Baroda Central Library

Serving the people of the city for more than a hundred years now, the Central Library of Baroda was conceived in 1906, when Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III introduced compulsory and free primary education in the Baroda State. Doing so the insightful ruler placed his territory far in advance of British India and became the first ruler to do so.

The Visionary :

Working in the best interest of his subjects, Maharaja Saiyajirao Gaekwad III not only made his own state prosperous but also triggered the Library Movement in the whole of India, beginning in 1906. At the time of his accession to the throne, the state only had one library and by the time of his death, the number had grown to more than 1500. His personal library became the core of today’s Central Library of Baroda with a network of libraries in all the towns and villages of his state.

The birth of a Library :

The Central Library was actually born in Lukshmi Villas Palace, and was the brainchild of the Maharaja himself. Sometime later it was shifted to the Sarkarwada and was shifted to a specially constructed building right across the street. The library started with a collection of  20,000 books which were donated by the Maharaja as a ‘seed’ collection to get Library on its feet. It was one of the first public libraries to be set up in India.

*

The Design :

While visiting the United States,the Maharaja came across William Alanson Borden, the Librarian at the Young Men’s Institute of New Haven in New Jersey. Impressed by him, the Maharaja immediately invited him to Baroda to plan the Central Library of Baroda. By the winter of 1910, Borden was in Baroda, planning the ambitious Central Library, along with three other architect-planners from the Baroda state itself. It is believed that along with Borden Sir Edward Lutyens (the builder of New Delhi) was also a part of the project. The entire structure was designed to exact specification and executed by J. Snead and Co., USA.

The Library commissioned in 1910 was completed in the year 1931 at the cost of Rs. 4 lakh along with other 2 lakhs being invested in furniture and books and magazines. When completed, it was one of the few buildings to be installed with top of the line fire protection systems along with being designed in a book friendly way !!! The materials used for the construction of the building were selected keeping in mind the function of the building.

Like any other library, the heart of this library also lies in it’s stack area.The Stack area is designed like a warehouse with long, glass-paned windows and is oriented in North-South Axis to get the maximum daylight. It is a 3 storeyed space and was designed like an almost separate wing of the building so as to keep it safe from fire hazards that may occur in the other areas. The most amazing thing about the stack area is that the floors of the two upper levels have been made with 2″ thick glass slab imported from Belgium. Due to this, all the corners of the stack area stay well lit through the day. The wood usually used for construction was replaced in the stack area by steel/iron and even the staircases connecting the levels were made of steel.

To keep the books safe against the harmful effects of changing temperatures, the area facing windows was landscaped with shrubs and trees which processed the moisturized air into dry air, keeping library’s temperature mild. For protection against pests and termites, no wood was used even for the stacking area, and even the shelves on the stacks started after leaving a little distance from the ground. The building was installed with fire alarms and thick steel doors that would close automatically in case of a fire, keeping the stack area safe .

*

The Collection :

Being the oldest public library in India, the Central Library holds some priceless books in its collection.

Along with many precious books, it holds a copy of the Indian Constitution with original signatures of the MPs.  The library houses a special collection of miniature books, the mini book cabinet which is approximately 2 feet high and just a foot wide which holds 73 miniature books. With the miniature books, the library also holds large books . The Largest book in Library is approximately 2 feet by 1.5 feet – Indian Princes’ Edition of Empress of India Memorial Volumes (1887-1901), subscribed to by the Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III and donated to the library.

*

The library is now well-modernized and has implemented computerized cataloging systems and also has video facility in children’s section. The Central Library is now managed by Directorate of Libraries, Government of Gujarat.

Attracting book lovers and geeky book worms for almost a century this library can surely be considered as a living vision & heritage of the city.

Facts & Figures :

Total Stacks: 352
Total Books: 289966

Gujarati Books: 115649
Members: 22572
Active Members: ~8000
Everyday transactions of Books: 1157
Everyday Readers: 1775

Library on Wheels: 90 Villages