INTRODUCTION

The library occupies a very important place in school. With its books suited to
the interests and aptitude of students of different age group, with its
magazines, periodicals, news papers and with its calm and tranquil
atmosphere it has a special call to the students who go there and quench their
thirst for reading the material which cannot be provided to them in the class
room. Here they find an environment which is conductive to the building up of
habit of self learning. The library is the center of the intellectual and social
activities of school. The library has got very wholesome effect over the work of
school.
Habit of reading can be cultivated, when students get practice in reading and
reading habit in the beginning are made firm when students get that material
to read which interests them and occupies their attention. In the class room
the books that are prescribed may not serve the purpose, some students may
not be in a position to purchase all books that they want to read, while others
may not find books that are of interest to them.
Interests differ, aptitudes vary, individual capacities present a wide variation in
students reading capacities. In the library each has what he wants, each goes
at the speed to which his capabilities allow him to go. The library is thus, a
common platform upon which all students meet on a common level with equal
opportunities. It is the nucleus of the school environment, the center of the
intellectual activities of the school.

LIBRARY FOR LEARNING

Function of a Library:
(i) It supplements class work by increasing students vocabulary, quickening
their intelligence and extending their general knowledge;
(ii) It enables the students to prepare themselves for taking part in the various
co-curricular activities of the school. They get information which is very helpful
to them in taking part in debates, giving lectures and writing for the school
magazine;
(iii) It develops habits of the students to derive pleasure and information from
recreational and informative books;
(iv) It broadens their outlook by placing a vast sphere of information before
them;
(v) It imparts training to the students for the proper use of books;
(vi) It gives students training in punctuality by impressing upon them the
necessity of returning and borrowing books at a fixed time;
(vii) It provides suitable books to the students to satisfy their hunger of reading
books and saves them from the harmful effects of reading unsuitable and
injurious literature;
(viii) It inculcates in the students the habit of silent reading ;
(ix) It provides an opportunity to make the best use of leisure time thereby
lessening the chance of indiscipline in the school.

CONCLUSION
The library may be regarded as an essential instrument for putting progressive
methods into practice. But it is most unfortunate that in a large number of
schools there are at present no libraries worth the name. The books are
usually old, out-dated, unsuitable, usually selected without reference to the
students tastes and interests.
They are stocked in a few book shelves, which are housed in an inadequate
and unattractive room. The person in charge of the library is often a clerk or
an indifferent teacher, who does the work on a part-time basis and has neither
love for books nor knowledge of library technique. What makes this situation
particularly difficult is the fact that most teachers and headmasters and even
the educational administrators and authorities do not realize how
unsatisfactory this position is and, therefore, hey have no sense to take
necessary steps for improving the condition.
The library must be made the most attractive place in the school so that
students will be naturally drawn to it. It should be housed in a spacious well
lighted hall. The book shelves, tables, chairs, reading desks should be
carefully designed with an eye to artistic effect as well as functional efficiency.
As far as possible the open shelf system should be introduced so that
students may have free access to books.