ఆంధ్ర గ్రంథాలయం/సంపుటం 2/సంచికలు 3, 4/The Role of Libraries in Adult Education

by P. Konda Reddy

The Role of Libraries in Adult Education*^[1]

BY

P. KONDA REDDY, Dip. Lib.

Andhra University Library, Waltair

At the outset I feel extremely glad that the pioneers of Library Movement are organizing the first Andhradesa Adult Education Conference at Tenali on the 24th August 1941. As one interested in Adult Education in general and Library Movement in particular, I heartily wish the conference all success.

We must be very thankful to the President and the Secretary of the Andhradesa Library Association, Sri Hari Sarvottama Rao and Pathuri Nagabhushanam for the great enthusiasm they are evincing in the organization of this conference. In this connection the meritorious services of Sri Iyyanki Venkataramanayya must be gratefully remembered. He is the originator of the Library and Adult Education Movement in Andhradesa, and for a long time the Secretary of the Andhradesa Library Association. He opened the first Adult Education School as early as 1920 at Bezwada and started the 'Library Pilgrimage', a novel propaganda for adult education in the rural areas of Andhradesa.

I am sure that the main task of this conference on Adult Education is to analyze its aspects and to provide means of implementing the programme chalked out to promote education among adults. While questions of vocational training etc., may form a part of Adult Education, I would like to stress here the importance of literary aspects, how the masses could be educated, and the agencies which would help to drive away the alarming illiteracy. The main theme of this paper, therefore, is to show that libraries form most essential and integral part of the machinery of the scheme to spread literacy and promote adult education. To support this statement and by way of evidence I have given brief sketches of how Library Movement has played its worthy part in three great advanced countries of the west in shaping the Adult Education Movement. At the end I have given a brief account of the present position of libraries in connection with adult education in various provinces of India with a view to make up the deficiencies by comparison with the above.

U. S. A.

In the United States of America the library is made one of the most effective agencies in the education of the adult. The Library Movement with its remarkable "publicity" such as exhibitions at important centers, microfilms, "Talking books" and museums is creating love for reading. The libraries in America have a "Readers' Advisory Service". A Commission on Adult Education was appointed by the American Library Association in 1924, and in 1926 it became a permanent body with the title "Board on the Library and Adult Education". It issues a quarterly magazine called "Adult Education and the Library". The problem of literature for the adults was solved by the "Reading with a purpose" series of pamphlet guides currently issued by the Association. This series has been largely used by libraries and has been popular with readers. Thus it is observed that the Library Movement is an instrument of Adult Education in that country. Through the regional system books are supplied to the community centers. "Through the activities of the Board on the Library and Adult Education of the American Library Association, the 4000 communities in the United States who have their own public library facilities, together with a number of State and regional organizations, have been acquainted with a new conception of the library as a dynamic agency of education." ^[2]

Great Britain

A remarkable feature of the Library Movement in this country is the excellent Regional System, which secures co-operation among libraries by the inter-loaning of books from one library to another. The total number of libraries co-operating in the Regional systems at the end of 1937 was 460 (343 urban libraries, all the county libraries and 61 University and Special libraries)*^[3]

An Adult Education Committee was appointed in 1917 by the Ministry of Reconstruction "to consider the provision for and possibilities of Adult Education (other than technical or vocational) in Great Britain and to make recommendations". Committee in submitting its report in 1919 made the following observations: "Whether from the point of view of the development of rural life or from the standpoint of educational provision, the adequate establishment of libraries in the county districts of Great Britain is an urgently needed measure. The fact that there are fewer social attractions in the county than in the towns is in itself a strong reason for the provision of libraries.^[4] As a result innumerable county and Rural libraries came into existence. The Central Library for students which was founded in 1916 was reconstituted as the National Central Library. It has access to over 5 million volumes in 130 Outlier libraries. By the Regional System and through the agency of the National Central Library, the rural folk have access to books at all times. Nearly 13 million volumes are to be found among the urban and county libraries, while the annual issue is approaching to 80 millions. 96.3 per cent of the population of the country have now easy access to the books they want.

Besides, there is the National Home Reading Union which was formed in 1889, to stimulate and direct the love of reading among the adults in the home and in reading circles. The Workers' Educational Association and Village Clubs' Association, which were founded in 1903 and 1918 respectively are co-operating with the activities of the British Library Association for the promotion of adult education. The Workers' Educational Association is co-operating with the Board of Education on the one hand, and the Local Educational authorities, Universities and the Library Association on the other.

