ఆంధ్ర గ్రంథాలయం/సంపుటము 1/డిసెంబరు 1939/Cultivation of a Community
Cultivation of a Community
byS.R. RANGANATHAN, M.A.,L.T.,F.L.A.,
University Librarian, Madras and Secretary, Madras Library Association
Any community is richer in its human resources than in the material ones. The human resources will yield the best economic value only if they are cultivated constantly and consciously. The cultivation of human resources requires not ploughs but books. Books can enrich a community in a remarkable way. The magic that books can do in reviving and advancing a rural community is demonstrated by the history of Denmark.
LOOK AT DENMARK
In several respects the Danish community is like that of South India. Its literature like ours consists more of lyrical poetry. Feeling and grace rather than force characterize Danish as well as South Indian music. Agriculture continues to be their chief means of existence as with us. There are few natural resources besides those the soil can produce. But Denmark had this additional handicap, its soil was not as rich as ours. And yet Denmark is now producing immense crops and making herself felt in the markets of the world. That is because it cultivated its human resources by its educational outfit which began with universal elementary and folk education and ended with a carefully coordinated system of progressive public libraries.
THE LIBRARY CHAIN
The national library chain begins at one end with the two reservoir state libraries, the Royal Library and the University Library, at Copenhagen. At the other end of the chain there are about 800 village libraries scattered throughout the country. The intermediate links in the chain are the 80 town libraries of which 27, placed at the junctions, act also as regional or secondary reservoir libraries. The system of inter-library loan along this chain makes all the book resources of the nation available for a reader no matter where he lives. This wonderful coordination is one of the results of the Library Act of 1920 which, in a sense, nationalized the libraries and placed their development in the hands of a State Library Director.
A RECENT TEST
This balanced 'live' library system has developed the human resources of Denmark to a remarkable degree. Its value was gloriously demonstrated during the recent world-depression. In 1931 the crisis was so severe that the interest on invested agricultural capital which was plus 5 per cent in 1929 went down to minus 0.5 in 1932. But the resilience which the Danes had developed, thanks to its perpetual self-education rendered possible by its nationwide coordinated library system, is such that by 1936 the interest was raised to plus 3 per cent.
THE MESSAGE
Yes. The economic value of the human resources of a community is far greater than that of its material resources, though most of us do not think of the vastness of this human wealth in terms of rupees, annas, pies. Denmark's history has demonstrated that the economic value of a people increases manifold, if they are fed by a library system. The Andhra Granthalayam has this message to deliver in the year of its nativity. I am glad of this opportunity given to me to word that message and reinforce it with my own appeal made on my personal behalf and on behalf of the Madras Library Association. May God grant the speedy realization of all that it stands for throughout our hoary motherland.
This work is in the public domain in India because it originates from India and its term of copyright has expired. According to The Indian Copyright Act, 1957, all documents enter the public domain after 60 years counted from the beginning of the following calendar year after the death of the author (i.e. as of 2026, prior to January 1, 1966). Film, sound recordings, government works, anonymous works, and works first published over 60 years after the death of the author are protected for 60 years after publication.
Works by authors who died before 1941 entered the public domain after 50 years (before 1991) and copyright has not been restored.
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in India on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of India having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
The critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1941.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse