Ernakulam Public Library is a public library in

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

in the state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Established in 1870, it is the oldest public library in Kerala. The library serves as the most important information store and cultural centre of Ernakulam and has a collection of several books on various subjects. This library contributed a lot to the social and cultural improvements of the city over the past three centuries.

History

Thottakattu Sankunni Menon Thottakattu Sankunni Menon CSI (21 April 1820 - 1881), also spelt as Shungoony Menon, was an Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Diwan of the Cochin kingdom from 1860 to 1879. His administration is recognized as a period of ...

, Diwan of the Cochin Kingdom presents his idea of a Public Library in Cochin State to

Rama Varma XIV Sir Rama Varma XIV KCSI (1848–1888) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin from 1864 to 1888. He was the first Maharajah of Cochin to be knighted. Reign Rama Varma was the nephew of his predecessor Ravi Varma IV. Rama Varma was an extremel ...

, King of Cochin. Based upon this a meeting was held on 8 October 1869 at the school building premises now occupied by Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam. The first president of the library was the principal of the College, A.F. Sealy. The minutes of the meeting says : ''that a Public Library and Reading Room be established for the benefit of the community''. Thus was born, this institution.

Developments

The foundation stone for new building was laid by Sri.C.Achutha Menon, the then chief Minister of Kerala and was inaugurated on 3 March 1974. The second floor was completed in the year 1977 and was inaugurated by Cardinal Joseph Parecattil. The Third Floor which consists of an auditorium was completed in June 1987.

Facilities

* Members room * Ladies and children’s room * General reading room * Auditorium

Membership

The library offers memberships like Institutional Membership, Lifetime Membership, First Class Membership, Second Class Membership and Third Class Membership.

References

{{Authority control Libraries in Kerala Public libraries in India Libraries in Ernakulam Libraries established in 1870