Library
Library Overview
The Library of the Asiatic Society with its long glorious history of two hundred thirty-nine years is the most important component of the Society. The Library is enriched with a vast collection of books and journals apart from manuscripts and artifacts slated for Oriental Studies. Its importance lies not in numerical strength but in its rich and unique content.
The holding consists of more than 1,34,379 books and 1,09,133 bound volumes of Journals in different European, Sino-Tibetan, Russian, South Asian, Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Pali, Prakrit, Bengali, Sanskrit and other Indian languages. The library of the Society offers bibliographic and documentation services to scholars pursuing research in different branches of study and belonging to different parts of India and abroad. The reading room equipped with books, periodicals and microfiche is open to readers from Monday to Friday between 9:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Reader’s services through the internet and e-mail have also been successfully rendered from time to time. The computerized index of the articles published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society is also consulted by the readers.
Activities during the period:
- The Library remained open to readers and scholars both from India and abroad for a total of 295 days, serving 4,742 visitors throughout the year.
- A total of 515 books were accessioned and 711 books across various languages and subjects were processed and added to the collection.
- The Library subscribed to 89 issues of journals, while also receiving 99 journal issues through exchange and 44 issues as gifts during the period.
- The library served 4,742 readers, issuing 1,771 books and receiving 1,168 books back from readers.
- A generous donation of 423 books was received as gift from authors and eminent scholars.
- Reference services related to books and manuscripts were provided upon request via email, ensuring that scholars and readers received the necessary assistance.
- The Digitization Programme of its rich collection of Manuscripts is in progress. Under the in-house digitization programme, a total of 221 manuscripts (36,051 pages) have been digitized during the period. During this period, a total 2930 manuscripts (1,43,150 pages) have been checked and rechecked which was digitized by the outsourced agency.
Visit of Library by different institutions:
| Date | Institutions |
|---|---|
| 12.04.2024 | A team of 19 students along with 1 faculty from Presidency University, Kolkata. |
| 01.07.2024 | A team of 7 students along with 1 faculty from Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. |
| 23.07.2024 | A team of 6 students from St. Xavier's Collegiate School, Kolkata |
| 07.08.2024 | A team of 5 students along with 1 faculty from The Assam Royal Global University. |
| 07.08.2024 | A team of 12 students along with 1 faculty from Harinavi D.V.A.S. High School, Kolkata. |
| 30.10.2024 | A team of 25 students along with 2 faculties from St. Xavier's Institution, Kolkata. |
| 18.11.2024 | A team of 6 students from University of Calcutta, Kolkata. |
| 22.11.2024 | A team of 26 students along with 1 faculty from the Department of Library and Information Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati. |
| 06.12.2024 | A team of 12 students along with 2 faculties from Serampore Girls'College, Hooghly. |
| 03.01.2025 | A team of 27 students along with 5 faculties from the Department of English of Gurudas College, Kolkata. |
| 07.01.2025 | A team of 15 students along with 2 faculties from Bangalore Steiner School, Bengaluru. |
| 17.01.2025 | A team of 10 students along with 1 faculty from Bardhaman Teacher's Training Center, Burdwan |
| 20.01.2025 | A team of 15 students along with 3 faculties from Rani Birla Girl's College, Kolkata. |
| 12.02.2025 | A team of 36 students along with 1 faculty from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata. |
| 04.03.2025 | A team of 46 students along with 2 faculties from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. |
| 04.03.2025 | A team of 19 students along with 2 faculties from Manipur University, Imphal. |
| 05.03.2025 | A team of 31 students along with 6 faculties from Rammohan College, Kolkata. |
| 21.03.2025 | A team of 14 students along with 2 faculties from Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar, Ballygunge, Kolkata. |
Exhibitions and display of Books & Journals:
Exhibitions on various topics are frequently organised as a part of various seminars and conferences organised by the Society from time to time. To felicitate dignitaries on their visit to the Society, exhibitions showcasing the treasures of the Asiatic Society are also organised. In these exhibitions, the Library displays rare books, journals, photographs, documents etc. emphasizing the rich and varied resources of the Library. During the period, the following exhibitions were arranged which were highly appreciated by the scholars and media.
| Date | Books & Journals |
|---|---|
| April 23rd, 2024 | Book exhibition on the occasion of World Book Day. |
| May 06th, 2024 | Book exhibition on the occasion of the Society's 240th Annual General Meeting |
| August 14th, 2024 | Book exhibition on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day of India |
| September 5th, 2024 | Book exhibition on the occasion of the 136th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| October 23rd, 2024 | Book exhibition on the visit of Shri V. Shrinivas, IAS, Additional Secretary DARPG, Government of India |
| November 22nd, 2024 | Book exhibition on the visit of students and faculties of Gauhati University |
| December 6th, 2024 | Book exhibition on the occasion visit of Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Government of India. |
| January 15th, 2025 | Book exhibition on the occasion of 242nd Foundation Day of the Society |
| February 17th, 2025 | Book exhibition on the occasion of series of lectures on Chaitanya |
| March 8th, 2025 | Book exhibition on the occasion of 50th International Women's Day |
| March 20th, 2025 | Book exhibition on the occasion of one day symposium of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Nagaland |
| March 27th, 2025 | Book exhibition on the occasion of two days seminar cum exhibition on Handloom Weaving. |
Digitization:
The Digitization Programme of its rich collection of Manuscripts is in progress. Under the in-house digitization programme, a total of 273 manuscripts (30,914 pages) have been digitized during the period. During the same period, the outsourced agency of the Society has digitized a total of 3,278 manuscripts (1,44,075 pages) along with the creation of its metadata.
