Visiting the Central Library

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Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا‎

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Dec 26, 2012, 5:50:30 AM12/26/12
to The Third Thursday Goa Book Club
Dear all: As you might know, Goanet [http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/] holds an annual meeting at this time of the year in Goa. This year, we're combining it with a visit to the Krishnadas Shama Central Library.

You're most welcome to join us. This is an open event. We'll probably have a guided tour of the library. If you haven't signed-up for membership or renewed your old membership, this might be a good opportunity to do so (bring one photo + address photo-proof like a driving license or adhar card + Rs 750 for a lifetime membership) and make the most of it.

Some details about the library below (subject to correction). --FN

Goa State Central Library

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Goa State Central Library (renamed the Krishnadas Shama Central Library in 2012) is the main library in the former Portuguese colony of Goa. It is located in Panjim (Panaji) and its website claims that it is the first public library to be set up across India, in the early 1830s.

Contents

Oldest in India

State Central Library Goa (now, the Krishnadas Shama Central Library) at Panjim, Goa.

According to its official site, it is "the oldest Public Library in India" having been set up on 15th September 1832 in then Portuguese-ruled Goa by Vice Roy Dom Manuel de Portugal e Castro as the Publica Livraria of the Academia Militar de Goa (Military Training Institute). In 1836 the name was changed to Bibliotheca Publica. It was enriched with the repository transferred from the convents run by religious orders that had been suppressed in the 1834.

In 1836 itself, the library was shifted to premises where the Municipal proceedings were held. The library was raised to the status of a National Library and renamed as Bibliotheca Nacional de Nova Goa in February 1897.

From Portugal, overseas "provinces"

In March 1925 it became part of the Instituto Vasco da Gama, an academic-cultural institution, and was renamed as the Biblioteca Nacional Vasco da Gama. By Decree Law 38684 of March 18 1952, the Deposito Legal (Delivery Act) was made applicable to this library, according to its official website.

Resultantly, the library received all publications from Portugal and her overseas Provinces. From September 1959, the Bibliotheca was separated from the Institute and placed under the administrative control of Servicos de Instruccao e Saude (Education and Health Services) and renamed as Biblioteca Nacional de Goa.

Collection

Its pre-1961 (Portuguese Goa) collection consists mainly of books and journals in Portuguese, French, Latin, English and a few books in local languages like Konkani and Marathi. Some 40,000 volumes date back to the pre-1961 era.

Among other valuable texts, the Library holds incomplete collections of nineteenth and early twentieth century newspapers in Marathi, Konkani, English and Portuguese, published from Goa and from Bombay. Many of these are in a state of advanced disrepair.

The library used to be the repository institution for Mozambique, and for other Portuguese colonies in Africa until the 18th century. There are educational reports and other official publications regarding Africa in the library. A professional catalogue for these collections can be accessed from the website of the University of Aveiro, Portugal under the collection Memorias de Africa.

According to the Citizen's Charter[1] of the Directorate of Arts and Culture, "The State Central library is one of the oldest library in India is open for all readers irrespective of class, creed or nationality. The collection is available for reference in [the] Rare and Goan History Section and Reference Section ... the Lending Section... the Newspaper and Magazine Section..."

The State Central Library has a more than 180,000 book collection[1], in different languages like English, Hindi, Marathi, Konkani, Portuguese, since 1832. About 15,00,000 pages of Rare Books, Official Gazettes and Newspapers are available in electronic format (microfilm Form). State Central Library acts a depository library under Press and Registration Books Act, 1867 and Delivery of Books Act, 1954 wherein the entire published book in the State should be deposited in the library for national posterity.

Reference sources like general and subject dictionaries, encyclopedias, who’s who directories, biographical dictionaries, gazetteers, atlases, travel guides and various other reference sources are available for users.[1] Books for competitive examinations and valuable books on different subjects also form the part of this collection. Students and research scholars also utilise the library.

Location

Participants join in a workshop on book publishing at the Central Library, Panjim.

Since 2011, the library has shifted to its new premises in the Pato locality of Panjim (Panaji), near the main bus stand of the state capital of Goa. It is located in a spacious, six-floor building.

News reports in April 2011 quoted officials of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) as saying that the Rs 32 crore (Rs 320 million) project comprises six storeys and covers an area of 13,369 square metres.

