The Madras Literary
Society Library
Can
you imagine a library of yore that had a committed and devoted readership which
includes legends like Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Annie Besant,
T T Krishnamachari and C P Ramaswami Iyer etc as its members?
Yes,
we are talking about the Madras Literary Society Library.
Founded
in 1812, the MLS Library is supposed to be the oldest lending library in the whole of South
India. The oldest book is Aristotle's Opera
Omnia in Greek and Latin published in 1619. At the same time, the library
also has original documents and surveys of the Ganges Canal plain (1854) and
Buckingham Canal project (1898). Old pictures of Pudukottai, Trichy, Thanjavur
and Madurai, photographed by Captain Tripe, are preserved in a glass case
mounted on a teakwood table at the entrance.
Visit
this legendary library of yore – not only for its old-world charm but also for
its rarest of rare books.
Working Hours
The Madras
Literary Society Library serves the public daily from 10.00 am. to 05.00 pm. on
weekdays. The library is closed on Sundays, three National holidays and
selected festival holidays a year.
Madras
Literary Society Library
DPI Complex
College
Road, Nungambakkam,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600006
Phone:
044 2827 9666
The Adyar Library and
Research Centre (ALRC)
Yet
another library of yore that has The Chinese Tripitakas, the Tibetan Kanjur and
Tanjur, a collection of rare works in Latin and other western languages, and a
complete set of important research journals among its priceless possessions,
is the The Adyar Library and Research Centre (ALRC).
Founded
in 1886 by Colonel Olcott with a small but valuable collection of the Founders'
books. Originally situated in the Headquarters building, it was shifted in 1968
to a more spacious one, better suited to its growing needs. It has always been
one of the important aspects of the work at Adyar, both for members and for the
public; moreover, today it is one of the well known oriental libraries in the
world, dedicated to research and publication in the field of eastern
civilization, philosophy and religion.
It contains over 250,000 printed volumes and around 20,000 palm-leaf
manuscripts from India, Sri Lanka, China, and other places, a few of which are
kept on display for visitors. The
printed books include rare indological publications in several languages and a
fine collection of works on different religions, philosophies and cultures.
Several
rare and previously unpublished works in the manuscript collection have been
edited and brought out in print; a staff of pundits and scholars is continually
engaged in this task. The Library has
had a series of distinguished scholars as its Director and was recognized as a
Research Centre for a Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Indology by the University of
Madras.
Working
Hours and Holidays (ALRC)
The
Library is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., with the exception of Mondays and
recognized holidays.
Books
will be issued only up to 4.30 p.m.
The
Library is open only to Registered Readers.
It
is not open to casual visitors or to children under 10 years of age.
Individuals
and parties wishing to visit the Library should obtain the Librarian’s
permission.
Photo Courtesy: [MLS Library]: muthusamyphotostream.blogspot.in
ALRC Library Information and Photo Courtesy: ts-adyar.org
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