Launching of MGI Specialised Library of Language and Culture

 

 

Launching of MGI Specialised Library of Language and Culture 

Thursday 26 June at 10.00 a.m – Venue : S. Bharati Lecture Theatre, MGI, Moka

• Honourable Mr Mookhesswur Choonee, G.O.S.K, Minister of Arts and Culture

• Mr Ravin Dwarka, Chairman, MGI and RTI Council

• Mr B. Madhou, Director General, MGI and RTI

• Dr. (Mrs.) V D Koonjal, Director MGI

• Distinguished Guests

• Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address you today for the launching of the launching ceremony of the MGI Specialised Library of Language and Culture.

As per the Government Programme of 2012-2015, the Government has decided to rationalise the libraries of our public-funded tertiary institutions with a view to  improve and modernise access to academic materials, already available at these institutions, through a consolidated ICT platform.  It was also proposed that each tertiary institution’s library will be designated as a specialised library to cover specialised areas.

This policy has also been incorporated in our Tertiary Education Strategic Plan 2013-2025 (Note to the audience: available on our website). One of the five strategic goals in the plan is to “improve quality and relevance” and one of its activities is to address the issue of “infrastructure and other university facilities”, under which we have listed the “development of specialised e-library facilities and open education resources platform to facilitate access to educational materials and research publications.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, the setting-up of a specialised library falls in line with this initiative.  In the very near future, we will also be making the catalogue of materials available in these specialised libraries through modern ICT platforms to students, researchers and the public at large. Furthermore, this measure will avoid duplication in the acquisition of library materials by these libraries; thus leading to more judicious and efficient use of public funds.

My Ministry and the Tertiary Education Institution Libraries have been working in the establishment of specialised libraries with various themes, namely :

(i)    Medicine at the University of Mauritius;

(ii)   Management at University of Technology, Mauritius;

(iii)  and Language and Culture at Mahatma Gandhi Institute, amongst others.

The choice for Language and Culture for MGI naturally stands from its extensive collection of Library materials in these fields.  It is already providing access to its collection to the members of the public along with students and academic staff. It is with great pleasure we are to-day launching the Mahatma Gandhi Library as the “Specialised Library of Language and Culture”.

The present collection of the MGI Library consists of around 108,000 volumes in English, French, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Marathi and Mandarin Languages.

The various fields of specialization of the MGI library, I am given to understand, are as follows:

(i)           Oriental Philosophy

(ii)         Oriental Religions

(iii)        Indian Social Sciences

(iv)       Languages and Linguistics

(v)         Indian Music and Performing Arts

(vi)       Fine Arts including Sculpture, Drawing & Painting.

(vii)      Literature

(viii)     Indian History

(ix)       Mauritian and Area Studies.

In addition to the above collection pertaining to Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the MGI Library hosts the following  Special Collections.

(a)  Gandhian Collection

This is a collection of books by and on Mahatma Gandhi.  This includes 100 volumes of “Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi”.

(b)  Tagore Collection

This collection has books by and on Rabindranath Tagore.

(c)  Nehru Collection

 a collection of books by and on Jawaharlall Nehru.

And also the

(d)  Audio Visual Collection

This section has a total collection of above 2000 audio and video tapes, CDs and CDROMs.

Ladies and Gentlemen

We expect that under its new status of “Specialised Library of Language and Culture”, the library will boost access to its materials.  Furthermore it should also strengthen its focus on further developing its collection through the acquisition of the latest works in the field, including works of all Nobel prize winners and other eminent authors.

We equally look forward to the consolidation and institutionalisation of specialised libraries in other Tertiary Education Institutions.

Before I conclude, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is very fitting, I believe, that in the presence of the collection of works by the great Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel Prize winner in Literature, that we remind ourselves of his profound message

“The highest education is that which does not merely gives us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”

I thank you for your attention.

Dr R. Jeetah                                       Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology