University of Calcutta

About University of Calcutta

The report of the Committee was accepted by the Syndicate and the University Library occupied one of the two side rooms of the Senate House building. It may be pointed out that the University’s income in those days was very small. In 1874-75 the total income amounted to Rs. 96,290, out of which the contribution of the Government was Rs. 47,316. The University Library continued in its humble way till the passing of the University Act in 1904 and the appointment of Sir Asutosh Mookerjee as Vice-Chancellor. The Calcutta University Act of 1904 provided a special clause which empowered the University to maintain Libraries, Museums and Art Galleries. Henceforth the University began to allot larger sums towards the purchase of books. The first notable acquisition by the University Library was the purchase in 1909 of the entire Library of Prof. R. Pischel of Berlin. His collections contained practically everything that had been published within the preceding thirty or forty years in Europe and North America in the fields of Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Philosophy including comparative Philosophy, in addition to many other works of interest. As the University activities were expanding in all directions, pressure for accommodation was being increasingly felt. In 1912, the Library had a new home, thanks largely to the munificence of the then Maharaja of Darbhanga. The Central Hall with its side compartments in the first storey as well as the large hall and its side rooms in the second floor were set apart to accommodate the rapidly expanding library collections. About this time, three whole-time Assistants were appointed for the Library. Prior to this there was no whole-time Assistant for the Library during the first few years of its existence, the Second Assistant in the Registrar’s office used to look after library matters as a part-time job. In1886 a new Assistant was taken in for the Library and was given the designation of Assistant Librarian but the Registrar continued to be responsible for the administration of the Library. In 1912 the Government of India contributed a lakh of rupees for the building up of the library stock and agreed to place the University Library on its distribution list for the free supply of all Government publications. In 1913, Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University, acknowledging the contribution made by the Government of India remarked “the improvements in the Library have been rendered practicable by means of the funds placed at the disposal of the University by the Government of India.”

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