An Investigation Upon Various Services and Information Resources In Public Library Systems In India

Understanding the Status and future of Public Library Systems in India

Abstract

This article describes the services of the public librarysystem in India,several exercises in its evaluation during the mid-1990s, and the currentdirection of its planning. After outlining the system, it concentrates on thepublic library system in India. Quantitative and qualitative survey data portray thedemographics of library clientele, their information needs, their rating oflibrary materials, facilities and personnel, and the relationship between theirevaluations and the preliminary stages of automation. Analysis focuses on issues of age, gender, trajectoriesof career development, and the rural–urban divide in determining the futureplanning of the system.