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to mankind. He ought to feel proud about the number of people who benefited from a study of the books he had collected. If the books are kept untouched in the shelves, a librarian ought to be ashamed of it. What is the use of the finest book on earth if no one is allowed to touch it? What is the use of flowers that blossom in a desert?
LIBRARY PUBLICITY
Of course, good books need publicity and let the librarian remember that it is his duty to choose the right sort of books and publicise them among the right sort of persons interested in them. It is his duty to let the interested person know about the nature of the book, theme, style and usefulness. Thus, unless the librarian equips himself with the knowledge of books as and when they are received and collected, he will not be of any use to those who seek his aid. He must have certain sense of selection and a practical sense also in so far as he should be able to choose the right sort of book which will suit the standards of the persons who seek his aid.
In a country like ours, where the reading habit is to be developed, the librarian has to adopt all the devices of a book seller, who is but interested in himself. Propaganda and advertisement also go a long way in getting customers or interested members and readers. The bookseller amasses wealth and does not care whether the purchaser makes use of the book or not; the librarian does, on the other hand, a noble job of social service. It is he who is responsible for dissemination of knowledge. It is he who selflessly dedicates himself to the real
