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{{Short description|Indian library scientist (1930–2013}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = K. M. Govi
| image = K.M. Govi.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|6|17}}
| birth_place = [[Thalassery]], [[Malabar district]], [[Madras Presidency]], British India
| death_place = [[Thalassery]], [[Kannur district]], Kerala, India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2013|12|4|1930|6|17}}
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Library scientist, writer, translator
| movement =
| notableworks = {{ubl|''Malayala Granthasoochi''| ''Aadimudranam Malayalamthilum Bharatathilum''|''Library science''}}
| spouse = Pushpaveni
| children = 2
| father = C. K. Sankunni Nair
| mother = K. M. Maiyamma
| awards = {{bullet list|[[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Scholarly Literature]] (1999)|Lifetime achievement award of [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]]}}
| influences =
| signature =
}}

'''K. M. Govi''' is an Indian library scientist from Kerala. He is the author of the Malayalam bibliography titled ''Malayala Granthasoochi'', the first comprehensive bibliography written in any of the regional Indian languages and ''Library Science'', the first book on library science in Malayalam. He received the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Scholarly Literature]] and Lifetime achievement award of [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]].

==Biography==
K.M. Govi was born on June 17, 1930, at Korapram house in Chetamkunnu, [[Thalassery]] to C. K. Sankunni Nair and K. M. Maiyamma.<ref name="Mathrubhumi">{{Cite web |title=മലയാളത്തിന്റെ ഗ്രന്ഥാലയ ശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞന്‍ , |url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/technology/others/m-v-govi-library-science-library-index-indian-book-index-history-of-print-410029/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128142351/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/technology/others/m-v-govi-library-science-library-index-indian-book-index-history-of-print-410029/ |archive-date=2013-11-28 |access-date=2026-04-02 |website=www.mathrubhumi.com |publisher=[[Mathrubhumi]] |language=ml}}</ref>

His father died when he was four and his mother at the age of 13.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> After his education at B.E.M.P. High School, he graduated in economics from [[Government Brennen College|Brennan College, Thalassery]].<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> Later, he lived with his relatives in Chennai and became a clerk in the Madras Secretariat.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> Tired of clerical work he resigned from his job after six months.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

That is when he came to know about the Library Science course and joined the [[University of Madras]] and completed Post Graduate Diploma in Library Science from there in 1952.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> After his studies, he became a librarian at the Kozhikode District Library from 1952 to 1956.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> There, he established the Malabar Library Authority and established its branches in places like [[Payyanur|Payyannur]], [[Manjeri]], [[Ponnani]], and [[Alathur]].<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

Govi joined the National Library in Kolkata in 1956.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> He met his life partner, Pushpaveni, while working at the National Library. Pushpaveni, the Chief Information Officer there, was a native of [[Ottapalam|Ottappalam]].<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> She has a post-graduate degree in Tamil language and literature and has translated [[Vaikom Muhammad Basheer|Vaikom Muhammed Basheer]]'s ''[[Balyakalasakhi]]'' into [[Tamil language|Tamil]].<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

A literary society called ''Calcutta Sahitya Vedi'' was also functioned in Kolkata under the leadership of Govi.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> He retired from work in 1987.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> He returned to Kerala after his wife retired in 1994.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> They have two children, Gautham, an employee at Infosys, and Amrutha, a teacher in London.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

Govi died on December 4, 2013.<ref name="BS">{{cite news |title=Bibliographer K M Govi passes away |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/bibliographer-k-m-govi-passes-away-113120400830_1.html |access-date=April 2, 2026|date= December 4, 2013}}</ref>

==Contributions==
Govi was considered as an authority on Library Science in the country.<ref name="BS"/>

===First Malayalam bibliography===
Govi's major contribution is ''Malayala Granthasoochi'', a 10-volume comprehensive bibliography in the Malayalam language.<ref name="BS"/> This bibliography is of books published in Malayalam from 1772 to 2000.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> The preparation of the Malayalam bibliography for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi began in 1970.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> The search and examination of books was a very laborious and time-consuming task. Vettoor Raman Nair, Syed Mohammed of the academy and V. Karunakaran Nambiar, the editor of ''Express'', were also there to help.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

Fir preparing the bibliography he travelled across India and outside India searching for Malayalam books at different national and special libraries. The libraries he visited include British National Library, India Office Library, Library of Congress, personal collections of various British Officers who worked in India, Kannimara Public Library, Madras Archives, Travancore Archives, Avittam Thirunal Library, Chitra Thirunal Library etc.<ref name="PKM">{{Cite book |last=Nair |first=K. Madhavan, R. K. Bhatt & R. Raman |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Perspectives_on_Knowledge_Management/vl9YEAAAQBAJ?hl=en |title=Perspectives on Knowledge Management |date=2022-01-09 |publisher=K.K. Publications |pages=330–333 |language=en}}</ref> Books published in India were considered for the bibliography.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> It was decided to complete the first volume within the specified time. Based on the assessment that the work might be extended, he decided not to employ permanent staff.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> The National Library authorities also gave good encouragement to prepare the bibliography.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

The first volume published in 1973, contained books from 1772 to 1970, and was divided into two parts: literature and non-fiction.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> The second volume contained books from 1970 to 1975. Thereafter, volumes containing information on books from every five years were published until 2000.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> ''Malayala Granthasoochi'' is first bibliography book published in any of the regional Indian languages.<ref name="PKM"/>

===Aadimudranam Malayalamthilum Bharatathilum===
In the introduction to the Malayalam bibliography, he briefly recorded the origin and development of Malayalam printing. It was during the preparation of the Malayalam Bibliography that Govi had the idea of writing a book explaining the history of printing in Kerala and India. After retiring from work, he published the book ''Aadimudranam Malayalamthilum Bharatathilum'' [meaning: History of printing in Malayalam and India].<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

===Other contributions===
Govi's ''Library Science'' is the first book on library science in Malayalam.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> His other independent works include ''Catalogue nirmmanam'' [meaning:Cataloguing], ''Nammude reference Sahityam'' [meaning:Our Reference Literature], ''Pusthakavum vayanayum'' [meaning: Books and Reading], and ''Niroopana soochi'' [meaning: Criticism bibliography].<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> He has also translated two works, ''Muthuswamy Dikshitar'' and ''Shyama Shastrikal'', from English into Malayalam.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/>

==Awards and honors==
For his book ''Aadimudranam Malayalamthilum Bharatathilum'', Govi received the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Scholarly Literature]] in 1999.<ref name="Mathrubhumi"/> In 2013 he received the Lifetime achievement award of [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-10-11 |title=K M Govi, K P Sankaran, Karoor Sasi and G Priyadharsanan have been selected for Lifetime achievement awards of Kerala Sahitya Akademi. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/k-m-govi-k-p-sankaran-karoor-sasi-and-g-priyadharsanan-have-been-selected-for-lifetime-achievement-awards-of-kerala-sahitya-akademi-/articleshow/23978906.cms |access-date=2026-04-03 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Govi, K. M.}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Library science scholars]]
[[Category:Translators to Malayalam]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]
[[Category:People from Thalassery]]

K. M. Govi - Revision history

Iqratechnology at 04:00, 8 May 2026