OP Sharma
Located in the heart of the City of Temples, is Sri Ranbir Library (SRL) which has many precious books and vital documents/manuscripts containing knowledge about past and present. It is a treasure trove of some priceless books and documents in addition to newspapers and periodicals for the readers.
Hundreds of members and common persons, including students and scholars, often visit and consult the library. Some research scholars too frequent it for source material.
Adequate arrangements are in place but still much more needs to done for better and professional library services. Reading Room in this library with newspaper/magazines is often visited daily by the readers.
It certainly needs further up-gradation by proper cataloging, digitalization and a more professional touch to make it update and modern library in real sense of the term. Membership drive has to be geared up and efficient services made available.
In an interaction with me, the Director, J&K Libraries, discussed in detail the various steps and suitable strategy for giving this library a professional touch on modern lines and more amenities to the readers. The present administration, he said, is interested to make this library very modern and well equipped with lot many books especially in local official languages and other digital reading material with computers for the public, particularly the youth.
Answering a question, he added that the efforts are on to make it on the lines of other most well equipped and modern libraries in the country.
Answering a question, the Director, Libraries agreed to bring in more professionalism for modern library in Jammu and make this library very well equipped with modern facilities for the convenience of the readers and the general public. The membership of the library is gradually growing up and facilities being upgraded, he added. A blueprint has been prepared and many innovative steps are in pipe-line, he claimed.
This library has some problems like well trained staff, inadequate space in the existing building complex and needs further expansion , more modern equipments and adequate funds for digitalization of priceless manuscripts and historical documents.
Questioned about sufficient facilities and amenities for the readers, members and scholars, it was informed that tenders have been floated and soon decision will be taken. The process of digitalisation of important books and documents or manuscripts is already in hand and will be speeded up. Some more initiatives will have to be taken up to upgrade this premier institution on modern lines.
The Director expressed the hope that Jammu, which is emerging as a Smart City should have e-books for the ever growing readership of the ” knowledge society” in this part of the country.
Interacting with me the Chief Librarian Savita Bhagat, who is a trained librarian, pleaded for more professionalism, more adequate space, digitalization and other amenities like: canteen service, photo-stat facilities and so on.
She asserted that the membership of the library is gradually going up but agreed that procedure for it has to be further simplified for the convenience of the general public.
Sri Ranbir Library has the long history of being the oldest and first public library of Jammu and Kashmir State which was founded during the regime of Dogra ruler Maharaja Ranbir Singh in the year 1879 and previously housed in the Ajaib Ghar building Jammu, which was later turned into Legislature building and it was shifted to present location which was acquired by the State Government from a private citizen of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State. Its location is in the heart of Jammu city and is ideal for the general public to approach it for acquiring knowledge.
There is scope for going in for a multi-storey building complex for meeting its ever-growing requirement for a suitable decent library in this City of Temples. It may be mentioned that the Sri Pratap Singh Library at Srinagar, was started in 1898 by Maharaja Pratap Singh..
With the passage of time many district, tehsil and border block libraries were set up by the Government, both in Jammu region and Kashmir valley, having collection of books in various languages including Hindi, English, Dogri, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Persian, Sanskrit etc. Besides books on various subjects, the user community is also provided national and local newspapers and magazines to keep them abreast with the latest happenings around the globe.
The collection of books in SRS library is nearly 75000. SRS Library also holds collection of books donated by Raja Ram Mohun Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata. The foundation has donated more than 23000 books on various subjects.
This writer, who was once member of this library, went through different sections and also the Reading Rooms meant for the public. Some facilities have been provided but in view of the growing public demand still much more needs to be done to give a professional touch and upgrade it on the modern lines. Certainly it needs much more effort. Will the UT Administration meet the much projected public demand to upgrade and make it “centre of knowledge”?
Since this place is frequently visited by the members and the general public, I had an opportunity to talk with a cross section of people and had a peep into readers’ mind . One person said that though there are other books but the Dogri literature and cultural heritage aspects are not attended to properly and adequately. Another talked about the canteen facilities and also voiced lack of getting information online and browse e-books and e-papers/magazines now in vouge. One lady advocated that more books and material including documents must be made available in this library on history and all other matters, old and new, related to Jammu and Kashmir along with information about our nation. Children literature must be made available in mother-tongue, Dogri.
To bring this “store- house of vital information” on Jammu and Kashmir as also its literature and cultural heritage, it must be well-equipped and have adequate facilities for the readership. I feel that the alert and active present administration of Jammu and Kashmir must pay immediate and urgent attention for further up-gradation, more books/e-books, deploy use of update technology and library professionalism for also proper preservation of highly valuable historical documents, rare books, manuscripts and other records.
It is noteworthy that there is a vast network of public libraries making available their services to the readership all across Jammu and Kashmir. These too urgently need attention and up-gradation.
It is hoped that the UT Administration in collaboration with the Central Government must certainly consider these urgent public demands and take immediate proper remedial measures. It is hoped that the public will also actively participate in the modernization and up-gradation process of this Public Library for dissemination of all knowledge to the readership in Jammu, on the lines of most modern and advanced libraries across the country
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