Library Legislation Historical Research in Pakistan

Saba Shahid

Assistant Librarian Session Court Faisalabad

Abstract
Library has the very long history and they were developing with men although
many era was involving to present situations The aim of the study is that
investigate the Library legislation in Pakistan subcontinent has vast history of
Library legislation but in Pakistan Perspective view what is the role of library
association in legislation. is that a Legislation were change the Libraries?
environment and situation in Pakistan. The Purpose of the study is that to
investigate the historical Perspective of Library Legislation and role of Library

associations.
Key words.
Library Legislation; Role of Library Association; Historical view

Introduction
Pakistan was born August 1947 as a result of partition of Hindustan to view the
historical perspective Libraries has 3000 B.C but no recorded material was
founded in exist. Pakistan has keep very long history about written material the
Historian has found Clay- Seals unearthed at Moenjo Daro (3250-2750) it show
That the land has keep literary interest and people of that time was keep written
Material. The Indian subcontinent on the whole has rich literary history beginning
Before 1000 B.C with the composition of Hindu religious Vedas, in view of the
present Libraries in subcontinent Start the “establishment of Delhi
Sultanate in the last quarter of the 9th Century. Sultan Jalaluddin was the first to
establish the Imperial Library by appointing Amir Khusru, celebrated poet
musician of the period, as its librarian The library tradition continued, with a
result that Delhi had become a flourishing city for libraries during the years 1290-
1520)” (Haider 1996) and then further more extent the Mughal Empire (1526-
1707) before the death of King Akbar Library Contain the 24,000 Manuscript. In
The British Raj Dickson organized the Libraries and establish first school of Library

Science in Punjab University Lahore it was the start of the Library Legislation. “ All-India

Conference of Librarians, sponsored by the Government of India, was

held between 4-8
January, 1918 at Lahore” (Haider 1996) Although many research on
the library
Legislation but the purpose of the study is that to investigate that this
legislation and
work for improvement for libraries.

Literature Review
Pakistan has taken four Proven Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan and view
the
Population and libraries wise Punjab is the big other Provinces, First all India
Librarian
Conference held in Lahore 1918 the Library legislation era involve in to
before partition and
After partitioning

Historical Review

Subcontinent has very big history of literary work “The Indian sub-
continent on the whole
has a rieh literary heritage, which is claimed to have made a beginning
before 1000 B.C.,
with the composition of Vedas, the religious scriptures and
philosophical treatises öf
Hindu religion. Some of the classical works composed in ancient India
include:
Mahabharta and Rämayana (both epic poems compiled in preChristian
era), Arth-sastra
(economic text), Manusmriti (law code) and Kama sutras (aesthetic
studies)” (Haider
1996) After the Mughal era “The library tradition continued, with a
result that Delhi had
become a flourishing city for libraries during the years, (1290-1520)
the establishment
of Mughal Empire (1526-1707) furthered the library heritage of early
Muslims. The
Institution of Imperial Library was further developed and strengthened.
In particular,
during the reign of Akbar, the Great Mughal, the Imperial Library was
administered very
well. For the first time reforms were introduced into management,
classification and
storage of books the library contained 24,000 manuscripts at the time
of Akbar's
death Private libraries were also common at that time” ( Haider 1996)

British Period
The present Libraries and Legislation was start the British period they were
introduce the public
Libraries “the foundation of a public library System in the state of Baroda.
Mr. J. A. Chapman, a
British librarian, assumed Charge of Imperial Library in 1911. Earlier, Imperial
Library was
headed by John Macfarlane (1886-1906) who was an assistant librarian of the
British Museum,
prior to this assignment” British India from abroad in 1915 when Asa Don
Dickinson, a pupil of
Dewey, was commissioned by the University of the Punjab "to organize the
University Library
and to teach modern library methods to the librarians of the Punjab"
Dickinson organized
the Library and established the "first library school in India"With the coming
of Dickinson,
Lahore became a “Mecca” for librarians of the country As a result, the Punjab
Library
Association was formed and The Punjab Library Primer was published”
(Haider 1996) first all
India Conference held in India 1918 at Lahore Indian Library Association
Founded in 1933
Modern Librarian 1930 from plate form used in the year of 1935 to 1945 no
productive work for
Library and Legislation.

