Geological Survey of India commenced its journey in 1851 under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Thomas Oldham, merely with a single writer, a peon and a box of records. It is today the nation's premier and one of the oldest and largest geoscience organizations of the world. Dr. Oldham was appointed as Geological Surveyor to the East India Company for a five years term, and arrived at Calcutta on 4th March 1851 to take charge.
While re-engaging Dr. Oldham for a second term on 5th March 1956, the Court of Directors, East India Company asked for a general uniform plan for the operation of Geological Survey of India. In reply, Dr. Oldham raised a series of points and recommendations to the Secretary, Govt.of India, Home Department. One of the point was "I would also most strongly urge that we have been working in this country under very great disadvantages in other ways. There is here no library for reference, no museum of specimens for comparison, no laboratory for analysis.” Govt. of India, home department, as well as Lord Canning, the then Governor General took interest and strongly supported the points and recommendations made by Dr. Oldham. Lord Canning thus gave orders that the work was to be conducted almost from the beginning in the manner that Oldham had advocated. As a result the organization saw the establishment of its own office at 1, Hastings Street, Calcutta, a Museum of geology as well a Library. The library remained there till 1875 when it was shifted in the quarters specially provided in the new Indian Museum Building at 27, Chowringhee Road with a possession of 4000 publications. Meanwhile, W. R. Bion was appointed as the first Librarian on 12th December 1870.
As the geoscientific activities of the organization increased, output of geosciences literature also increased, resulting in natural outcome of series of publications like Memoirs (1856), Records (1868), Palaeontologia Indica (1861) and other miscellaneous publications. Besides, a number of Indian geological literature was also published in different periodicals of India and abroad. Therefore, collection of the library grew rapidly in that period and number increased to 23,000 in 1885.
International activities by GSI include some landmark events, which helped in recognition of GSI’s contribution in the field of geology. Mention may be made about the organisation of the 22nd International Geological Congress, which was held in Delhi in 1964 for the first time in Asia. Subsequently a number of International Seminars were organised by the International Division of GSI, the most important being the International Gondwana Symposium in Calcutta (4th International Gondwana Symposium in 1977) and Hyderabad (9th International Gondwana Symposium in 1994) and the International Himalayan Geology Conference at Delhi in 1976. International Division also organised the Fourth South Asia Geological Congress (GEOSAS-IV) at New Delhi in November 2002.
From the very inception, library was getting due importance so that "Accession" to the library was included as a distinct item in the first Record of Geological Survey of India (1868) and was continued every year. The collection was developing so rapidly that Mr. Bion, the Librarian had to compile in 1888 a complete catalogue of the library holding of Geological Survey of India.
The need of bibliographic control of every growing geoscience literature in that period was realized by the then authority and as a result Dr. Oldham with his successor published several documentary work like Catalogue of Thermal Spring, Catalogue of Earthquake (1883), Bibliography of Indian Geology (1888), etc. which are immensely valuable reference guides to the geoscientific community even today. Among them the “Catalogue of Thermal Springs of India” published as Memoirs 19 in 1883 is credited as the first documentation work in specialized field of knowledge in India.
In 1918 a Bibliography of Indian Geology from the earliest record to the year 1917 had been compiled along with indexes by T. H. D. La Touche. Later index to Memoirs, Records and their geographical indices was also compiled by him. The bibliographic control of Indian geoscience literature from post 1917 to 1957 has been carried out annually in the Records Part I of Geological Survey of India.
Sir L. L. Fermor, former Director Geological Survey of India wrote in the history of "First 25 years of Geological Survey of India":
By gift from scientific societies and institutions by judicious purchase, and by exchanges arranged for the departmental publications, Oldham laid the foundations of a very fine geological library: one which is certainly the finest such library in Asia, and is also because of the wide scope in including works and publications on mining and metallurgy and on many other branches of science, more comprehensive than any of the geological libraries in Britain.
Mr. H. B. Medlicot, former Superintendent, wrote in 1884, on the preface of “Catalogue of Library of Geological Survey of India”:
Although provided for special use of Geological Survey, the library may be said to be in the most practical sense a public one, every facility being given to persons who wish to consult it for scientific purposes, but it is only under very special circumstances that any volume is allowed to be taken out of the building
The Central Library is still following this rich heritage by still publishing regularly and continuing its documentation work to enrich the Geological Survey of India list of publications. The Library continues to extend services to outsiders as proclaimed by H. B. Medlicot.
By the year 1936, when C. V. Misra joined as the second and first Indian Librarian, the number of publication rose to 1, 20,000 which gradually increased to 1, 43,000 by 1944. By the end of 1968 the total number of publications went up to over 3, 65,000 and presently it has crossed the 7,00,000 mark.
As the activities of the organization proliferated, expansion and establishment of branch offices as well as libraries at different places became necessary. Thus a network was formed of Geological Survey of India libraries, consisting of Central Library at Central Head Quarters, Kolkata and Regional, Wing and Operational Unit offices all over the country. Though they are located in different cities but they are in close proximity and parity with the Central Library in respect of providing services, maintaining uniformity and upholding the standard.
Central Library in true sense is a national treasure trove of rare and valuable archival collection of books, periodicals, and manuscripts in English and non English language collected over a long period of time. In separate Dewey, Old Dewey and archival sections, publications ranging from 17th Century to early 20th Century are kept organized besides early departmental publications. Historical researcher from India and abroad often visit the library to consult them. The collections contain a variety of books and monographs and periodicals from India and abroad. Some of these treasured publications are listed here.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London (longest running science journal)
American Mineralogist, Washington D.C., 1916¬ onwards
American Journal of Science, New York, 1818¬ onwards
Analyst, London, 1877
Asiatic Researches, Transactions of the Society Institution Calcutta, 1799
Geological Magazine, Hertford, 1879
Imperial Gazetteer
Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, 1832¬ onwards
Scientific American, 1892¬ onwards
Madras Journal of Literature and Sciences, 1834
Nature, London, 1869
Proceedings of Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1857
Trans Himalaya - Swen Hedin, 1970
Traverniers Travels - Traverniers Bernier 1684
My life as an Explorer - Swen Hedin, 1926
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa ¬1857
Jungle life in India - V Ball, 1880
Indian Museum - 1814-1914, 1914
The Great Earthquake of 1887 (photographs) ¬- Geological Survey of India
The GSI Central Library and all other Regional libraries are open to Officers of GSI and Sister Organisations, research scholars, academicians, students and entrepreneurs.
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