Types of libraries is a very important Topic for Library & Information science Students and learners, In this Topic i have described the Types of Libraries which is categorized in to 4 types, 1. Academic Library 2. Public Library 3. National library 4. Special Library and further I described individual libraries in detail with further divisions.. including need , objectives and import ants.

1. By
Pritee Sharma
Assistant Professor (library & Information Science)
Uttrakhand Open University
Haldwani

2. Types of
Libraries
Academic
Public
Special
National

3. National Library of India (Kolkata)
National Library of India founded by Allaudin Khilji situated
in Belvedere Estate Kolkata, West Bengal, It is Established in
1836(as Calcutta Public Library) 30 January 1903 (as Imperial
Library) 1 February 1953 (as National Library of India).

4. Role and Objectives of National
Library
 National Depository
 Preservation
 Bibliographic Service
 Referral Centre
 The valuable stock of Rare collection
 Lending Service
 Children Library
 Ashutosh Mukhopadhya and other important
collections.

5. National Depositories of India
Connemara
Public Library
(Chennai)
Delhi Public
Library
Asiatic society
Library
(Mumbai)

6. Functions and Services of National
Library
• Acquisition
• Processing
• Maintenance of reading material
• Readers/users service
• Translation service
• Reprographic service
• Referral service
• Retrospective service

7. Definition of Public Libraries
A public library is a non-profit library established for the
use of the general public, and maintained chiefly by
public funds. It is for the public, by the public and, of
the public. It provides service to every citizen.
Examples: Delhi Public Library, Mahatma Khushi
Ram Public Library (Dehradun), Sri Guru Nanak
Public Library (Dehradun), etc.
According to UNESCO’s Public Library Manifesto,
1950 It has to serve as a:
• Centre for information
• Centre for self-education
• Centre for culture
• Centre for local cultural materials.

8. Types Public Libraries
State Central
Library
District
Library
Panchayat
Samiti
Libraries
Mandal
Libraries
Town
Libraries

9. The First State Central Library of
India
The State Central Library, Kerla is one of the oldest
Libraries in India. It was established in the year 1829 A.D
the Library was then known as “Trivandrum People’s
Library”.

10. Important Functions of Public
Libraries
 To provide life-long and self-education to all.
 To provide up to date factual information.
 To preserve the cultural heritage of the country.
 To Constructive use of leisure time.
 To distribute information in an unbiased and
balanced way among the societies.
 To Convey new knowledge to the researchers as early
as possible.
 To promote creative thinking.

11. Special Library
Definition : A library that provides specialized
information resources on a particular subject, serves a
specialized and limited user/reader, and delivers
specialized services to that user/reader.

12. Types of Special Libraries
Govt.
Library
Museum
Libraries
Theological
Library
Brail
Library
Agricultural
Libraries
Law
Library
Hospital
Library
Manuscript
Libraries
News
Library

13. Role and Function of Special
Libraries
 Acquisition
 Processing
 Storage
 Information dissemination

14. Services of Special Libraries
 Lending Service
 Reprographic Service
 Interlibrary Loan Service
 Retrospective search
 Translation Service
 Referral Service

15. Academic Libraries
School Libraries
Primary 1.Primary
2. Middle
3. Secondary
• 4. Higher Secondary
College Libraries
• 1. Degree Colleges
• 2. Post Graduate College
• 3. Professional College
University Libraries
1.Open University
2. Agricultural
3. Medical
4. Others

16. Role and Functions of School
Libraries
 To create foster interest in reading books
 To create a love for books.
 To promote reading habits
 To inculcate communication skills through
extracurricular activities like storytelling, etc.
 Audio and visual programs.
 Lending services
 Guidance and advisory services
 Book exhibition etc.

17. Role and Functions of College
Libraries
 Provide reading, lending and, textbook services.
 Reference and Referral service
 Reprographic service.
 Carrier guidance.
 computer-aided teaching-learning material as CD,
DVD, etc. provides newspapers and other light
material such as popular fiction, biographies,
travelogues, art books, etc.
 It provides deep learning through its huge vital
collection.
 It has to preserve previous years’ question papers to
help the students.

18. Role and Function of University
Libraries
 Reading and lending service
 To procure the library catalogue.
 Current Awareness Services (CAS)
 Bibliographic services
 Inter-Library Loan (ILL) service
 Translation service
 Carrier guidance
 Reprographic services
 To Access the Thesis, Dissertation, and Project work.
 Collection of audio and video lectures, demonstration
of new software and services.
 User -oriented seminars, workshop, Book exhibition.