"No university in the world has ever risen to greatness without a correspondingly great library... When this is no longer true, then will our civilization have come to an end," said noted literary critic and librarian Lawrence Clark Powell (1906-2001). A university's success or failure as a knowledge hub is primarily determined by how vibrant and well-stocked its library is. The oldest and biggest institution of higher learning in Bangladesh is the Dhaka University Library, which has the greatest collection in the nation. The library was founded on July 1, 1921, the day Dhaka University began its journey. Dhaka University started its journey on July 1, 1921, the same day the library was also opened. With the integration of new technology and creative services, it has grown throughout time to become not only the country's largest library but also a leader in the library movement and intellectual communication in this country. The library industry has undergone numerous developments in the last century. There has also been a radical shift in the way libraries are conceived. It is challenging to keep up with these changes and satisfy readers' ever-evolving information needs. Dhaka University Library, within all its limitations, is trying to adapt to these changes by using new techniques and technologies and adopting newer methods of service delivery.
Dhaka University Library: Origins and development
The Dhaka University Library began its journey in a part of the present building of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Later, it was shifted to the Curzon Hall area. The need to shift the library to a new location was felt after the partition due to the massive growth in the library's collection and users. The work on the new library building, designed by the country's leading architect, Mazharul Islam, began between the university's student-teacher center and the central mosque. The newly constructed building was inaugurated on December 15, 1964. The Dhaka University Library is currently arranged in three separate buildings: the Administrative Building, the Main Library Building, and the Science Library Building. The Science Library Building, located in the Science Annex area, began its journey in March 1982. The total area of the administrative building is 29,724 square feet, the main library building is 71,106 square feet, and the science library building is 40,000 square feet. The main library building has a seating capacity of 740 people at a time, and the science library building has a seating capacity of 420 people.
The Dhaka University Library started its journey in 1921 with 18,000 books, most of which were acquired from the collections of Dhaka College and the erstwhile Dhaka Law College. The library took steps to build a balanced collection on various subjects from the very beginning. A rich collection of Bengali and Sanskrit manuscripts was built up immediately after its establishment. A committee was formed for this purpose under the chairmanship of the head of the Sanskrit and Bengali Department of the university, which included renowned archaeologist, historian, numismatist, epigrapher, ancient manuscript expert and manuscript collector, and curator of the Dhaka Museum Dr. Nalinikanta Bhattasali as a member. It was through his initiative that a rich collection of Bengali and Sanskrit literature was built up in the library. A staff member was also appointed in 1925 to supervise this collection. A detailed schedule for the manuscript collection was drawn up, and soon many researchers from within and outside the university became interested in the collection. Babu Mathuramohan Majumder, who had long experience working at the Calcutta Asiatic Society, was appointed to supervise the manuscript section of the Dhaka University Library in 1926. The shortage of library staff emerged as a major problem for the library, due to which the library staff had to work even on holidays in the beginning. However, despite the shortage of staff, the library staff was sincere in serving the students. An interesting fact is that immediately after the establishment of the library, a department was opened exclusively for providing library services to poor students, which, however, later ceased to be active.
Since its inception, materials received as gifts have enriched the library's collection, somewhat alleviating the limitations caused by insufficient funds at the library's inception. Notable philanthropists and scholars who donated books to this library include Krishnadas Acharya Chowdhury of Mymensingh, Pandit Yashoda Kanta Chakraborty, Khan Bahadur Kazimuddin Siddiqui, Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Charuchandra Banerjee, and others. A portion of the personal collection of Dr. Prasanna Kumar Roy, who was born in Dhaka and later appointed as the first Indian principal of Presidency College, Calcutta, was also donated to this library in 1933. Books and other materials are also accepted as donations from various international organizations and foreign governments. Various international organizations, including the India Office in London, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University Bureau of the British Empire, and others, donate books and other materials to the library. The library's collection of about 20,000 manuscripts became the largest manuscript collection in the country by the early 1960s, 90 percent of which were Arabic, Urdu, and Persian manuscripts. A bulletin began to be published from the library in 1957. In addition, a descriptive index of the collection of Arabic, Urdu, and other foreign language manuscripts kept in the library was also published under the joint initiative of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) and the University of Dhaka. The library collection crossed the one lakh mark in the 1950s. The library's collection included 230,000 books and library materials immediately before the independence of Bangladesh. Initiatives to modernize the library and increase the diversity and breadth of its collection were undertaken after Bangladesh emerged as an independent sovereign nation, and as a result, it has firmly established itself as the largest and richest library in the country.
