Sniffing through the legendary Central Library of Baroda

Imagine, you are scrolling through your kindle and enjoying your favourite author’s company with a cup of hot coffee. You are nourishing your adrenaline rush to settle down. But, have you ever tried satiating your frightened stimulation by flipping and sniffing through those yellow pages of an old book? If yes, you would have noticed how we discreetly calm ourselves through olfactory indulgence by pretending to scratch our nose with our book. On this National Reading Day, we thought of strolling through the racks of Central Library which is centred in the heart of Baroda to gratify our bibliophilia.

National Reading Day

The day commemorates PN Panicker’s passing; in Kerala, he is renowned as the “Father of the Library Movement.” He supported many initiatives carried out by the Kerala Granthashala Sangham, which instigated a widespread cultural movement in Kerala and led to the state’s adoption of universal literacy in the 1990s. This day honours Panicker’s efforts to change Indian society through his literacy drive. He had established the Sanadana Dharma Library, the epicentre of Kerala’s library movement.

Father of Modern Indian Library Movement

Library movement in India can be divided into three phases: ancient, medieval, and modern. The modern library movement in India began in the early 20th century and is continually evolving as new technology is introduced. However, if anyone is to be given credit for ensuring that information was available to all people without distinction, it should be Maharaja of Baroda Sayajirao Gaekwad III.

Sayajirao Gaekwad III had underwent a rigorous training and education under the direct supervision of the British Crown. He gained information from this global education, which aided him in developing into a kind leader and effective administrator. “He realised that knowledge—whether it be academic, practical, or otherwise—must permeate every level of society without restriction in order to serve the long-term interests of the nation,” says Bhavesh Dhonde, Senior Clerk, Baroda Central Library.

Vision of Gaekwad III

Baroda already had a state library that was constructed in the 19th century, and it served the broad Baroda public just as well as it should have. Sayajirao realised the importance of universal literacy and an accessible network for knowledge sharing. Post his visit in England and Europe by the 1880s, he saw the variations in education delivery between the West and India. He made an effort to comprehend how to foster innate, lifelong curiosity for information in his fields.

Sayajirao began visiting the United States frequently in the 1890s. Even in the early 20th century, when media was less prevalent than it is today, two of his specific journeys to the country generated a lot of media attention and press coverage throughout America and the entire world. The 1906 visit he wanted to learn about the American educational system that gave rise to centres of excellence like Harvard, Berkeley, Princeton, and Cornell.

He travelled to New York, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Harvard, Chicago, and Colorado as an eager observer and student who wanted to learn things that would help make Baroda a model state. He made an impression on the American press by advancing education in his state of Baroda, where he had already found a technical school, a women’s university, and two colleges for men. The book collection housed at the Congressional library in Washington, DC, greatly impressed him.

Birth of the Central Library

Sayajirao chose to create a network of public libraries in his state that will be open to everyone for free and imposed mandatory free primary education for all without any discretion post his observation from the voyages. Thus, this was India’s first system of modern public libraries.

During his visit to the United States in 1910, he asked Charles A. Cutter’s student-assistant William Alanson Borden, a librarian for the Young Men’s Institute in Connecticut, to come establish library services in Baroda. As the Director of the Baroda State Libraries, Borden accepted the offer and arrived in Baroda in November 1910.

William Alanson Borden’s contribution

Bordon discovered that Baroda had 241 libraries with more than 1 lakh books. “Sayajirao Gaekwad asked him to establish a professional library management plan, which he did in 1911,” confirms J K Chaudhari, State Librarian, Baroda Central Library. With the help of his plan, a network of free public libraries was created, including a state central library, four district libraries, 45 town libraries, more than 1000 village libraries, mobile libraries, and more. 85% of the people in Baroda got access to libraries within 20 years. In 1911, Borden also established India’s first public library school to educate future librarians. He was employed as a director till 1913.

The Legacy

The library still stands strong and is thankful to Edward Lutyen who was the architect of this structure. Post Borden, it was Motibhai Amin who had spread awareness on library. “Gaam tya shaada, shaada tya granthalaya” was promoted by Amin. He had introduced the system of ‘Lokfaado’ and mobile library on bullock carts which is functional even today.

To further the legacy of library, J S Kuralkar had started training people to become the librarians. “Each trainee would get rupees 25 as stipend,” confirms Dhonde. The stipend system began with rupees 7.5 which was later increased to rupees 25. In 1918, Newton Mohandutt was the in-charge of representing Baroda Central Library at the Kota and Gwalior Exhibitions where the Baroda library had received a gold medal which is still kept in the library while few other things are preserved in the treasury at Kuber Bhawan.

About the library

The library has racks made from abroad while the floor glasses have been brought all the way from Belgium. “Fees of the lending section is still meagre at rupees 40 as the deposit and 10 as fee for four books which can be issued at a time,” says Dhonde. The count of total membership is 45,543. Around 1, 98,000 physical pages have been converted to digital pages. There are now around 20- 25 libraries that fall under different trusts.

The library also houses the classics of William Shakespeare and miniatures of Gita and dictionaries brought from Europe- America in 1906- 10.

The good news which is yet to be busted officially is, there is rise in the budget allotted to the Gram Granthalaya from 15,000 to 25,000 bringing the total to 40,000. What else, but this news is the best news that we have received on Reading Day this year.