University of Peradeniya library

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University of Peradeniya Library
University of Peradeniya library
7°15′18″N80°35′48″E / 7.254902°N 80.596576°E / 7.254902; 80.596576
LocationPeradeniya, Sri Lanka
Type Academic library
Established1921
Branches8
Collection
Items collected books, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, maps, prints, drawings and manuscripts
Size815,000 (approx.) [a]
Legal deposit 357,699 (as of 2008)
Access and use
Circulation256,000 (approx.)
Population servedUniversity of Peradeniya and worldwide
MembersUniversity of Peradeniya (and some other groups on application)
Other information
DirectorP.E. Harrison Perera
Employees18
Website http://www.lib.pdn.ac.lk/

The University of Peradeniya library is a centrally administered network of libraries in the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. It is considered the oldest academic library in Sri Lanka and one of the largest libraries in Sri Lanka today. [b]

Contents

History

It was founded as the University College Library in 1921. With the amalgamation of the Ceylon University College and the Ceylon Medical College in 1942 to form the first university in Sri Lanka, the University of Ceylon, University College library became the University of Ceylon library. At the time this transformation occurred, the library contained nearly 30,000 items. The entire facility was moved to Peradeniya in 1952, with the establishment of a new seven-story building in the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya campus. The first donation to the library was the valuable and extensive collection on history, literature and oriental studies of late Arunachalam Padmanabha donated by his father Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam. The Vol. 1 of the 11th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica was given the accession number 1.[ citation needed ]

The University of Peradeniya library has changed its name from time to time as follows:[ citation needed ]

The scholar H. A. I. Goonetilleke served the library as chief librarian from 1971 to 1979 and is largely responsible for its growth.

Main Library

The Main Library is located in a seven-story building at the angle of the Senate Building and the Arts Block of the University of Peradeniya. This library contains nearly 300,000 books as of 2009. It serves primarily the faculty of Arts. The electronic database of the main library was created in 1992.

Branches

Library statistics

Table: Library statistics on collections
Statistics up to 31 December 2009 [1]
LibraryLending collectionReference collectionNumber of periodical titles subscribedAudio/video materialNumber of students registeredNumber of staff registered
Main Library257,78934,8651106487,4662,409
Agriculture Library26,1109,800141881,376218
Allied Health Science Library6167861456438
Dental Library466563114422944
Engineering Library26,90811,992432581,549169
Mahailuppallama Library1,20423915381284
Medical Library4,97917,384232131,563268
Science Library13,09912,312166432,366186
Veterinary Library1,5334,22458433150
Total332,68492,1652422,13015,5723,386

Special collections

As part of its collection [2] of more than 430 000 volumes, the library contains printed and manuscript material from earlier times. This includes:

See also

Notes

a. ^ Table 4.1: Number of books and bound volumes of periodicals (pp.71), published in the University of Peradeniya Hand Book 2008. [6]
b. ^ "The oldest academic library in Sri Lanka, founded in 1921 as the university College Library became the University of Ceylon Library in 1942 and was moved to Peradeniya in 1952. Currently it has one of the largest collections in the country, numbering more than 500,000 in volume" – International dictionary of library histories, Volume 1. [7]

References

  1. "University of Peradeniya Library Network, Statistical Profile on Collections and Users". University of Peradeniya. 2010. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  2. Library Collections
  3. "Donations, Bequests and Valuable Collections belonging to the main library". University of Peradeniya. 2010. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  4. "Facilities and Services: University of Peradeniya Library Network". Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya. 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  5. "Donations, Bequests and Valuable Collections belonging to the Science Library". University of Peradeniya. 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  6. "University of Peradeniya Hand Book 2008" (PDF). University of Peradeniya. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  7. Stam, David H. (2001). International dictionary of library histories, Volume 1. Chicago, USA: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers., p.166