Expansion and diversification of library collections
Dhaka University Library is unique in both the scope and diversity of its collection. Both printed and electronic learning materials are being continuously collected to meet the diverse needs of the university's more than 37,000 students, nearly 2,000 teachers, and researchers. This collection, built on reader demand, is one of the richest library collections not only in Bangladesh but also in the region, in terms of subject diversity and multidimensionality of formats. Dhaka University Library has one of the richest collections of rare materials in the country, numbering about 20,000. Many of these books and periodicals were published two to two and a half centuries ago and have been preserved in the library since the inception of the Dhaka University Library in 1921. Books published in the 17th century are also being preserved in the library under special arrangements. Some of the notable rare books are ÔCleopetraÕ (1687), translated from French into English by Robert Loveday; A Narrative of the Late Transactions at Benares (1782) by Warren Hastings; Dacca Muslins and Cotton-Silk Manufacturers at Glasgow and Paisley (1793); Buchanan’s Journey through Chittagong and Tiperah (1798); Memoirs of the Life of John Philip Kemble (1825) by James Boarden; etc.
The total number of manuscripts collected in the library is about 30,000, some of which are notable ones such as the 'Sardatilak,' written on tree bark in 1439; the 'Diwan-i-Hafiz,' printed in 1700 and decorated with gold; the poem of Yusuf-Zulekha written by Shah Muhammad Sagir (preparation date of manuscript 1732); several contracts from the 17th and 18th centuries; letters written on banana leaves; etc. The library currently has a total of 700,000 books and bound volumes and 5,000 microfilms. Special collections include the Liberation War Collection, the United Nations Collection, the American Studies Corner, the Korea Corner, etc.
Library administration and staff
Initially, there was no professional librarian in the Dhaka University Library. Renowned educationist and former principal of Dhaka College, Francis Charles Turner, was the chief librarian of the Dhaka University Library, who also served as the principal of Shahidullah Hall (then Liton Hall, later Dhaka Hall). Professor Turner was sent to the United Kingdom to gain firsthand knowledge of modern librarianship before joining the post of Librarian of Dhaka University. His tenure as librarian of Dhaka University was very short. He was succeeded by Fakhruddin Ahmed in 1922. Many renowned academicians served as library advisors and librarians at various times. The university registrar also held the position of librarian at some point. For example, at the time of the partition of British India, the acting librarian was the university's registrar, A.H. Talukder. Dr. A. Haque, Reader of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, was appointed as librarian in January 1948. Renowned library scientist Muhammad Siddique Khan, better known as M. S. Khan, joined Dhaka University as a librarian in 1956 after returning to the country after completing a two-year training course in the United Kingdom. When the Department of Library Science was established at Dhaka University in 1959, M. S. Khan became the first head of the department. The establishment of this department not only marked the expansion of library science education in Bangladesh but also ushered in a new era in the library movement. Professional librarians who received higher education from this department started modern librarianship in the then East Pakistan. The professor of the Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka, has been serving as librarian (acting) since 2009.
The library is divided into various administrative departments for smooth functioning. These departments are Planning and Development, Administration, Technical Processing, Reader Services, Collections or Acquisitions, Reprography, Accounts Department, and Periodicals and Manuscripts. The librarian is in overall charge of the library. The librarian (planning and development) is in charge of the Planning and Development Department. Apart from this, there is a deputy librarian in charge of each department. Similarly, a deputy librarian is in charge of the science library. The library's largest department in terms of manpower is the Reader Services Department, which includes the Resource Center for Visually Impaired Students and the Newspaper subdivision. A total of 87 officers and staff are engaged in reader service in the library and science library. The second largest division in terms of manpower is the processing department, which employs 25 workers. At present, the library has a total of 31 officers, including the deputy librarian, deputy director, chief technical officer, and chief visually impaired officer. A total of 32 assistant librarians, senior technical officers, and senior accounting officers, and 24 junior librarians, section officers, technical officers, and research officers.
For a long time after the establishment of the Dhaka University Library, it has suffered from a shortage of staff, especially a lack of trained staff, which has created obstacles in the proper functioning of the library. Over time, new posts and staffing have been created in the library. As a result, the scope of library activities has increased, and it has been possible to meet the growing needs of students, teachers, and researchers. Graduates and postgraduates in information science and library management have recently been employed in libraries, which has greatly reduced the shortage of well-trained staff. At present (2020-21), the total number of staff in the library is about 200, out of which 88 are first-class officers, 43 are third-class staff, and 67 are fourth-class staff.
