Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library Explained

Library Name:	Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library
Country:	India
Type:	Public
Established:	1905
Location:	Soa Babu Chowk, Bettiah, West Champaran, Bihar
Items Collected:	Books, Newspaper Periodicals, Braille Books, Digital Media
Legal Deposit:	National Depository Centre
Director:	Mr. Lalan Jha

Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library is a depository library in Bettiah in West Champaran district in the Indian state of Bihar. It was established in 1905 as Victoria Memorial Library and was renamed to its present name, Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library on Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh's birthday in 1955.

The library functions under the Government of Bihar and development activities are carried by the Digital Empowerment Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The District Education Officer (DEO) serves as the president of the library. Presently, Mr. Lalan Jha is the president of the library. On 21 February 2013, Maharaja Harendra Kishore District Public Library Resource Center was established as an initiative of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Gates Global Library Project by the state government of Bihar with the help of Digital Empowerment Foundation.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

History

Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library was established in 1905 as Victoria Memorial Library and continued to function at Chitragupta Maidan in Bettiah from 1905 to 1934. In 1936, the library was shifted to the land of Bettiah Raj following the earth quake in 1934. In 1955, on Bettiah Raj last king Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh's birthday, the library was renamed from Victoria Memorial Library to its present name, Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library and a statue of the king was established in the library premises.^[5] It was promoted to the status of the library of sub-division by the state government of Bihar in 1958. In 1980, the library was promoted to the status of "central district library".^[6]

Infrastructure

The library is established in an area of 1.45 acre and surrounded by boundary. It has four princely hall rooms comprising three depository rooms, one reading room, one office and one bathroom. There is a stage made in the east, which is used to host cultural functions and various other programs.^[5]

Vision

• To avail rural people free access to information resources and services.^[7]
• To effectively manage the district public library harnessing benefit of development of the digital catalog system.^[7]
• To make functional access to the information and communication technology in the district public library.^[7]

Facility

• Internet - The library provides internet access to its members to read national/international news paper online and to online submit application forms.^[8]
• Printing/Scanning/Photocopy - Printing, scanning and photocopy services are available to the registered members of the library.^[8]
• IT Training - The library also provides Information Technology training to the local population.^[8]
• Career Counselling - The library provides career counselling to the youth of the city and around on various vocational and higher education studies.^[8]

Membership

Any person that is native of India is eligible to be a member of the library.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Letter from Editor. 27 June 2014. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035351/http://defindia.net/files/2014/03/DEF_Newsletter_March2014.html. dead.
2. Web site: Empowering Rural Communities through Access to Information. 27 June 2014.
3. Web site: West Champaran District Library Resource Centre Inaugurated. 27 June 2014.
4. Web site: A digital route to revive our neglected libraries. 27 June 2014.
5. Web site: पुस्तकालय के बारे में. 27 June 2014. 21 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160221163339/http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%e0%a4%aa%e0%a5%81%e0%a4%b8%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%a4%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b2%e0%a4%af-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%87-%e0%a4%ac%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b0%e0%a5%87-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a5%87%e0%a4%82/. dead.
6. Book: Bihar District Gazetteers, Bihar (India) Gazetteer of India. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar, 1960. 502. 27 June 2014. 1960.
7. Web site: उद्देश्य. 27 June 2014. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212625/http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF/. dead.
8. Web site: पुस्तकालय सेवा. 27 June 2014. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033440/http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AF-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE/. dead.
9. Web site: सदस्य्ता. 27 June 2014. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033913/http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/. dead.