Pakistan Period and Legislation

Pakistan was born 1947 independence partition of British India in 1958 The
first constitution of
Pakistan Democracy order (1959) have first provision to build Libraries in all
union council most
important event of this decade Post Graduate Diploma Course 1956 and then
after start 1959
University of Karachi Second Five Year Plan (1960-65) it point out that need
for development of
special libraries, in order to support research, Third Five Year Plan (1965-70)
The Scientific
Commission of Pakistan took a critical, view of the poor state of science-
technology libraries in
the country, and suggested measures for their improvement Earlier, the
Commission on National
Education spelled out the library's role and functions. 1. Formation of the
Society for the
Promotion and Improvement of Libraries (SPIL), 1960 and the founding of the
Federal Library
Association, 1961 Establishment of the National Book Centre of Pakistan
(renamed asNational
Book Council of Pakistan),1960 Institution of M.A. (1962) and Ph.D. (1967)
programs in
Library and Information Science at the University of Karachi Enactment of
Copyright Law, 1962
Appearance of Pakistan National Bibliography for 1962 in 1966 Fourth Five
Year Plan (1970-
75) Create the new job and agreement the other country that fact effect on
the library
Professional many senior librarian shifted abroad “The Pakistan Library
Association had
become, once again, quite assertive in the beginning of 1980s. The
Association was instrumental
in the Government's appointment of the country's first Standing Library
Advisory Committee in
1981 and consequently for the establishment of a Technical Working Group
(1982) for the
survey of public library facilities in Pakistan. The Group's report (36) was
submitted to the
Federal Ministry of Education in 1984; another report by David G.Donovan on
municipal
libraries in the same year was presented, to Federal Ministry of Local
Government and Rural
Development” (Haider, 1996)
Public Libraries
At the time of independence Pakistan inherited only one significant library,
namely the Punjab
Public Library, which had its origin in 1884. This was the largest public library
in the whole of
country, which also included Hast Pakistan (now Bangladesh), and it still
holds this distinction.
of other public libraries which feil to the share of Pakistan, mention needs to
be made of: Frere
Hall Library, Karachi (renamed as Liaquat Hall Library;1854); General Library,
Sukkur (1869);
Municipal Library, Rawalpindi (1876); Public Library, Bagh Lange, Multan
(1886); Sandeman
Library, Quetta (1886); Cantonment Board Library, Rawalpindi (1891); and
Iqbal Library,
Sialkot (1892). The Municipal Library, Sargodha and the King Library, Gujrat,
established in
mid-1920s, could also be included in this list.

Library Associations
Pakistan Library Association
Pakistan Library Association was founded 1957 Karachi the main purpose of
the PLA to he
Establishment, of a comprehensive library service throughout Pakistan, The
promotion of better
organization of libraries by arranging technical advice and assistance to
library authorities The
promotion of study and research in library science and dissemination
of information about current trends, theories and practices in the field of
librarianship The
improvement of the status and professional standing, of library workers
and for safeguarding
their interests, and For such other ends as will further the cause of libraries,
and librarians
of Pakistan.
 
PUNJAB Library Association
PLA Founded 1916 the association held a number of conferences and issued,
its first
professional journal, The Modern Librarian, in 1930. In 1933 Punjab Library
Association
organized the All India Library Conference, at Lahore. It was renamed as the
West Pakistan
Library Association after the emergence of Pakistan in 1947.the West
Pakistan Library
Association was again renamed as Punjab Library Association in 1949,
Certificate in
Librarianship was start
LYALLPUR LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (LLA)
he Lyallpur Library Association (LLA) was established in 1958 for the welfare
and promotion of
the library professionals of Faisalabad region

PUNJAB COLLEGE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (PCLA)

The West Pakistan College Library Association was renamed the Punjab
College Library
Association (PCLA) in 1970 and it was then registered in 1974.
PUNJAB UNIVERSITY LIBRARIANS’ ORGANISATION (PULO)
PULO was established in 1975 at Punjab University (PU), Lahore. It has at
present 60
members.

PUNJAB LIBRARY FOUNDATION (PLF)

PLF was established in 1985 in Lahore as an autonomous body. It was
primarily setup to
improve the public libraries in Punjab. It is functioning under a board of
governors
headed by the Punjab Ministry of Education.

PUNJAB UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SCIENCE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

(PULSAA)
PULSAA was formed in 1988 at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. Dr
Sajjad-urRehman was its first president.

PUNJAB MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (PMLA)

MLA was established in 1990. It is continuously making efforts for

service structure of
medical librarians in the province. PMLA has a written constitution and
formal office
bearing setup with 15 members.
PAKISTAN LIBRARY AUTOMATION GROUP (PAKLAG)

PAKLAG (formerly PLAG) was established in 2000 in Lahore by library

professionals.
PAKLAG has been divided into five chapters (regions), namely
Islamabad, NWFP,
Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab

PAKISTAN LIBRARY COOPERATION GROUP (LIBCOOP)

This Group was established in 2004 in Faisalabad. It had a total of 458

memberships in
November 2007. It posted 1760 messages up to November 2007.

LIBRARIAN WELFARE GROUP (LWG)

LWG was established in 2006 in Lahore by library professionals. It has

a total of 590
memberships. This group is a replication of PAKLAG and has similar
limitations as
those of the other two electronic groups mentioned earlier,
Conclusion
Library Legislation although very vast in subcontinent and also in Pakistan
many association
Play a vital role in progress of Library Profession and Librarianship in the
1945-47 no work in
Profession and lack of implementation of education policy after the education
policy of 1980 no
more work on Library and Librarianship PLA fail to keep the interest of
Librarianship.

Research Design and Methodology