to stand in a line like laborers and sepoys.' (p. 272)

Case Four (information seeking behavior):

"A parliamentary secretary ascertained by the phone if the library had books on prohibition. He arrived a few minutes later. He had been a professor before becoming parliamentary secretary. He was shown books.

He said, These discuss for and against prohibition. I don't want them. Show me some books on the social aspect of the problem. Where are they kept?

Here! in this section 'social pathology--drink devil.' There are just a few books here on the prevention of drink devil.

Even these are not to my pint, Have you anything on prohibition law?

Yes, here are two books.

These too are no good.

What is exactly that you want?

Have you any books on the administration and enforcement of prohibition policy?"

No, No! These are no good. They only deal with smuggling, bootlegging, and so on.

Perhaps we may be able to find out something helpful if you can say what particular problem you have in mind.

I want information about exemption from prohibition law. In the acts, you simply come across the phrase 'unless' exepmted.

I expect that the details about exemptions will be found in the rules framed under the acts. They will be mostly executive orders and may not find a place in other books.

The poojaries insists that wine is necessary for temple worship. You know that it is the thin edge of the wedge. I want to know how similar problem have been met in other countries.

Ordinary books are not likely to go into such details. Perhaps the annual reports on the working of the prohibition act or reported cases may give some information." (Ranganathan: 1961: 221-223)

Case Five (accessibility):

The Hindu College, Delhi which publishes its college magazine carries a write up by a user of the library:

"The locks are gone! One gasps in wonder and amazement. 'No! it can't be,' and similar platitudes spring to one's mind as one gazes in disbelief at the unlocked cupboards of textbooks which line the wall of the Reading Room. A swift renaissance has been triggered within the precincts of the Hindu College Library. To seek knowledge one does not have to fill in Demand Slips: one just has to open the (unlocked) cupboard to carry away armfuls of books. The 1,500 odd textbooks can be issued out on three separate tickets meant exclusively for them (giving us an option to borrow up to six books at a time). Reference books, too, are easily accessible now. A fortnightly list of the new arrivals' (books, that is) is prepared and they are attractively displayed. Among other improvements is the complete overhauling of the Reserve Section, which now has over 2,000 separately cataloged textbooks (besides the 1,500 loanable ones).

Behind these refreshing changes are our Librarian's (who took over about a year ago) sincere efforts to improve everything in his control that needs improving. He runs the largest College Library in Delhi--44,000 volumes varying from Thornton's five-volume History of British India (original 1841 edition) to the latest novel by Norman Mailer. All this is on the plus side but what about the other aspect?

The library supposedly receives 150 periodicals but, on repeatedly carrying out random surveys I have unfortunately found many important magazines missing or outdated. Notable among these are expensive weeklies like the Economist, and Eastern Economist, Life, Imprint, Reader's Digest, Popular Science, New Times, etc. appear sporadically but fortunately Time and New Statesman are available regularly.

It has been confirmed after investigations that no one in the library is responsible for the regular disappearance of the magazines. There are pressures the Librarian cannot oppose and in this context it is relevant to point out that each student contributes 30rupes annually (which adds up to 45,000 rupees i.e., 75% of the Library's budget) and the UGC provides remaining amount.

The students are justified in expecting these facilities to be oriented to their benefit. All the latest issues of the magazines should be available to them within the Reading Room and should not be permanently sent to certain parts of the college campus.

In conclusion, it must be pointed out to the authorities that one of the root causes of the present indiscipline among students is (besides the bad example set by the elders) the non-availability of productive channels to utilize their excess time and energy. The average Hinduite drifts to the cafe to pass his time in idle gossip till the next class. Perhaps (and it sounds rather trivial) a more up-to-date and complete array of magazines would lure them to the library." (Chandler: 1971: 75-76).

