imported>Bellerophon5685 at 19:28, 11 January 2019

2019-01-11T19:28:14Z

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{{infobox library
| library_name = Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library
| library_logo =
| image =
| caption =
| country = India
| type = [[Public Library|Public]]
| scope =
| established = 1905
| ref_legal_mandate =
| location = Soa Babu Chowk, [[Bettiah]], [[West Champaran]], Bihar
| coordinates =
| branch_of =
| num_branches =
| items_collected = Books, Newspaper Periodicals, [[Braille|Braille Books]], [[Digital Media]]
| collection_size =
| criteria =
| legal_deposit = [[National Depository Centre]]
| req_to_access =
| annual_circulation =
| pop_served =
| members =
| budget =
| director = Mr. Lalan Jha
| num_employees =
| website = {{url|http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/}}
| phone_num =
| references =
}}

'''Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library''' is a [[depository library]] in [[Bettiah]] in [[West Champaran district]] in the Indian state of Bihar. It was established in 1905 as ''Victoria Memorial Library'' and was renamed to its present name, ''Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library'' on [[Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh]]'s birthday in 1955.

The library functions under the [[Government of Bihar]] and development activities are carried by the Digital Empowerment Foundation and the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]]. The District Education Officer (DEO) serves as the president of the library. Presently, Mr. Lalan Jha is the president of the library. On 21 February 2013, ''Maharaja Harendra Kishore District Public Library Resource Center'' was established as an initiative of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Gates Global Library Project by the state government of Bihar with the help of Digital Empowerment Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter from Editor|url=http://defindia.net/files/2014/03/DEF_Newsletter_March2014.html|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Empowering Rural Communities through Access to Information|url=https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/pipermail/tier/2014-March/003715.html|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=West Champaran District Library Resource Centre Inaugurated|url=http://defindia.org/files/2014/03/West-Champaran-District-Library-Resource-Centre.pdf|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=A digital route to revive our neglected libraries|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/ZM60YiDnFaqDAQNujrHw6O/A-digital-route-to-revive-our-neglected-libraries.html|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref>
==History==
Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library was established in 1905 as ''Victoria Memorial Library'' and continued to function at ''Chitragupta Maidan'' in Bettiah from 1905 to 1934. In 1936, the library was shifted to the land of Bettiah Raj following the earth quake in 1934. In 1955, on [[Bettiah Raj]] last king Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh's birthday, the library was renamed from ''Victoria Memorial Library'' to its present name, ''Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library'' and a statue of the king was established in the library premises.<ref name="mpl">{{cite web|title=पुस्तकालय के बारे में|url=http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AF-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82/|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref> It was promoted to the status of the library of sub-division by the state government of Bihar in 1958. In 1980, the library was promoted to the status of "central district library".<ref>{{cite book|title=Bihar District Gazetteers, Bihar (India) Gazetteer of India|publisher=Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar, 1960|pages=502|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3iVuAAAAMAAJ&q|accessdate=27 June 2014|year=1960}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
The library is established in an area of 1.45 acre and surrounded by boundary. It has four princely hall rooms comprising three depository rooms, one reading room, one office and one bathroom. There is a stage made in the east, which is used to host cultural functions and various other programs.<ref name="mpl"/>

==Vision==
* To avail rural people free access to information resources and services.<ref name="mplv">{{cite web|title=उद्देश्य|url=http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF/|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref>
* To effectively manage the district public library harnessing benefit of development of the digital catalog system.<ref name="mplv"/>
* To make functional access to the [[information and communication technology]] in the district public library.<ref name="mplv"/>

==Facility==
* ''Internet'' - The library provides internet access to its members to read national/international news paper online and to online submit application forms.<ref name=mplp>{{cite web|title=पुस्तकालय सेवा|url=http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AF-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE/|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref>
* ''Printing/Scanning/Photocopy'' - Printing, scanning and photocopy services are available to the registered members of the library.<ref name=mplp/>
* ''IT Training'' - The library also provides Information Technology training to the local population.<ref name=mplp/>
* ''Career Counselling'' - The library provides career counselling to the youth of the city and around on various vocational and higher education studies.<ref name=mplp/>

==Membership==
Any person that is [[Indian people|native of India]] is eligible to be a member of the library.<ref>{{cite web|title=सदस्य्ता|url=http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Official website|http://maharajapubliclibrary.org/}}
{{West Champaran district}}

{{coord missing|Bihar}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Public libraries in India]]
[[Category:Libraries in Bihar]]
[[Category:West Champaran district]]
[[Category:Libraries established in 1905]]
[[Category:1905 establishments in India]]

Maharaja Harendra Kishore Public Library - Revision history

imported>Bellerophon5685 at 19:28, 11 January 2019