Delhi Public Library turns 60, to showcase India’s growth

NEW DELHI - The Delhi Public Library (DPL) has turned 60 and will showcase in an exhibition India’s growth trajectory through rare books, newspapers and gramophone records over the past six decades.

“In the 60th year of the Republic, the Delhi Public Library seeks to showcase its role as an institution that provides the public with information and insights into India’s polity, society and culture,” Shailaja Chandra, chairperson of the Delhi Library Board, said Thursday.

A week-long exhibition will unfold Feb 1.

“The week-long display is a unique potpourri of events, archival and musical exhibits that will engage the interest of the academicians as well as curious readers and students,” Chandra added.

Also on view will be ‘Delhi through the Lens’ - a series of exceptional photographs of New Delhi, 19 milestones of India’s journey depicting select policy decisions/events that encapsulate crucial moments in Indian history from 1951, selected by a historian, featured with copies of government files specially obtained from the National Archives.

It will also display a “Newseum”, a rare collection of English and Hindi newspapers between 1952-1972 to explore patterns and moments in modern Indian history. The exhibition’s audio section has an eclectic selection of 40 rare titles dating back to 1951 for the city’s music lovers.

From the DPL’s rich collection of over 4,000 gramophone records, the selection covers four categories, namely Indian classical and semi-classical, Hindi film, religious and devotional music.

The selected records have been specially digitised into audio CDs and would be played on demand.

The DPL is a government library under the union culture ministry.