Chandler, who is reproducing this comment, cannot resist his own observation: "The author of this article exposed one reason why students do not get the library facilities they need: the professors and lecturers have, understandably, first choice. This is the explanation why Eastern and Western students flock to public libraries where they normally have parity of treatment with other readers. Unfortunately, public libraries in India are underdeveloped and are not able to assist greatly. An exception is the Delhi Public Library (p. 76-77)"

Case Six (moving out!):

What people do, if they find that a library is being closed or shifted to another area? The users of Mysore University Library, in 1965, protested the idea of shifting the University Library to the new campus.

Since many learned and elite used the old library, there was a strong protest against this decision. The authorities agreed to retain, at least 10,000 volumes which were selected to meet the needs of those citizens, with adequate staff to manage the resources.

Case Seven (libraries-on-demand):

At a seminar held by the National Book Trust at Bangalore, in 1976, one of the participants --a famous novelist-- complained that he could not get easy access to any library in the city in order to gather material for one of his novels.

Case Eight (need-based):

Dear X

I am in need of 'Poststructuralism and the Question of History,' ed by Derek Attridge. Can I request you to kindly return the book on the due date: 28-3-1977? I need it only for a few days -- so if your need is greater you'll have it back in the first week of April!

Thanks a lot

Y

Case Nine (Friends of camels):

"Some time age I was visiting Jaipur and there is very nice organization called 'Balrashmi' for children. In the villages around I found a camel cart on which were fixed a number of almirahs full of books. As the camel travels from one village to the other carrying these books, a librarian collects the books which have already been read and issues new books. Any time the camel arrives in the village all children run to it... Baiwala aa gaya! baiwala aa gaya! As they know, they are friends of the camel, they feed the camel, they bring their old books; they take new ones and the camel goes on. A very nice example of an essential service" (Yashpal: 1995: 9)

Case Ten (A word from an academic):

In the 'introduction,' to Fazal Elahi's Reference Assistance to Indian Readers: A text book for librarians, Prof. Radhakamal Mukherjee (Head of the Department of Sociology and Economics, Lucknow University), writes:

In the Indian libraries reference aid is seldom given. The lack of this service prevents us from getting the best out of our library resources, meager as these are. In the absence of reference work as a function of Indian libraries, I feel that this excellent handbook, which summarizes reference material usually available in India, will be of great aid to both library workers and general readers.

Case Eleven (A writer's impression):

R K Narayan has the following interesting observation on how the people have different priorities, even if they are contributing to the library movement:

"Recently when I visited a certain important town I saw a new library building coming up at a feverish speed. The name-boards of architect, contractor, electrician, and sanitary engineers, stood up on all sides of the compound in letters of gold. The ground was swept, lawns were laid and watered desperately, and all workmen were finishing up their tasks by gas light. I felt pleased: the thought that someone was hurrying on at a desperate speed to provide cultural amenities to the townsmen was a very pleasant and sustaining thought. I felt that you couldn't see that zest in any other part of the world. I felt that friendship of those who were responsible for this was worth cultivating. I sought them out and expressed my feelings. They were naturally pleased with the compliment and were willing to give me all facts connected with it. I learnt that the building was costing them two lakhs of rupees. They gave me the names of all technicians who were at work there, and concluded, 'According to the terms of the contract the building must be handed over to us by the tenth of this month.'"

"Why such a firm date?"

"Otherwise it will be of no use for us, Sir... will be passing this way on the Tenth and he has agreed to perform the opening ceremony. If the building is not in our hands on that date it will be practically useless for us afterwards."

I could not accept the statement. "Why do you say that it will be useless? You may always stock the books and start using the building any moment, irrespective of whether an eminent man is passing this way or not?"

Oh, books! he said. "We are not bothered about that now. We are thinking of only the opening ceremony." I could not help asking: "When are you going to bother about it, anyway?" "Oh, can't say. It will depend upon the funds available at the end of all this."

"If and when you decide to admit books into the library what will be your procedure for acquiring them?"

