Delhi Public Library

Delhi Public Library
Location	Delhi, India
Type	Public
Established	27 October 1951
Branches	37
Collection
Items collected	Books, Newspaper, Periodicals, Braille Books, Paintings, Digital Media, Gramophone Records
Size	1.7M
Legal deposit	National Depository Centre
Access and use
Circulation	1M
Members	1,59,000
Other information
Budget	INR 139M
Employees	214
Website	www.dpl.gov.in

Delhi Public Library is a national depository library in the Indian Union Territory of Delhi. The library has 37 branches across the state.

History

The library was established on 27 October 1951 as a pilot project sponsored by UNESCO and the Government of India. The library project dates back to 1944, when Shri Ramkrishna Dalmia donated most of the amount required to construct a library building at the request of Gen. Sir Claude Auchinleck. In February 1950 the Indian government and UNESCO agreed to initiate the project, and the library was officially opened on 27 October 1951, by then Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The library buildings were acquired between 1951 and 1953, with operations formally transferred from UNESCO to the Indian Government in 1955. The library provides training facilities to student librarians and social education workers from its early days.

Facilities

The library has been expanding its services as a centre for the dissemination of knowledge, information and culture. It is increasingly felt that the library should not merely serve as a centre for lending books, but should also grow as a robust organization devoted to promote intellectual pursuits and create community rapport among its readers.

External links

• Official website