Delhi Public Library completes 75 years

Union minister for culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday that public libraries must combine cultural preservation with technological advancement to expand access to India’s literary, historical and cultural resources

Union minister for culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday that public libraries must combine cultural preservation with technological advancement to expand access to India’s literary, historical and cultural resources.

Delhi Public Library was established in 1951 by the then Ministry of Education, Government of India.

He was speaking at a ceremony marking 75 years of the Delhi Public Library (DPL), held at Kautilya Hall of Samrat Hotel in Chanakyapuri.

During the event, the library administration announced a Delhi-wide school outreach programme to connect with 1,050 schools and around 1,000,000 students through quizzes and reading activities. The initiative aims to encourage students to explore India’s history, culture, literature and scientific traditions.

The library will also launch a project titled “Gyan Rath” to promote digital literacy, responsible artificial intelligence (AI) awareness and technology-enabled library services through a mobile library initiative.

Shekhawat said public libraries play a vital role in preserving India’s intellectual heritage and making it accessible to future generations.

Delhi Public Library was established in 1951 by the then Ministry of Education, Government of India, with financial and technical assistance from UNESCO. It was inaugurated by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on October 27, 1951.

Dr Sumeet Bhasin, chairman of the Delhi Library Board, said the library had spent the past 75 years making knowledge accessible to people across social and economic backgrounds.

“Public libraries must evolve beyond conventional book-lending services to become dynamic centres of learning, research, cultural exchange and community participation,” he said.

Bhasin added that the library aims to build on its legacy by combining knowledge preservation with modern technology, inclusive services and more opportunities for reading and learning.