LIBRARY MOVEMENTS IN KERALA:

EXPLORING ORIGIN AND IMPACT

BINSIYA.V
Introduction
 In the urban complex of the past, the library was at best an isolated and
ephemeral phenomenon. Today a far-reaching and all-embracing library
network exists reaching over the entire field of public and private life.
 Intensive research and education at all levels and in all branches of
knowledge makes the services of library inevitable. In recent times
institutions of scientific and professional training have multiplied
manifold to keep pace with the explosion taking place in the sphere of
knowledge. Rational functioning of modern life has become impossible
without library.
 The evolution of libraries forms part of the mainstream social history
and understanding. This process is essential to an understanding of
twentieth century mass culture.
 Yesterday, the library was symbol of a tradition that rested securely in
the bosom of an educated minority. This elitist nature of library has
considerably declined today.
 The attempts to interpret the library as a social institution have centred
around the public library, although the public library emerged much later in
the long history of libraries.
 Certainly the 19th century leaders of the public library movement were well
aware that they were implementing one of the greatest organisational
changes in human history.
Library Movement in Kerala:

 Library movement is a broad term which includes any endeavor to

foster the development of libraries and library services in a
country or state.
 Library movement in kerala includes the following areas:-
1. Development of public libraries in Kerala
2. Kerala Grandha Sala Sangham and its contributions
3. Kerala State Library Legislation
4. Kerala Library Association
DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN KERALA
 Kerala, the southern most state of India well known for its high level literacy.
 The birth of public libraries in the state can be traced as in early as 1829.
 The factors that worked in the formation of libraries in India were diverse.
 The colonialists and under their direction, the rulers of the princely states
showed interest in establishing educational institutions including libraries.
 The colonialists did this primarily for their own purpose. However, the emerging
social forces against the colonial rulers and the feudal power structure made
libraries nerve centres of their struggles.
 The elite sections which had no interest in the ongoing political struggles also
took interest in forming libraries for ensuring and enhancing their intellectual
dominance.
 The downtrodden sections considered libraries their weapon in the struggle for
social opportunities.
 At present 8182 libraries are affiliated to the Kerala State Library Council.
 A number of reason can be traced for the existence of such large number of
rural public libraries in the state.
 The then 3 constituent parts of Kerala, 1:Travancore, 2: Cochin, 3:
Malabar have different streams of public library movement.
DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY IN TRAVANCORE
 The early growth of libraries in the state of Travancore was to a
great extent due to the spread of education in this area.
 The government start direct involvement in education as early
as1817 in Travancore by opening state owned schools in vernacular
languages.
 The public library movement in Travancore started with the
establishment of Travancore Public Library in 1829.By the British
resident Col. Edward Cadogan, and few English speaking natives in
the city.
 By 1850s number of libraries emerged in the state.
 Establishment of Kottayam Public Library in 1858 was one of the
land mark in the history of the library movement in Travancore
state.
 During the initial stages of 20th century various types of libraries
such as Grant-in aid libraries, village libraries, school libraries were
established.
 Trivandrum public library (1829)
• Founded by Col. Edward Codogan.
• In 1897 the library’s entire assets were handed over to the Govt. In
1899, it was opened to the public.
• In 1939, it was transferred to the University of Travancore.
• In 1949, the govt. resumed the control of the library.
 PEOPLES library (1862) John Alan Brown took initiative to establish the library.
• The major objective was the continued education of the natives.
• The Govt. had taken a keen interest in the affairs of the library.
• In 1899, the Govt. had taken over the library assets.
• In 1899, it merged with the Trivandrum Public Library.
 A number of associations and societies were also established.They conducted
meetings and seminars for promoting library movement during this period.
Travancore Public Library
DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN COCHIN

 The early growth of libraries in the state of Cochin was to a great extent
due to the spread of education in this area.
 The public library movement in cochin started with the establishment of
Eranakulam Public Library in 1870.
 The Trissure public library and other important public libraries in the
state were established in 1873. These two libraries were the land mark of
the public library movement in Cochin.
 The Cochin Government as a part of its adult education programme began
establishing rural libraries in different parts of the state since 1926.
 These libraries were under the direct control of Village Development
Committees.
Eranakulam Public Library
Trissur Public Library
DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN MALABAR:

 Unlike Travancore and Cochin, Malabar was one of the provinces of

East while Madras state. d peasant struggle in Malabar gave birth
to the public library movement in this area.
 Consequently rural public libraries and reading rooms started to
appear.They functioned as the centers of rural mass for reading
dailies and periodicals.
 The ever first library in Malabar region was the Kozhikode Public
library established in 1890.
 Thalasseri Victoria Memorial Library was established in 1901 by the
Christian Missionaries. Presently this library known as Azad
Memorial Library.
 Kannur Public Library-1927
 In 1937 the first Malabar Vayanashala Sammelanam was conducted
at Calicut under the chairmanship of K. Kelappan.
 The meeting gave birth to Malabar Vayanasala Sangham.
 In 1952 , The local library authority was formed for the Malabar
district as per the provision of Madras Public Library Act 1948
 Kozhikode Public Library was later converted into a District
Central Library
Kozhikod Public Library
Kannur Public Library
Thalasseri Azad Memorial Library
Kerala Granthasala Sangham

