The public library building should be centrally situated, accessible to the physically handicapped, and open at times convenient to the user. The building and its furnishings should be attractive, informal and welcoming and direct access by readers to the shelves is essential. The Public Library should be active and positive in its outlook, demonstrating the value of its services and encouraging their use by providing reference service and lending of books for home reading. SERVICES

The public library is a natural cultural center for the community, bringing together as it does people of similar interests. Space and equipment are therefore necessary for exhibitions, discussions, lectures, musical performances and film shows both for adults and children. Branch libraries and mobile libraries carrying adequate book stock with a circulation desk for lending of books should be provided in rural and suburban areas.

Trained and competent staffs in adequate number are vital to select and organize resources and assist users. Special training will be required for many activities such as work with children and the handicapped, audiovisual materials and the organization of cultural activities.

SERVICE TO CHILDREN It is in early life that a taste for books and the habit of using libraries and their resources are most easily acquired. The public library has therefore a particular duty to provide opportunity for the informal and individual choice of books and other material by children. Special collections and separate areas should be provided for them in the Central Library and its branches.

The children's library can then become a lively, stimulating place, in which activities of various kinds will be a source of cultural inspiration. SERVICE TO STUDENTS Students of all ages must be able to rely on the public library to supplement the facilities provided by their academic institutions. Those pursuing individual studies may be entirely dependent on the public library to meet their needs for books and information.

SERVICE TO THE HANDICAPPEDT There is an increasing concern for the welfare of the elderly and all handicapped people. Problems on loneliness, and mental and physical handicaps of all kinds, can be alleviated in many ways by the public library. Improved means of access, provision of mechanical reading the aids, books in large prints and recorded on tape, services in hospitals and institutions and personal service to the home are some of the ways in which the public library can extend its services to those who need them most.

Special attention should be paid to the needs of the blind with the provision of Braille books. If such books are not produced commercially in the country, the public library should have equipment to produce them.

COOPERATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS The public library should link in itself with other educational, social and cultural institutions, including schools, literacy and adult education programs, leisure activity groups and with these concerned with the promotion of the arts. Special programs should be developed for further education of the neo- literates and school dropouts in cooperation with adult education agencies.

By summarising the above explanatory note of public library, it may however be understood that a public library is an institution, established and administered under a state law by a local government or an ad hoc autonomous library authority or a Government Department maintained wholly out of public funds, open to all without distinction and free of charge.

THE OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS The primary objectives of establishing the public libraries or running public library services in the country are to achieve the following purposes. 1.Fostering and promoting the spread of knowledge, education and culture. 2.Strengthening the forces of socialism, secularism, democracy and rule of law. 3.Equal opportunity of free access to the users of rural as well as urban areas regardless of race, colour, age, sex, nationality, language, status or level of educational attainment.

Libraries of all categories (Academic, Special and Public) are used collectively for five purposes. These are Education, Information, Recreation, Aesthetic Appreciation and Research. School and College libraries are primarily used for Education, University libraries for Education and Research and special libraries for Information and Research.

But public libraries are used for all the five purposes, depending upon the size of their collection. The State Libraries, Divisional/Regional libraries, District libraries shall function only as research and reference libraries. The services in such libraries shall include reference, bibliographic, documentation, reprography and online information searching using national and international databases.

Generally other public libraries like City/Town libraries, Municipal libraries, Block libraries, Village libraries shall concentrate on lending of materials from home reading and organising cultural activities for all age groups, children (below 12 years), young adults (12-18 years) and adults.