Facilities

Media reports have projected that the library "will have" over half a million books -- over twice the previous number of the smaller library which was located in the heart of town -- besides access to 200 magazines and 20 newspapers. Also promised (prior to the launch of the library) were full-automation in lending and receiving books using the LIBSYS software for library automation (LIBSYS allows for acquisitions or purchase of books; cataloguing and organising documents; serial control for periodicals; circulation including membership records and books issue and return; and article indexing to create a database of articles published in journals).

A special, user-friendly section has also been set up for children (on the second floor), a braille section for visually-challenged readers, an internet section. Officials were quoted saying that plans include "a facility for microfilming and a book preservation laboratory ... (among) the 27 sections that comprise the new centrally air-conditioned state library."

The curator of the central library Carlos Fernandes said that the Lipsis system is a library-management software that will connect all government libraries in Goa to the central library in Panaji. You can log on to the library website from home and check whether it has a particular book and whether that book is present in the library shelf or out on circulation.

Timings

The library is open on all seven days of the week, including weekends, but is closed on public holidays only. It is also kept open during the lunch break, and its working hours are from 9.30 am to 7 p.m., though it closes a little earlier on the weekends.

Membership of the library

Being a public library, funded by the State, it is open to all, and everyone is allowed to use its facilities. Home-lending however requires membership of the library, which currently costs between Rs 250 to 750 (lifetime deposit, no annual fee). To sign-up as a member, which is a speedy process normally done within half a hour, one requires to produce one or two passport sized photographs, and also a local proof of residence (which contains your name, address and photograph -- such as a driving licence, passport, Adhar card, etc).

Administration today

The State Central Library Goa is currently under the administrative control of Government of Goa's Directorate of Art & Culture. The Curator is the Head of State Central Library, and its current Curator is Carlos Fernandes.

Photo Gallery

  • Krishnadas Shama State Central Library Goa

  • Children's section on the second floor.

  • Reading gallery, overlooking capital Panjim (Panaji).

  • The magazine section, which is widely popular.

  • The library's oldest book, some five centuries old.

  • Auditorium and lecture-room

  • Goa, Portugal newspapers.

  • Braille section

  • View of the library

  • Curator Carlos Fernandes (left) shows valuable collections to visitors duringPubNext2012.

  • Holdings of the library. Seen on one of the six floors.

  • External view of the campus. Blue-on-white azuleijos tiles.

  • Vistors take a closer look at some of the earliest European-printed books in India.

References

  • Public Libraries of the 21st Century. Panjim/Panaji, Directorate of Arts & Culture, Government of Goa, 2010, p. 59-74

External links


Tony Martin

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Dec 26, 2012, 6:10:32 AM12/26/12
to goa-bo...@googlegroups.com
It was always my desire for more than a decade now to attend at least one goanet annual meet. I will certainnly try this time. When is it? 
On a differnt note I think the Central Library needs to be open on Sundays and holidays. May be the curator Mr Carlos Fernandes will give my suggestion some consideration and due weightage.
Tony Martin.  

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Tony Martin
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Galgibaga, Canacona

Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا‎

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Dec 26, 2012, 6:14:30 AM12/26/12
to The Third Thursday Goa Book Club
Dear Bro. Tony:

Details of this year's event (which is open to all):

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                        **** Annual Goanetters Meet ****
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            Annual Goanetters Meet - December 27, 2012 - 10:00 am

                Krishnadas Shama Central Library, Panjim, Goa

     Check out the oldest book available in Goa... over 500 years old.
Get a special tour around the library. To sign-up for a library membership:
  Bring one passport-sized photo and proof-of-residence with photograph.

                      http://bit.ly/GoaStateCentralLibrary

Planning to attend? Send an email to eve...@goanet.org with contact details

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As for keeping open, Tony, the library IS opened on Saturdays and Sundays. Which is *very* convenient for the reader, and one of the three-four factors that makes the institution so much more useful.

On holidays though, it is closed... but considering the (i) long opening hours (ii) not staying closed for the notoriously long Panjim siesta and (iii) staying open on Saturdays-Sundays in a setting where the government works a five-day week... I wouldn't grumble! FN

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Goa,1556's updated list of books available on and from Goa:
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