National library development and legislation in Sri Lanka: a review

Abstract

The paper traces briefly the historical development of libraries and library services in Sri Lanka in the modern :peri6d the origins of which go backto the early 19th century. For this purpose the growth and development of the more .important libraries, thier objects and functions and. the servic,esundcrtaken by : them have been outlined. The growth ofthe system as separate entities, public special, government departmental, academic' arid national, .responding to socio-economic stimuli and community needs have been commented on. The unplanned 'growth of the system as individual libraries ea:c~ functioning as a ,part of the parent organisation to which it is attached, catering principally and respondingto the needs of the parent organisation, which have madeit difficult to bring them together under a single umbrella organisation have,also been outlined. Some of these individual' units have been established by statute and have statutory powers' enabling them to undertake the collection and services 'which have given them the status to perform National Library Services': The provisions of the Natjonal Library Services Board legislation and its limitations , ' in the above context and the amendments necessary to the Act in order to effecti- , veJy discharge the role and function develvingon a National Library Services have been ~iscussed.' '. Libraries, research and learning have been a part of Sri Lanka's heritage with records that date as far back as the 3rd century Be. It was the introduction ,of Buddhism in thiscentury with its far r~aching civilizing influence,that laid the foundation of Sri Lanka's culture and literary traditions. By the firsr century BeBuddhist religious texts and commentaries were being written dow by monks, as in the West in a later era, the monasta.ies were the repositories - learning and the depositories for religious texts. Thus, for centuries contino - literary activity greatly influenced by Buddhism were a part of the life and tim _ of the people of Sri Lanka: There is evidence of ancient kings who had encourlaged the developmentofliterature by providing royal patronage, and of tern ~ libraies 'pothguls' which contained religious and secular works, many of whi '.' . 96 have been destroyed during the many invasions and conquests and internal tur, moil and strife that took place in the course of history. Not much research has been done as to the organisation or . forms in which these libraries had developed and operated. '., The beginnings of the system of libraries now prevailing "in the. country could be traced back to the. British occupation of the island at the turn of the 18th century .. Records indicate that the British administration had catered to . the literary needs of the English speaking people by establishing libraries very early in their period of administration. The first library so established was the United Services Library in 1813 in Colombo. The development of theselibraries was an outcome of-the need to document and maintain records pertaining to the judicial and civil administration of the country