Looking for a newer way of spending quality time? And no, we aren't talking about clubs, solo Starbucks dates or even at the movies. A fresh idea to pass your chill days is visiting a zen library, where you can dive deep into the world of books and stories of all kinds. If you're a bookworm, this might seem like heaven for you. But if you're not, don't worry. We bet you'll in love with reading and spending alone time at these libraries in Kolkata. Check out these must-visit ones in and around the city.
Seven Libraries To Go To Right Now To Rekindle The Bookworm In You
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Bangiya Sahitya Parishat
Bangiya Sahitya Parishat, also known Bengal Library Association in English is a literary society based out of Padmapukur in Kolkata. It was founded during British Raj in the year 1925 under the presidentship of Poet Rabindranath Tagore and the first Secretary of the Association was Mr. Sushilkumar Ghosh.and is dedicated towards promoting Bengali literature. Not only does it maintain its own heritage library and museum, but also translates works into Bengali, supports originally written Bengali scriptures. Its more than just a mere library- it's a cultural paradise for anyone wanting to acquaint themselves with the rich cultural and literary history of Bengal. Their community organises talks, lectures and exhibitions while publishing various items live.
Timing: Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Saturday (1.30 PM to 8.30 PM) and Sunday (10 AM to 4 PM). Closed on Thursdays.
Google Rating: 4.4
Fee: Ordinary Membership starts from INR 150 per annum.
Sri Aurobindo Bhavan Library
The Aurobindo Bhavan initially was established to spread the rich teachings of Sir Aurobindo to the world, mainly to address cultural and spiritual issues going on during that time, and the times to follow. As another one of Kolkata's heritage libraries, the Aurobindo Bhavan Library has over 40,000 books and 100+ periodicals on various topics. You can also borrow books and other items for a reasonable fee. What's special about them is they also have a children's library.
Timing: Monday to Saturday 12.30 PM to 7 PM, Closed on Sunday
Google Rating: 4.6
Fee: INR 100 monthly membership fee
The British Council Library
British Council Library not only houses thousands of books, DVDs and periodicals, it also has an extensive online digital library of books and films alike, for when you can’t leave home. Watch out for the plethora of events they host throughout the year, including film screenings, talks by eminent personalities, summer camps and a lot more. They have excellent magazines on sports, cricket, art, design and travel. Love the annual sale they hold every year where they clear out stocks – you’ll find books for as low as INR 50 and DVDs for INR 20.
Timing: Monday to Saturday (9 AM to 6 PM), Closed on Sunday
Google Rating: 4.3
Fee: Individual membership (INR 1,800 a year), family membership (INR 3,800 a year), online membership (INR 1,400 a year) and corporate membership (INR 10,000 a year).
The National Library
We’d go here just for the amazing green and open 30-acre space it is located in. Also, because it is the biggest library in Asia (and one of the oldest). Established in 1936, it boasts of a collection of more than 21,00,000 books including digitised books, maps, periodicals, manuscripts etc. The best part is that membership here is free of cost, all you need be above 18 years of age to register in the lending division and access the huge archive of books. Some of their digitised resources are even accessible online.
Timing: Monday to Friday (9 AM to 8 PM) and Saturday to Sunday (9.30 AM to 6 PM)
Google Rating: 4.6
Fee: Free of cost for 18+
American Library
All things Uncle Sam – from American history, international relations, economics, business, social sciences to American literature, that’s what you will get here. The American Library or United States Information Services (USIS), stocks thousands of publications, periodicals, and even US government (and think tank) reports. They also have eLibraryUSA- a virtual library with digital access to databases like Gale, Encyclopedia Britannica, eBrary, CQ and others.
Timing: Monday to Friday (10 AM to 5.30 PM), Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Google Rating: 4.5
Fee: INR 400 for a year and INR 700 for two years
Asiatic Society
Searching for rare manuscripts and historical archives? Head to the Asiatic Society. Situated in the heart of the city in Park Street, it is one of the oldest libraries in India. Don’t be put off by the gloomy and drab interiors – it has books, periodicals and manuscripts and some rare museum objects too. The books range from the latter half of the 15th century A.D. (some are works unavailable elsewhere) to ones from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Unfortunately, they are not open to memberships, but you can always seek special permission to access their reading rooms for a definite period of time.
Timing: Monday to Friday (10 AM to 6 PM), Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Google Rating: 4.5
Fee: Upon request
Library at Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture
Not only does this library have books, rare archives and journals stocked in the thousands, this is the place to come to if you wish to access an extensive database of lectures and music recitals recorded and archived through the years. This library has three wings, the General Library, Children’s Library and Junior Library: all with different membership rules, fees and privileges.
Timing: Monday to Saturday (10 AM to 8 PM), Closed on Sunday
Google Rating: 4.5
Fee: INR 240 for annual general library fee and INR 3000 for lifetime fee.