Digital Archive:
The Society is in the process of customizing & upgrading its digital archive platform – DSpace. At present 2,698 manuscripts, 769 microfiche collection materials, and 504 books are available on the internal server. The verified scanned documents are being progressively uploaded to the archive, leading to a gradual increase in the collection.
Web OPAC:
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
MOPAC (OPAC on Mobile):
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Library Automation:
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Physical Stock Verification of Library Books:
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Circulation:
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Collection Development:
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Manuscript Resource Center(ASK MRC):
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Eminent Visitors:
Web OPAC is active. The database is being updated regularly. It is being utilized very well by the members of the Society as well as by external researchers and scholars for searching catalogue entries.
Journal
| S. No. | Name of Journal | Publisher | Print (P) / Online (O) | DOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acta Sociologica | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/asj |
| 2 | American Anthropology | Wiley | P | - |
| 3 | Anthropological Theory | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ant |
| 4 | Antiquity | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 5 | Archives of Asian Art | Duke University Press | P | - |
| 6 | Asian Perspective | Johns Hopkins University Press | P | - |
| 7 | Asian Philosophy | Taylor & Francis | P + O | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/casp20 |
| 8 | British Journal for the History of Science | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 9 | British Journal for the Philosophy of Science | Oxford University Press | P | - |
| 10 | Bulletin of the History of Medicine | Johns Hopkins University Press | P | - |
| 11 | Comparative Studies in Society and History | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 12 | Contemporary South East Asia | ISEAS | P | - |
| 13 | Contributions to Indian Sociology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/cis |
| 14 | Critical Social Policy | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/csp |
| 15 | Critical Sociology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/crs |
| 16 | Critique of Anthropology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/coa |
| 17 | Cultural Critique | University of Minnesota Press | P | - |
| 18 | Cultural Dynamics | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/cdy |
| 19 | Cultural Sociology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/cus |
| 20 | Culture & Psychology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/cap |
| 21 | Current Anthropology | University of Chicago Press | P | - |
| 22 | Discourse & Communication | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/dcm |
| 23 | Discourse & Society | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/das |
| 24 | Economic Development Quarterly | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/edq |
| 25 | English Historical Review | Oxford University Press | P | - |
| 26 | European History Quarterly | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ehq |
| 27 | European Journal of Cultural Studies | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ecs |
| 28 | European Journal of Social Theory | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/est |
| 29 | European Journal of Women’s Studies | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ejw |
| 30 | Feminism & Psychology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/fap |
| 31 | Feminist Theory | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/fty |
| 32 | Folklore | Taylor & Francis | P + O | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rfol20 |
| 33 | French Cultural Studies | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/frc |
| 34 | Gender & Society | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/gas |
| 35 | German History | Oxford University Press | P | - |
| 36 | Historical Journal | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 37 | History of Science | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/hos |
| 38 | History of the Human Sciences | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/hhs |
| 39 | History Workshop Journal | Oxford University Press | P | - |
| 40 | Indian Journal of Gender Studies | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ijg |
| 41 | International Journal of Cultural Studies | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ics |
| 42 | International Sociology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/iss |
| 43 | ISIS | University of Chicago Press | P | - |
| 44 | Journal of African History | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 45 | Journal of Aging & Health | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jah |
| 46 | Journal of American Oriental Society | American Oriental Society | P | - |
| 47 | Journal of Asian and African Studies | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jas |
| 48 | Journal of Asian Studies | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 49 | Journal of Contemporary Ethnography | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jce |
| 50 | Journal of Contemporary History | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jch |
| 51 | Journal of Economic History | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 52 | Journal of Environmental Sciences | Elsevier | P | - |
| 53 | Journal of Gender Studies | Taylor & Francis | P + O | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjgs20 |
| 54 | Journal of History of Biology | Springer | P | - |
| 55 | Journal of History of Ideas | Penn Press | P | - |
| 56 | Journal of Imperial & Commonwealth History | Taylor & Francis | P + O | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fich20 |
| 57 | Journal of Indian Philosophy | Springer | P | - |
| 58 | Journal of Linguistics | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 59 | Journal of Social Work | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jsw |
| 60 | Journal of Sociology | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jos |
| 61 | Journal of South Asian Development | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sad |
| 62 | Language | Linguistic Society of America | P | - |
| 63 | Law, Culture and the Humanities | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/lch |
| 64 | Linguistics | De Gruyter | P | - |
| 65 | Linguistic Inquiry | MIT Press | P | - |
| 66 | Linguistics & Philosophy | Springer | P | - |
| 67 | Mind | Oxford University Press | P | - |
| 68 | Modern Asian Studies | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 69 | Modern China | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/mcx |
| 70 | Museum International | Wiley-Blackwell | P | - |
| 71 | Museum Management & Curatorship | Taylor & Francis | P | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rmmc20 |
| 72 | New Scientist | Elsevier | P | - |
| 73 | Philosophy and Public Affairs | Wiley | P | - |
| 74 | Religious Studies | Cambridge University Press | P | - |
| 75 | Science | American Association for the Advancement of Science | P | - |
| 76 | Science Communication | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/scx |
| 77 | Science, Technology & Human Values | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sth |
| 78 | Science, Technology & Society | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sts |
| 79 | South Asia Research | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sar |
| 80 | South Asian Survey | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sas |
| 81 | Studies in Conservation | Taylor & Francis | P + O | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ysic20 |
| 82 | Studies in History | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sih |
| 83 | The Medieval History Journal | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/mhj |
| 84 | Violence Against Women | Sage | P + O | http://journals.sagepub.com/home/vaw |
| 85 | World Archaeology | Taylor & Francis | P + O | https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rwar20 |
Tab 3
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