"We will probably call for tenders for the supply of books. We want to encourage the local booksellers and distribute the patronage evenly."

I couldn't help asking: "How are you going to select the volumes?'

"We shall leave it to the booksellers. We shall first measure the total shelf space, get an approximate idea of the number of volumes required to fill them, and call for quotations for the supply of this quantity. Anyway we are not going to worry about this detail now. Our first requirement is building and furniture. After that we must find funds for sending up someone for library training, for which we are already receiving numerous applications."

"And so I gathered the following facts and figures about the library:

Building Rs 2,00,00; Lighting Rs. 15,000; Plumbing, etc. Rs. 12,000; Garden lay-out and Supervisors charges Rs. 5,000' Counter, shelves, and furniture Rs. 30,000; Opening ceremony, printing of invitations, welcome address, president's speech and secretary's report Rs. 2,000; pendal and tea Rs. 4,000; and Books No budget yet."

"I shall leave it without further comment." (Hindu 5 April, 1953).

Misuse of Libraries

Case One (Window shopping):

In a library at 9 a.m. someone is founding throwing a book, 'Princeton's Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics,' from the window. The staff notice this. They catch the library user. The user apologizes, on being confronted by the chief of the library staff. Suspecting that he has been into this for a long, he is told that his house will be searched by the staff members. The user reluctantly agrees. The staff accompany him and he takes them to a house where not a single book is traced. The user returns and is told by the officer in-charge that because of his misbehavior and misconduct, his membership is terminated and he cannot use the library anymore.

Case Two (private collection):

A user comes to the library and returns three books. These are not checked out. Still he has taken them home and is approaching the librarian with these three books. He informs the librarian that he is guilty of having taken away these books without following procedure. The librarian inquires with him, as to why he did so?

The user says that he did it for whatever reason, but also goes on to add: 'I have many more books at my home, and I can show you all those.'

'Is it!' Shockingly the librarian responds.

By his speech and behavior, the user looks abnormal. He stammers, and repeats his own words, with such a fluency that it is irritating to hear the same guilt feelings. Later the talk turned into angry conversation, on being questioned about the method adopted in this stealing process. He refused to divulge the trick and said there are ways and means of stealing and he did not wish to disclose the same.

He says again in affirmative, that he does have more books and is willing to show it to any one who wishes to come to his house and have a look. The user willingly gives his address and phone number too.

The librarian deputes two staff to visit his house, and before they embark on this trip, confirms from the given contact number:

'We have been told there are some books of ours at your place, can we come and have a look at these?'

The respondent on phone says, 'yes, why not, please come.' And admits, 'My son has a problem, and he is not keeping good health, and for this reason he did this nasty job of taking away your books. I am willing to help you in tracing your books, but assure me that you will not harm my son, or harm his reading interests. My son is in need of moral and all kind of support, and hence I request you to be kind towards him.'

The librarian assures all positive approach in this whole episode.

The two staff members then reach the house of the user. There is a feeling of unknown type: how will the user treat us--badly, generously, madly, crazily? How will he react to showing the books? What could be the course of action--after being shown around the house?

The loud thinking process ended, when a servant took us in, in a minute the user saw us, and was dead serious, yet he said:

'Have you seat!' a great relief indeed.

'See, I have no problem in showing you these books!'

But, retorts again, 'Why do you want to see these? I have not done anything wrong. I have these books from so many libraries, and none has suspected me on this. Why are you people madly chasing me?'

The servant serves tea, and gives a relief from the haunting eyes of the user--talking to himself, throwing the cigarette, and acting in a very funny way.

The library staff members have no answer, since the user is annoying to the limits; starring on the face of the staff, as if they were criminals, and he a decent civilian--interrogating them!

