Tuesday 15th July, 2008 11 83rd anniversary in July 2008 Public Library : A national heritage

which existed in our privileged areas and narrow lanes. paying a Fee of Rs. 500/- and by keeping a country in the early cen- Accordingly, Book-Boxes are sent to children Surety who is a resident of Colombo according turies. Any person who living in such areas, who are under 14 years to a decision taken to provide library facility to enters the Library from of age, by using small vehicles. There are 62 any citizen of . If it is not possible to the main entrance, will such centres maintained, presently and a find a Surety by any person who is desirous of see the large erection dis- nominal Membership fee is charged from getting a membership, could make a refundable playing the theme, of members. There are 14,300 children, who deposit of Rs. 2000/- and Rs. 500/- membership reading books and the have joined the Book-Box project. Fines on to obtain membership of the Public Library. prevailing undisturbed delays are not recovered, by considering the There were several distinguished citizens silence. low income received by their families. The who patronised the Public Library from the On the Ground Floor, Children are able to collect books once in two time of its inception, and among them are sev- of the building, one weeks, when the van which arrives at the eral Heads of State. Mrs. Iswari Corea, who had would find the member Centre near their houses. a distinguished carrier and who had served in enrolment counter, cash In addition to the services provided by the the Public Library for 36 long years as the collection counter, and Main Library, there are 14 branch Libraries, Chief Librarian, has written down in her per- the book issue counter. In which render immense service to the reader sonal note book, what she still remembers that addition, information public. More that 18 thousand members Mr. J. R. Jayewardene, who later became the 1st guide centre, exhibition enrolled in Branch Libraries at Kotahela, Executive President of Sri Lanka, attended the hall, the newspaper sec- Kirulapona, Peterson Lane Wallawatta, Public Library, and conducted studies of vari- tion, the Mobile Section, Pedrick Park, Gunasinghe Pura, Sri ous Buddhist books and Chronicles, and Mr. S. lending section as well as Sucharita Mawatha, Mihindu Mawatha, W. R. D. Bandaranaike, who later became the the Sinhala, Tamil and Belmond Street, Keththarama, Elliot Place Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, had arrived in English Binding Sections Borella, Mattakkuliya, Bounavista Road, and the Public Library to get some books, and by Sirisena Kusummulla. are maintained. Seevali Lane. News Papers and magazines patiently waited in the queue for his turn. Mrs. Chief Librarian The children’s section, magazine section, are provided for the benefit of readers, of all Iswari Corea reaches her 83rd year in her illus- Colombo Public Library conference hall, the administration office, the the above branch Libraries except a few. trious life at a time when the Public Library office rooms of the Chief Librarian and the Similarly, books are issued from Branch complete 83 year of its existence, and it he Treasury of Wisdom of the Colombo Deputy Chief Librarian are in the First Libraries to readers, who have obtained mem- appears a very rare coincidence in the History Municipal Council, better known as the Floor, while in the Second Floor, the investi- bership tickets from the Main Library. All cit- of the Public Library, and wish Mrs. Corea a TColombo Public Library will commemo- gation unit, special collection unit, audio- izens who reside within the City limits of long life. rate its 83rd anniversary this month. visual section and the book-box sections are Colombo are entitled to obtain membership of The entire nation should pay due respect to The Colombo Public Library, which is maintained. the Public Library by paying Rs. 100/- as the the Public Library, which provides intellectual more or less, a Peoples University has In the first year of the Public Library Membership Fee. Those who live outside the requirements of the people of Sri Lanka from already become a property of National (1925), there were 94 members in the lending City limits, but who are employed or study in generation to generation in an unending mis- Heritage. It has quenched the thrust for section, and the above number had increased the Colombo City may enroll as a member of sion. knowledge of the people of all walks of life, to 1,49064 members on the day, the Library the Public Library by paying Rs. 200/- as The Colombo Municipal Council on its part from the childhood to old age irrespective of completed 83 years service. In the very first membership fee, and by keeping a surety, who plays the role of forerunner, extending encour- Race, caste and other social differences. year, the Public Library had issued 687 books is a resident of Colombo. In addition to the agement and support and by spending lot of its The origin and convention of library serv- to readers, while the number of books issued above, any citizen of Sri Lanka will be able to resources, in the past, present and in the ices in Sri Lanka happened to be long one, as to members in the previous year were obtain membership of the Public Library, by future. much as the Country’s long history. 