Welcome to West Bengal College Librarians’ Association (WBCLA)
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West Bengal College Librarians’ Association (WBCLA) Regd.No. S/27597 of 1979-80

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Mail: wbcla1962@gmail.com

History

History

The West Bengal College Librarians’ Association was through established in the year 1962 by some College Librarians and University professionals of Calcutta to highlight the problems affecting the profession , the participant members perhaps could not imagine that college librarians would have to face more critical and complicated problems in near future. So the activities of the association was almost in a dormant stage. There was no regular meetings or conference and no General Secretary and elected office bearers. Only there was convener or sometimes joint conveners were also chosen In the second half 70’s some attempts were made by a group of collage librarians to fight for introduction of UGC pay scale of Rs. 550-900/- w.e.f.01.01.1973.At that time joint conveners were Late Subir Ghosh,Librarian,DumDum Motijhil College and Sri Maly Bhattacharyya, Librarian, Behala College of Commerce.

During 1977 the demand for introduction of UGC pays scale of Rs. 700-1600/- along with a revision if the pay scale of Rs. 550-900/- as UGC stated in its order that to suit local conditions, the state Government might introduce a higher pay scale over the above the scale of Rs. 700-1300/- in respect of four collage librarians of Government College viz.Presidency College Sanskrit College and B.E College Shipbur. The small tiny association led by two conveners tried to draw attention of the Government toward the disparity. In 1977 Bengal Library Association convened a meeting of the collage librarians to from opinion on introduction of UGC pay scale for the non-Government collage .Several senior collage librarians like Late Amarendranath Bhattacharyya, librarian, Citi Collage ,Kolkata .Late Subir Ghosh, sri M.M.Paul and other spoke in the said convention. Just after this convention Sri Satyasadhan Chakraborty, General Secretary, WBCUTA convened a meeting on the same issue at Vidyasagar College, Kolkata, Dr. Prabir Roy Chowdhury, General Secretary, BLA also attended the meeting. The convention was atteneded by a learge number of collage librarians and it was decided that collage librarians would submit a memorandum to the then Higher Education Minister of W.B. Late Prof. Sambhu Ghosh .In September ,1977 a rally was organized at collage square where leaders of WBCUTA and BLA. Time wasted on arguments and counter arguments. Later on the procession started and reached Esplanade East where the police stopped and requested to submit memorandum to the higher Education minister by way of boarding a police van. It was see that some WBCUTA leaders and Dr. prabir Raychudhuri boarded the police van and the collage librarians were shouting to include also the two joint conveners viz., Late Subir Ghosh and Sri Malay Bhattacharyya .After some hesitation Sri Malay Bhattacharyya was allowed to get into the van After half an hour the collage librarians found that Sri Malay Bhattacharyya was coming back alone. He reported that in fornt of Governor House he was directed to get down and return .The collage librarians assembled their became aggrieved, then the assembly became thinner .Actually collage Librarians were disappointed.

Upto that chapter of the Association Late Dinendra Prasad Gupta, Librarians, B.K. collage, Late Amarendranath Bhattacharyya, Smt. Anima Sengupta, Librarian, Netajinagar Collage, Si Satyedra Kumar Ray, Sri Somnath Raha, Sri Asit Moitra did not join the association. The joint Conveners began to communicate with Late D.P Gupta and Late Bhattacharyya to join the association formed by them. Then Late Amarendranath Bhattacharyya and Late D.P. Gupta made extensive tour in Calcutta and neghbouring districts, seeking active participation of collage Librarians. To there call the collage Librarians who joined the Association were Sri Madan Mohan Paul, Burdwan, Sri Dilip Kumar Roy, Midnapur, Sri Samdhu Nath Banerjee,Burdwan,Sri Sibram Majumder, Burdwan , Sri Joynarayan Ganguly, Burdwan,sri Dilip Kumar Roy, Midnapore, Smt. Pravati Dasgupta, Midnapore, Sri Bidyut Kumar Hazra, Panskura, Sri Nandalal Bera, Midnapore, Sri Sabita Prosad Dube, Murshidabad, Sri Santose Kumar Chakraborty, Mursidabad, Smt. Bina Nandi, Kolkata, Smi Kabira Roy, Kolkata, Sri Amalesh Roy , Kolkata, Sri Binoybhushan Roy, Kolkata, Smt. Amita Sinha, N 24 PGS. Late Basanti Chowdhury, N 24 PGS ,Smt. Rajlaxmi Ghosh Bethune Collage , Kolkata, Sri Rabindranath Guin, Kolkata, Late Subur Mukherjee, Kolkata, Sri Ardhendu Roy Chowdhury, Kolkata, Sri Somnath Raha, Kolkata, and others. Within 6 months membership exceeded more than 100. Ultimately they agreed and said that if association was to be formed there should be a constitution and parlament office for public relation. It was decided that Dinendra Prasad Gupta and Amarendranath Bhattacharyya would be president and general Secretary respectively. The draft constitution was framed by Sri Binoybhushan Mukherjee of Jogesh Chandra Chowdhury Collage, Kolkata and ate A.N Bhattacharya gave final shape to it. Sri Ashit Kumar Moitra of Vidyasagar Collage, Kolkata allowed the office bearers to use his drawing room at 24B, Bechu Chatterjee Street, Kolkata-9 for office purpose and later on, the said address was registered and it is our registered and it is our registered office till now. Thus the Association started its royal journey.

Activities

  • Promotes the interests of the members of the Association and safeguard their rights and privileges.
  • Studies all the problems relating to the College Library Personnel and enhance their efficiencies for rendering better services by conducting discussions, seminars, training, workshop, etc.
  • Publishes journals, books, news letter and to undertake other educational publications.
  • Organizes Annual Conference and AGM.
  • Status and service conditions of the librarians / Assistant librarian of govt and govt aided colleges , west bengal.
  • All College Librarian of West Bengal are requested to meet your peers at 1st & 3rd Tuesday for professional advice & help.