World Book Day – Banasthali Library with Over Eight Decades Legacy and Heritage

The task of a University is the creation of future and no university in the world has ever risen to greatness without a correspondingly great library and 1935 established Banasthali in Rajasthan which is presently the World’s largest fully residential women’s University is no exception.

Pandit Hiralal Shastri founded Banasthali has been in national and international media attention recently for getting the Four Star Ranking in Quacquarelli Symonds - QS Stars Rated for Excellence and Diamond status under QS I.Gauge Indian University Rating. One of the three original copies of the Indian Constitution is presently in Banasthali whose founder Apaji Shri Hiralal Shastriji was one of the members of the constituent assembly which drafted the constitution.

April 23 is just no ordinary date as it is a symbolic date for world literature, for this day happens to be the birth or death date of many renowned authors like Cervantes, Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.
It is a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date.

By celebrating this day throughout the world as World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright. Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to human race, which are delivered down from generation to generation as presents to the posterity of those who are yet born. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the theme chosen for the 2018 edition of World Book Day is entitled “READING, it's my right!”

The Banasthali Vidyapith library came into existence in 1935; in 1939 the library collection was 1700 books and “Veerbala” a quarterly journal was also brought out for students to improve their creative ability and writing. The library collection grew to 5000 and 12,000 books in 1945 and 1955 respectively. Presently the library collection has grown from 1.33 Lakhs in 2006-2007 to to 2.02 Lakhs in 2017 -2018. Library membership has grown from 8247 in 2011 – 2012 to 13517 in 2017 – 2018.

E Books at Banasthali include Elsevier (38), Wiley (89), Pearson (179) and Springer (2676). Subscribed print journals and magazines toatal 304 which includes 81 international journals. The E Journals include IEEE, Sage apart from Database Manupatra, EBSCO and Scopus. About 9000+ journals are accessible online under UGC-INFONET Consortia. The library offers Reference Services, Users’ Orientation Services, Circulation Services, Current Awareness Services, and Plagiarism Checking etc.

The Library area is 33617 Sq Ft and is fully automated. In addition to Central Library there are 9 departmental libraries in higher education system and 3 school libraries. The 9 Departmental libraries are AIM & ACT Library covering Computer Science and Mathematics; Jeev Mandir Library covering Biosciences and biotechnology; WISDOM Library covering Management; Women’s Studies Centre Library; Law Library; Urja Mandir Library covering Physics and Electronics; Shilp Mandir Library covering Design; School of Education Library and Bhu Mandir Library covering Geology, Remote Sensing and Geography. The 3 School Libraries are at Saraswati Mandir, Sharda Mandir and Shakuntalam.

Deputy Librarian Ms Asha Sharma says that Banasthali Library has established a rich tradition of celebrating every year various National & International Days by exibiting the books of the related occasion. During the year 2017-18, the celebrations included Goswami Tulsidas Jayanti (30 July), Munshi Premchand Jayanti (31 July), Shaheed Diwas (9 Aug), Librarians’ Day Celebration (2 Aug), Teacher’s Day (5 Sep), Hindi Diwas and the occasion was graced by the prolific writer of Sanskrit, Hindi and English Devarshi Kala Nath Shastry (14 Sep), Gandhi Jayanti (1 -7 Oct), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Birth Anniversary (31 Oct), Children’s Day (14 Nov) and Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' Birth Anniversary (21 Feb).

With thousands of students thronging the library, every day is a reading marathon indeed. The students and faculty who frequent the Banasthali Library always step out with beaming faces and pride that they are part of an institution Banasthali which is indeed a jewel in the crown among the women’s universities not only in India today but across the globe.

For more details about Banasthali see http://www.banasthali.org/

About Banasthali: The Institution which is also the largest fully residential women’s university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing women’s education in the country for the last eight decades with a belief that there is a tremendous role of higher education in empowering the women. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Team Banasthali with Vice Chancellor J C Bose Memorial Award for eminent scientist recipient Prof Aditya Shastri a highly acclaimed alumnus of BITS Pilani, SUNY State University of New York Stony Brook and MIT USA is indeed racing forward to be the very best among global women universities. It is a matter of pride that NITI Aayog had selected Banasthali along with ISB CCMB in Top 10 to host Atal Incubation Centre. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe.

Banasthali University
P.O. Banasthali Vidyapith
Rajasthan – 304022
Phone 91 1438 228456 / 228341
Email: info@banasthali.ac.in
Website: http://www.banasthali.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Banasthali.org

This release was published on openPR.