2,42,658. The rise of the religious literacy work At present, the Public Library pur- with the recording of the ‘Helatuwaa’in the chases 37 Local and Foreign papers and 3rd Century B.C., is considered as the com- Magazines and 139 periodicals for the mencement of the long history of the library above sections. The children’s Section, service, while the writing of ‘Thiripitaka’ in which was established in the year 1972, the 1st Century B.C. by the Sinhala King has a membership of 28,251 by the year Walagamba, is a landmark event in the long 2008. history of our country’s library services. The Investigation and Research sec- As pointed out in ‘Mahawamsa’, there had tion, which is used regularly by readers been a library convention known as ‘Pothgul who conduct research and study activi- Vihara’, which had existed in the earlier cen- ties on subjects such as Dictionaries, turies, in the country. Encyclopedias, manuals of books is an But, printing of books and papers, which important wing in the Public Library. commenced in the 19th Century and the Nearly 32,000 readers have made use of arrival of the Britons in Sri Lanka was the above section in the previous year marked as the birth of the Colombo Public for research and study purposes. Library. Some or the most precious books The Colombo Municipal Council, at its written about Sri Lanka are preserved meeting held on 1st October 1924 had decided in the Collection Sections, which is to established the Public Library by amalga- known as special collection section, mating the Colombo Public Library and the which is known as Special collection Library in Pettah. section. In the above Section, readers Accordingly, a building known as will be able to make use of books and ‘’ in the Edinborough Crescent was valuable letters, written so far, about selected to house the Public Library, and the Sri Lanka. Colombo Public Library was established Several books and letters for the there in July 1925. At the time of commence- first time, about Sri Lanka are held in ment, there were 07 members in the Staff. the above section. For example book Mrs. S. C. Block served as the Chief written by Report Knox one of the early Librarian. travellers to Sri Lanka, at ware held in At that time there were about 16000 books the above section. For example, book in the lending section and in the written by Robert Knox, one of the Investigating sections, and steps also had early travellers to Sri Lanka to Sri been taken to open Sinhalese and Tamil Lanka, titled An Historical Relation of Sections. As the readership increased, day by Ceylon is available in the day, Mr. , the late Book Collection Section. In addition, a President of Sri Lanka, who was then a reader would be able to make use of Member of the Colombo Municipal Council, valuable publications preserved and representing the Cinnamon Garden Ward, kept under titles, Fine Arts, collection, pointed out the necessity of a new building to the Sri Lanka Collection, Local and provide a better library service. Mr. Vincent Foreign book printed and published Perera, the then, , laid the about Buddhism, collection of Ola foundation stone on 30th October 1965 for the leaves books, Government publications, new Public Library building. Thereafter, the UNESCO publications, Japanese publi- construction work continued amidst much cations, collection of Indira Gandhi’s obstacles and controversies and finally it was works, and Arthur C. Clarke collec- able to open to New Public Library on the tions. 17th December 1980. In addition, the Mobile Section of The Main Public Library is housed in a the Public Library, which was estab- three storied building in a picturesque block lished in 10th July 1975, is conducting of land adjoining the Vihara Maha Devi Park a valuable service by catering to the bordered by the Ananda Coomaraswamy need of readership at their door step or Mawata. The total area of the new Library at various selected sports in the City. building covers 100,000 square feet, and it They serve the readers at Government consists of an Auditorium with seating offices, Housing complexes, Sunday accommodation for 500 persons, and the school and Prison yards and other adjoining study hall provides seating accom- selected places. There are about 60 modation for 750 persons. such issue centres within the city, at The statue of the Swan erected inside the which, the Mobile Section operates. pond, as you enter the Library Premises There are 9970 members enrolled in the reminds any one, of the role of the messen- Mobile Library Service since its incep- ger, played by a Swan in the Hansa tion on 10th July 1975. Sandesaya. The clay murals found on either The Public Library, with much inter- side of the entrance to the Library, depicts est considers the possibility of reach- the literary art existed in our country, in the ing areas unaccessible to the Mobile past, and also reminds valuable letter carv- service vehicle, where the need of the ings on granite, and Ola Leaf book culture children in slums and houses in under-