CENTRAL REFERENCE LIBRARY

HISTORY

The Central Reference Library was conceived as an Apex library of the country at New Delhi. Till CRL will be one of the recipients of books and periodicals under Delivery of Books Act 1954, the INB unit which publishes the National Bibliography was directed to function at the National Library premises at Kolkata. It remained so till date due to various reasons. The Librarian, National Library, late B. S. Kesavan was in-charge of INB unit as its General Editor. Late Y. M. Muley (1963-67) and late B. R. Kalia (1967-1970) also held the post till late C. R. Banerjee took over as the full time librarian (1970-73) in 1970.

In 1955, the then Ministry of Education appointed a seven member committee headed by late B.S. Kesavan, the first Librarian, National Library of Independent India, Calcutta to make initial plans for a National Bibliography. After a number of meetings the committee laid down general structure under principles, which should govern the compilation of Indian National Bibliography. They are concerned with the coverage, classification, cataloguing, periodicity etc. The INB unit started functioning from August 1955 in the premises of National Library Kolkata. Up to 1970 the Librarian of National Library was the Chief Editor of the Indian National Bibliography. In 1970, CRL started to function as a separate subordinate office of the Department of Culture, Govt. of India, headed by a full-fledged Librarian.