National Library Week: Visakhapatnam, the home of Andhra’s first-ever public library

Every year, India celebrates National Library Week from 14 to 21 November. This special week, declared important by the Indian Library Association (ILA) recognises the invaluable role libraries play in society and spreads awareness about them. This week is also a time to remember India’s historic library movement! Driven by people who were passionate about using libraries to eradicate illiteracy, this development had a big impact on libraries and their accessibility.  Andhra Pradesh itself holds an important place in this movement—not only as the home of India’s first state-level library association but also as the birthplace of Iyyanki Venkata Ramanayya, hailed as the “architect of India’s public library movement.” In the State’s contributions, Visakhapatnam also had a hand. Wondering how? Read on:

Birth of Andhra’s First Public Library

In 1886, a modest schoolteacher named Manthina Audinarayanamurty Pantula Garu took an ambitious step toward spreading knowledge. He opened Andhra’s first subscription-free public library, Shri Saraswati Nilayam (or, as some sources record, Saraswati Grandhasthanam), in Visakhapatnam. This library was a revolutionary institution for its time—a public library offering free book access to all, not just a privileged few.

For nearly two decades, Pantula Garu served as its honorary librarian, volunteering his time to make books accessible to the public. His initiative laid the foundation for a broader movement in Andhra and beyond, establishing Visakhapatnam as a landmark in India’s library history.

While public libraries in cities like Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras existed by 1850, they were largely subscription-based and primarily served British residents. It is, thus, remarkable that Saraswati Nilayam, in 1886 was set up as a truly public, free-access library aimed at serving the local community.

Digging deeper, however, it can be seen that Visakhapatnam’s association with public libraries predates Shri Saraswati Nilayam. As far back as 1800, a library called Arsha Granthalaya was founded by the Paravasthu family. Initially a private collection accessible only to the family, it housed rare Sanskrit manuscripts on philosophy, religion, and Ayurveda.

Eventually, this library was opened to the public, marking an early commitment to knowledge-sharing in Visakhapatnam. The existence of 30 personal libraries in Vizag, as recorded in a survey by Gustav Oppert in 1870, marks the city’s love for literature and learning.

The Library Movement Picks Up

The early 1900s saw the library movement gain momentum across the country, with Baroda’s ruler, Sayaji Rao Gaekwar, establishing an extensive public library system in his state with the help of American librarian W C Bordon. His model inspired many, including leaders and citizens in Andhra, to establish libraries as a means of community upliftment.

By 1914, Andhra’s passion for accessible knowledge led to the formation of the Andhra Desa Library Association (Andhra Desa Grandhalaya Sangam), established by Iyyanki Venkata Ramanayya. This organization not only created libraries across the region but did so through the voluntary support of the local people, who saw libraries as essential to social development.

In 1935, the association launched the unique “floating library service,” where boats carried books to remote villages, fostering a love for reading in areas far from traditional library locations. This floating service, which served 30 villages, was one of India’s first initiatives of its kind.

In another progressive move, the association organized “library pilgrimages” on foot and by bicycle. These pilgrimages raised awareness about the importance of libraries in the pre-independence library movement.

Vizag In The Post-Independence Library Movement

Visakhapatnam’s contribution to Andhra’s library history continued after independence. When Andhra Pradesh was carved out as a new state in 1953, it inherited the Public Libraries Act of 1948 from the Madras Presidency. This law required the establishment of a State Central Library, which was consequently established in Visakhapatnam in 1954-55 – another proud moment in the city’s history!

However, when Andhra Pradesh merged with Telangana in 1956, two central libraries—the Andhra State Library in Visakhapatnam and the Hyderabad State Library—could not co-exist under a single state administration. The 1960 Andhra Pradesh Public Libraries (APPL) Act ultimately designated Hyderabad’s library as the State Central Library for Andhra Pradesh.

Consequently, Visakhapatnam’s library was reclassified as the State Regional Library, making it the first regional library in India. It was later moved to Guntur in 1958, where it continued to remain active as a knowledge centre for the region.

The establishment of Andhra Pradesh’s first public library in Visakhapatnam certainly turned the page to a brighter future. Today, the city has a refreshing number of libraries that encourage the young and old to read, think, and grow into better individuals. Looking back, it is worthwhile to remember the events and people that made this possible!

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