Library services
The range of services of Dhaka University Library has not only increased with the influence of time, but it has also added multi-dimensionality. Considering the needs of the age, emphasis is currently being placed on information technology-based services. The emphasis has been placed on the transition from traditional services to technology-based services through recruitment of IT-trained personnel over the past decade. The need for technology-based services has increased manifold due to the situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The services currently being offered are:(a) reader service, (b) reprography service, (c) circulation service, (d) institutional repository service, (e) online journal service, (f) digitization (e-archives) service, (g) IT service (remote access and data center), (h) reference service, (i) resource center service for visually impaired students, (j) newspaper service, and (k) plagiarism checking software (Turnitin) service.
Reader service is given utmost importance in any library. Dhaka University Library also has the maximum number of staff engaged in reader service. In the context of ongoing digitization activities, the range of digital and online services of the library is gradually increasing. Rare materials, newspapers, research papers, etc. are being regularly digitized, which are being added to the library's e-archives. The daily Azad (1936-1992), the daily Ittefaq (1974-1998), the daily Sangbad (1984-1995), The New York Times (1971-1994), the Amritbazar Patrika (1905-1950), the Times of India (1961-1981), and other mainstream daily newspapers are providing information support to researchers. One of the services of the library is the online journal service, under which the MPhil and PhD researchers, besides the teachers of the library, can read about 22 thousand journals online. It may be noted that the purchase of printed periodicals in the library has been stopped from the 2013-14 session. Subscription to online periodicals is only available currently. The service of Turnitin software provided by the library is playing an important role in preventing plagiarism in research. Apart from this, specialized services/guest user services are also provided on request for various external organizations. Every year the university organizes a library orientation program for the newly admitted students to familiarize the students not only with the use of library materials and services but also with various aspects related to searching and using information. Library and other information services are also provided on demand by various departments, institutes, research centers, etc. under the university.
Library automation
The Dhaka University Library website serves as a central point or hub for accessing various library services. The online catalog of the library is also linked to the website, so anyone from anywhere in the world can search the library catalog through the website. Although the use of various technology tools, including computer and internet connections, in the library started quite early, automation through integrated library management software was planned at the beginning of the 21st century with the aim of implementing an automated library system under a comprehensive plan. A software called Graphical Library Automation System (GLAS) was started for this purpose in 2008; however, due to various limitations of the software, its use was stopped within a year. Later, DULIS (Dhaka University Library Integrated Software) software development work was undertaken by the teachers of the computer science and information science and library management department as in-house software of Dhaka University in 2008. Then the use of open-source library automation software KOHA started in 2013. Koha is an open-source integrated library software developed by New Zealand-based Katipo Communications. The software is maintained and developed by an online community of KOHA developers spread across the globe. Currently, efforts are underway to provide full automation services through DULIS software. DULIS software is mainly used for circulation, bar coding, and user ID printing tasks, while catalog searching is done through KOHA.
An Institutional Repository (repository.library.du.ac.bd) was created in 2013 to maintain various research works of the teachers, students, and researchers of the university, which is being managed through DSpace software. It should be noted that DSpace is an open-source software developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and HP Labs in the United States. Apart from internship reports of students and research proposals of Masters, MPhil, and PhD, the research works of teachers are also being stored in this repository. Development is a continuous and multidimensional process. Unremitting efforts should be made to develop the Dhaka University Library as a library fully fit for the 21st century by increasing its services, collections, and capacity.
Development is a continuous and multidimensional process. Continuous efforts should be made to expand the Dhaka University Library's services, collections, and capability in order to make it a library that is completely appropriate for the twenty-first century. Emphasis should be placed on increasing engagement with users and conducting regular surveys, thinking of innovative service delivery strategies, and upskilling staff. Technology is constantly changing, and in today's reality there is no substitute for IT-based services. The pandemic situation caused by Covid-19 has made the use of information technology even more inevitable. For this reason, regular training should be arranged for the library staff in various emerging technologies of information services. The infrastructural capacity of the library should be continuously increased in addition to the increase in library funds and maximum utilization of the received funds. The Dhaka University Library is one of the academic and research hubs of Dhaka University, which is a representation of the country's dreams and aspirations. Everyone hopes that this library will continue to advance the progress of the past century with fresh accomplishments.
The writer is a professor of the Department of Information Science and Library Management at the University of Dhaka
