BENGALURU: Set in midst of the lush greenery at Cubbon Park, this rust-coloured building has been around for a 100 years. Built in 1915, Sir Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, which is where the State Central Reference Library is, has a quietude that would draw any reader.
As you enter this library, you are welcomed by a board requesting you to keep your voice down. The library, predominantly made of wood, opens into a sweeping hall with concentric semi-circular book racks.
The book racks overwhelm the walls. The view of the racks and the numerous books in them is enough to convince any skeptic that the library has 3,14,848 books. Total number of books in the copyright section is 1,76,469. The library also contains 802 braille books, 5,000 children's books 296 newspapers and periodicals.
One of the oldest books available in the library ’A History of Classical Greek Literature’, was printed in 1880.
The building started its life as a memorial - built to honour Sir Kumarapuram Sheshadri Iyer, who served as the Second Diwan of Mysore. The foundation stone for the building was laid on October 1, 1903, by the British Resident of Mysore State, Donald Robertson. Placed near the library is a statue of Sheshadri Iyer, which was unveiled by Viceroy Lord Hardings of Penshurst on November 20, 1913.
The building is designed in a classic European style with Tuscan and Corinthian columns. The library has two porticoes which open to a rose garden.
The memorial committee decided to convert it into a library. The building was donated to State Public Library in 1914 and on May 1, 1915, it was opened to all.
Apparently, the library building was built through crowdsourcing – with public subscriptions that totalled to over `1 lakh. Initially membership was on payment, then it was converted into an aided library in 1920. It had 4,750 volumes and 215 members to start with.
By 1943, it started receiving grants from the government, municipality and civil and military station municipalities.
The library was maintained by a managing committee which was registered under Mysore Registration Act. Krishna Rao, the then inspector general of education was the first president of the committee.
In November 1966, the library was taken over by the Government of the Karnataka as State Central Library under Karnataka Public Library Act, 1965.
There was a deluge of new libraries around that time. The Department of Public Libraries came into being in November 1966 by virtue of enactment and adoption of Karnataka Public Libraries Act, 1965. It established 30 district libraries and 26 city central libraries in metropolitan cities. It has 601 branch libraries in other locations, one Indira Priyadarshini State Children Library, 100 slum libraries, 127 nomadic libraries, 15 mobile libraries and also 31 children community centres. This year also marks 50 years of the existence of the Act.
Dr Satishkumar S Hosamani took over as the director of Department of Public Libraries, Karnataka State on May 31, 2014.
Climb up the stairs and, on the first floor, you will find regular patrons – students and professionals – engaged in reading the day’s news or catching up with periodicals. Along the long stretch of the floor that is dedicated to newspapers and periodicals, you will also find students – from various colleges and those preparing for competitive exams jotting down points.
As the name of the library goes, the books kept here are only for reference and cannot be taken home. This rule was implemented from April 1, 1986.
But the library happens to be an information hub for people who stop by just for a while, to read newspapers early in the morning.
Interestingly, if authors want to introduce their books to readers, the library has a system. Authors have to submit three copies to the library, for which the library will have copyright. One copy of the book is then sent to Parliament Library and Hampi Kannada Vishwavidyalaya, only if the book is printed in Kannada.
To encourage children to read books, the library has come up with Indira Priyadarshini Children’s Library. It was established on August 24, 1994. Before the library came up, the building, which is 60 to 70 years old, was known as Mayura Hotel of the Karnataka Tourism Department.
They also celebrate library week in November every year.
It records a footfall of about 500 visitors every day. Children’s library is packed with these tiny tots who come here to read their favourite story
books during weekends and the holiday season.