 The year 1945 is a milestone in the history of library movement in

Kerala.
 It was in this year representatives of 47 libraries in the east while
Travancore met together in the PKM memorial library in
Alappuzha.
 The initiative of PM Panicker, who was the founder secretary of
the library, formed All Travancore Granthasala Sangham.
 It was renamed as Thiru- Cochi Granthasala Sangham in 1949
with the integration of Travancore and Cochin states.
 As in 1949, there were about 350 affiliated to the Sangham.
 This include libraries already existed in Travancore, grant in aid
libraries, Panchayat libraries ,and new libraries organized by the
Sangham.
 In 1951, the rural school libraries and the village uplift libraries in
Travancore area were also taken by Sangham.
 In Cochin, apart from starting new libraries and affiliating the
already existing libraries the Sangham also succeeded in making all
government libraries as its members.
 In -1956 when state of Kerala formed the Sangham extended its
activities to Malabar and renamed as Kerala Granthasala
Sangham.
 About 500 libraries that had not been getting any grant from the local
library authorities in Malabar immediately became the members of
Sangham.
 It was Sangham which bought about a general awareness among the
people about the relevance of public library services.
 Sangham promoted cultural, social and educational life of Kerala
through the medium of libraries.
 Sangham also promoted adult education and pre primary education in
the state.
 In 1977 government took over the management of Sangham and handed
over to a control board with the minister of education as the chairman.
 By this time there were about 4200 libraries affiliated to the
Sangham.
 The Kerala Public Library Act 1989 provides for the merger of
Sangham in the state library council with all its assets and
liabilities.
PM Panicker
The Kerala Public Libraries Act-1989

 The attempts for library legislation for the state of Kerala can be
traced since 1948.When S R Ranganathan drafted a bill for
Travancore state at the request of sir C P Ramaswami Aiyer, the
then diwan of the state.
 Another draft bill again Ranganathan for Cochin state was
prepared at the request of the then educational minister
panamballi Govinda Menon.
 After the formation of kerala state Ranganathan drafted a bill
along with 30 years development plan at the request of the then
chief minister E.M.S Namboothiripad.
 But unfortunately all these efforts were aborted.
 After the 4 decades of endeavor kerala has been provided legal basis
for the public library service with the enactment of Kerala public
library’s act-1989.
• Under this act 3 tier administrative system formed for the
organization and administration of public library system in Kerala.
• 1. Kerala State Library Council
• 2. District Library Council
• 3. Taluk Library Union
 These were democratic in nature and statutory in character.
 Taluk Library Union is the base of hierarchical structure.
 District library council formed with 7 elected members of each
Taluk union and president and secretary of each union in the
district.
 Kerala state library council is the highest authority.
 It’s the duty of State Library Council to advise the government on
matters of establishment and service of public libraries in the
state.
 State library council coordinate working of the District Library
Council and the Taluk Library Council.
S R Ranganathan
CP Ramaswami Aiyer
E M S Namboothiripad
Kerala Library Association

 Is a professional body of librarians in Kerala.

 Registered under the Societies Act 1971
 Office of the association-Trivandrum
 Kerala library association conduct seminars and conferences.
 The achievement of Kerala Library Association spanning over a
period of three decades of steady progress is well reflected in the
development of library movement in in Kerala.
 Pivotal role in the scientific management and quality improvement
of libraries in the state.
Present situation

 8182 libraries are affiliated to State LibraryCouncil

 Various programmes and servicesJail Libraries
 Orphanage Libraries
 Tribal Libraries
 Heritage Libraries
 Academic Study Centers
 Rural Book Circulating Programmes
 Model Village Libraries
 Taluk Reference Libraries
 Hospital Libraries
 Reading contests for the students
 Tuition classes for socially backward students
Conclusion
 As a social institution rural libraries in Kerala were very vibrant and effective in educating and
informing people.
 These libraries were the centres of the community’s social and political life and they led the
cultural and literary activities of the society. Committed library activists did their job
voluntarily and selflessly.
 During a period when the circulation of newspapers and periodicals was limited, these
libraries and reading rooms served as windows to the world of knowledge for the rural
population.
 They were also the information centres of the village.For the oppressed and the
underprivileged sections, these institutions proved to be the first step towards social
emancipation.
 The public space created by the rural libraries was politically and socially also a liberating one
 But do our rural libraries keep up this momentum now? Do our libraries continue to play a vital
role in the society’s social and political upheavals? The answer is, unfortunately negative.
 Even though the density of the public library in the state is very
high, present condition of majority of library is not satisfactory.
References

 Kerala state library council catalog .

 Library movement in Kerala, Souvenir 25th All India Library
Conference,1979 ,Jhon P A and V K G Nair.
 PSG Kumar, Library Movement and Library Development in Kerala
and Lakshadweep, (B.R Publishers, New Delhi)
 K. S. Ranjith, Rural Libraries of Kerala, The Kerala Research
Programme on Local Level Development Centre for Development
Studies (Thiruvananthapuram)
 R Raman Nair, Origin of People’s Library Movement in Kerala,
Thank You