He gradually gets up and moves around his house, as if he is too busy and these visitors are wasting his time. He disappeared twice, and it looked as if he was searching for more books inside the house. Nothing like that happened. (Incidentally) the staff members carried no warrant to search, and did not even carry a notice to seek legal entry into his house--they were as if breaking his house and stealing all the precious pearls lying there. He points towards the shelf adjacent to the wall, where hundreds of books are shelved, saying:

'These are all mine, you have no right to search my house?'

'I have paid for xeroxing these!' and there on the shelves are a few more hundred neatly xeroxed, bound and wrapped up--to hide whatever would have been otherwise evident!

The two visitors keep mum, because the confrontation with this bibliomaniac was not normal and never quite predictable. Finally, he showed up all the books around, and the two picked up whatever seemed to be the property of their library....

... He allowed over a dozen books, seemingly the rightful property, to be taken back. He, however, unhappily, identified the books, and saw to it, that, he was giving away only 'genuine' books, and not any books from his personal or other collections.

He later reached the library, met the librarian, and gave a letter, stating that his was an unpardonable crime, and was out and out guilty for the act of his. He would not divulge two things: Why did he do so, and how did he do so, till the last.

The officer-in-chare looked into the case history, and put the case for terminating the member from the library. Whether termination of membership is the only course of action, or not, the debate may go on.

Case Three (stealing with a reason):

A person enjoys stealing books from a Contact library. Willfully admits the act, and justifies it by saying, that is one form of anti-colonial vengeance. See for this Upamnayu Chatterjee's protagonist in his celebrated first novel (English August), Ogu.

Community Information

A typical day of a villager:

Dasrath, a small farmer from a typical Indian village, gets up early in the mornings most part of the year and almost off to work in his small farm. He takes one or more hands of labor with him in the agricultural season. He works hand in hand with them. Only he gives them the direction. Ploughing, transplanting, irrigating, and right up to treshing is part of his work depending on the season. His work days have no fixed hours. After putting in a few hours in the morning, he takes a break for lunch. He stops by a few close fellow farmers on the way and makes casual inquiries and mostly that is where he updates his local information. There is always something to do for Dasrath. Straighten the fence, weeding or mending something. He would be back in the fields by later afternoon supervising the labor and giving instructions. A visit to the tea stall or the village bus stand for casual talks with the acquaintances. And almost that is how his days go.

Dasrath is not formally educated, but as a fairly successful farmer he operates with a fair amount of certainty. He has leant how to go about fertilizing the field, how much of urea, for instance, is required to make the best of the profits, what brands of seeds to use, and all such things. He talks to other villagers, inquires in the cooperative society and other shops that is where he gets his information. He knows the extension workers. He has been one of the willing adopters of their suggestions. But he has always cross checked with other farmers before going for any change. He makes his finer judgments about people he talks to and is not always readily taken in by all kinds of suggestions. Yes, he wants to fare better.

What can a library give him? Information about improved agricultural practices? modern implements for small farmers like him, minimum agricultural prices, rights and duties under PR? Yes, certainly. But he would not be in to read any of them even if he knows how to go about it. For him actually seeing/doing is believing. Yes, he listens to the radio and these days also watches his own TV. That is where his dreams and aspirations come from.

Naidu, on the other hand, is a successful big farmer. He has a leisurely life and has most of the luxuries a village can name of--tractor, fridge, cable TV, and a house. Many people work for him. He just supervises and takes care of marketing. He has better links with all local and district level agricultural agencies. He knows about the govt. schemes and the improved agricultural methods. He has the where withal to risk and experiment. His circle of acquaintances include other farmers in the district and of course friends and relatives. He is a big operator in the local power structure. Most of his day goes in interacting with them. Yes, he knows a lot of stray things through casual talks, small time leisure readings and watching TV. Would he read a book on new agricultural methods if housed in a big library? Typically he would not (Satish: 1997: 79-80)

*** Libraries in India - National Developmental Perspectives:

A saga of Fifty years since independence,

by Mohamed Taher.

New Delhi, Concept Publishing, 2001 (pp. ).

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