National Library of India

The Imperial Library was formed in 1891 by combining a number of Secretariat libraries in Calcutta. Of those, the most important and interesting was the library of the Home Department, which contained many books formerly belonging to the library of East India College, Fort William and the library of the East India Board in London. But, the use of the library was restricted to the superior officers of the Government.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |title=National Library |access-date=21 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304165816/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |archive-date=4 March 2012 |url-status=dead }} Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was appointed as the president of imperial library council (1910) to which he donated his personal collection of 80,000 books arranged in a separate section.{{cite web|url=https://www.getbengal.com/details/how-are-mir-jafar-and-lord-curzon-associated-with-kolkatas-national-library|title=How are Mir Jafar and Lord Curzon associated with Kolkata's National Library?|date=5 January 2022|newspaper=Get Bengal|access-date=4 January 2024}}

File:Formal opening of the National Library on 1 February 1953.jpg, Maulana Azad, HC. Mukherjee, SS Bhatnagar, Humayun Kabir, and BS Kesavan.]]

After independence the Government of India changed the name of the Imperial Library to the National Library by Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act, 1948, and the collection was transferred from The Esplanade to the present Belvedere Estate.{{cite web |title=History of the National Library: From the Imperial Library to the National Library |url=http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |publisher=National Library of India |access-date=17 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617023911/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |archive-date=17 June 2016 |url-status=dead }} On 1 February 1953 the National Library was opened to the public by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/home/history|title=National Library|website=nationallibrary.gov.in|access-date=8 May 2019}} The name of National Library was changed to National Library of India by section 18 of the National Library of India Act, 1976.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiacode.nic.in/repealed-act/repealed_act_documents/A1976-76.pdf|title= National Library of India Act, 1976|publisher=India Code|access-date=4 January 2024}}

The library collects book, periodicals, and titles in virtually all the Indian languages while the special collections in the National Library of India house at least fifteen languages. The Hindi department has books that date back all the way to the nineteenth century and the first ever books printed in that language. The collections break down and consist of 86,000 maps and 3,200 manuscripts.{{cite book|last1=Murray|first1=Stuart|title=The Library an Illustrated History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FCP9kHegLOcC&q=The+Library+an+Illustrated+History.+Chicago|date=2009|publisher=ALA Editions|location=Chicago|isbn=978-1-602-39706-4|page=283}}File:National Library of India 02303.JPG

In 2010, the Ministry of Culture, the owner of the library, decided to get the library building restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). While taking stock of the library building, the conservation engineers discovered a previously unknown room. The secret ground-floor room, about 1000 sq. ft. in size, seems to have no opening of any kind.{{cite web

| url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Secret-chamber-in-National-Library/articleshow/6957358.cms

| title = Secret chamber in National Library

| author = Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey

| work = The Times of India

| date = 22 November 2010

| access-date = 20 November 2010

}}

The ASI archaeologists tried to search the first floor area (that forms the ceiling of the room) for a trap door, but found nothing. Since the building is of historical and cultural importance, ASI has decided to bore a hole through the wall instead of breaking it. There are speculations about the room being a punishment room used by Warren Hastings and other British officials,{{cite news |date=17 June 2022 |title=Haunted Library of Kolkata: রাত বাড়লে অন্দরমহলে দাঁড়াতেও ভয় পান প্রহরীরা! লাইব্রেরীর অন্দর থেকে যেন আজও ভেসে আসে গর্ভনরের স্ত্রী কান্না |work=The Bengali Chronicle |url=https://thebengalichronicle.com/national-library-haunted-place-of-kolkata-act/ |access-date=10 August 2022 |language=bn}} or a place to store treasure.

In 2011, the researchers announced that the room was filled entirely with mud, probably in an effort to stabilise the building.{{cite news

| url = http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/room-with-no-view-111052200021_1.html

| title = Room With No View

| author = Debaleena Sengupta

| work = Business Standard

| date = 22 May 2011

| access-date = 22 May 2011

}}

The National Library is located on Belvedere Road in Alipore. It is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm on all working days and between 9.30 am and 6.00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Government of India holidays.

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• [https://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/ National Library of India]

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{{Asia topic|prefix=National Library of | title=National libraries of Asia}}

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India

Category:Culture of Kolkata

Category:Libraries in Kolkata

Category:Buildings and structures in Kolkata

Category:Education in Kolkata

Category:Alipore

Category:Libraries established in 1836