Soviet Russia

Soviet Russia may be said to be the pioneer of the Library Movement on the continent and enjoys an unique position, as it liquidated the illiteracy in the state within the remarkably short period of 15 years. According to the census of 1920 sixty percent of the population in the state were illiterate. The Soviet Government made it one of its special responsibilities to end illiteracy and planned to achieve this end by 1933-34- a task in which it has completely succeeded.^[5]

A number of centers for the liquidation of illiteracy, political cultural clubs and reading rooms (Lenin Corners, as they were called) Workers' and Peasants' houses, permanent and itinerant libraries, self-education centers were started throughout the country. The culture centers or cottage libraries are the venues for the gatherings of the peasants in the evenings. These are provided with radios and news is broadcast every day to the rural folk. Most of these culture centers contain a small stage for dramatic performance and serve as centers of recreation. Out of 210 villages in the district of Leninakan, 2000 miles from Moscow, 65 have established culture centers, and 65 other villages have established such centers on their own initiate.^[6]

Besides these culture centers and cottage libraries for the rural folk, there are very big and famous libraries for the city folk. The State Library of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is perhaps the largest library in the World and it contains 4,566,645 printed books and 240,000 manuscripts.^[7] The Lenin Memorial Library in Moscow is also noteworthy as it contains more than three million volumes. The Lenin Institute of Library Science at Moscow is giving training to librarians and also publishes various books. In 1929 there were 46,759 schools for illiterates and 50,000 travelling libraries with a total number of 105,295,000 volumes.^[8]

The Library Movement has thus played a prominent part in the liquidation of illiteracy and promotion of adult education. Village Book correspondents have been appointed all over the State to keep the State Printing Office informed as to the types of books suitable to the adults.^[9] A monthly journal with the title "Down with Illiteracy" is also published. All these various activities have contributed to the complete success of the. Literacy campaign in the country within the short period of 15 years. The present percentage of literacy in Soviet Republic is estimated to be 90.2.

India

Now coming to India we observe that the Adult Education Movement is of recent growth. The opportunities for the Libraries are many. It is, however, noteworthy to see how the Library Movement is actually helping the Adult Education Movement in some Provinces such as Bombay, U. P., Bihar and Orissa.

In Bombay an Adult Education Committee was appointed by the Government in 1938. The Committee submitted a scheme for the organization of village libraries under the general direction of the Central Board of Adult Education. According to the scheme there will be 20 District Libraries, 15 to 20 group circulating libraries under each district library, 5 or 6 village circulating libraries under each group circulating library and about 8,000 reading rooms. It is gratifying to note that the Government has recently appointed a Library Development Committee, which has prepared a scheme for starting a Central Public Library in Bombay, and three regional libraries in Poona, Ahmedabad and Dharwad.

We also understand that nearly 25,000 illiterate adults, men and women, belonging to all communities and speaking different languages had been made literate since the inauguration of the Literacy campaign in April 1939. More than 400 classes with nearly 8000 adults on the rolls are running at present. The Adult Education Committee has spent about Rs.85,000/- so far on the campaign.

The United Provinces is making rapid progress in this direction. The Government has launched a comprehensive scheme for the liquidation of adult illiteracy. Their scheme has provided 3600 reading rooms with 750 circulating libraries; and 292 new libraries are being opened in the year 1940-41. The provincial government, it is understood, are considering a special scheme of adult education for women in the province. The government have appointed an Education Expansion Officer.

In Bihar, the Mass Literacy Campaign was started in April 1938. The government have sanctioned Rs.22,000 for starting 3,800 Hindustani and 200 Bengali Village libraries in the province. About sixty per cent of these Village libraries are supplied with news papers and weekly journals. The primary aim of these village libraries is to present the new literate from relapsing into illiteracy, by the supply of suitable reading matter. For this purpose each village library consists, at present, of à set of one hundred specially written booklets which cover a heavy wide range of subjects and which are likely to prove of great assistance in promoting adult education.

The annual report of the Provincial Mass Literacy Committee for the year 1939-40 mentions that 4,000 village libraries were opened and a sum of Rs.224,059 was spent for the campaign during that year. By March 1939, there were 14,259 Literary Centers with an attendance of 318,737. It is calculated that about 450,000 people learnt to read and write as a result of the first year campaign.

The Government of Orissa have also launched a country-wide propaganda in co-operation with non official bodies for the removal of illiteracy. A sum of Rs.12,000 has been sanctioned towards the purchase of primers, charts and posters. A Mass Literacy Committee has been constituted and a sum of Rs.5,000 has been sanctioned for grants to literary centers.

Introduction of free compulsory primary education is the ultimate aim of the government. With this end in view one official and a non-official were deputed to study the system of primary education and Library Movement in the progressive state of Baroda. On the merit of the report submitted by these people. now the government contemplates to set up some travelling and circulating libraries on the lines of Baroda at a cost of Rs.26,000 already provided in the budget for the Library Movement.

We also understand that the Adult Literacy campaign by the Assam Provincial Library Association, the North-Western India Adult Education Committee, Lahore, and the Madras Youths Association with the co-operation of the Madras Library Association and the Madras Corporation are doing some useful work in disseminating literacy.

In conclusion, I have endeavored to present to the Conference a true picture of the comparative activities of the libraries in promoting adult education. I leave to the Conference to discuss the defects of the present state of our Library Movement in India in relation to the Adult Education and to plan out a scheme by which such defects, if any, could be remedied taking advantage of the experiences of the other Countries in this direction. If this is done my task is fulfilled.

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1. A paper read at the Andhradesa Adult Education Conference, Tenali on 24-8-41.
2. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th Edition. Pp. 184-186
3. Report of the British Library Association for the year ending 1937.
4. Adult Education Committee Report 1919 P. 146.
5. Pinkevitch, Albert. The New Education in S. Republic P.374
6. International Conciliation. 1929. P.590
7. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th ed. P,20
8. Statesman Year Book, 1938. P.1278
9. Harper, S. N. Civic training in S. Russia, P.273