Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan’s “Library Tour” (1948): the construction of the Indian librarian self through a ‘tour of the West’

Abstract

The paper analyzes the most consistent travel testimony transmitted by Ranganathan, that relating to his journey in Europe and America in 1948. Through the analysis of the editorial and content structure of the Library Tour, the following aspects will be illustrated: the type of experience or history conducted from the Indian librarian, the planning and conduct of this travel, the professional and scientific reflections that this allowed him, in particular on library science and librarianship, thus responding to the expectations of an Indian government eager to justify and consolidate the independence achieved also through the training sectors and information.

Keywords

• library tour
• librarians
• ranganathan
• library science