Thursday 5 January, 2012

UTC Library

The UTC library from outside

The UTC Library is one of the biggest theological libraries in Asia and the biggest in India. The well furnished library building has a built-in area of over 43,000 sq. ft with bright, spacious and airy reading rooms on one side and stacks on the other. 

Entrance

Book cards and stairs leading to two floors

Book check out section at the entrance
 
The library has reference sections, reading rooms, stacks with books for reference, new books arrival section, shelves containing dictionaries, encyclopedias, journals and magazines, a photocopying room, a computer room for students offering internet and online access to resources and archives containing documented materials, theses and rare manuscripts. 


Book stacks

Archives

Reference section including dictionaries and encyclopedias


The library not only offers substantial resources primarily for theological study and research at all levels, but also serves other disciplines such as literature, history, anthropology, sociology, etc. Research scholars from various universities in India and abroad continue to make use of the invaluable resources of the library. Books and journals can be searched manually and through the computers on offer for that purpose.

Computer room

New arrivals

Reading hall


The library has more than 75,000 books, 672 periodical titles, 420 microfilms of historical record and 23,023 microfiches which includes the Indian census from 1872. The archives which preserves the original records and periodicals on the history of missions, churches, microfilm / microfiche etc. is an invaluable source of information about the life and conditions during the last two centuries. Efforts are also being made to collect books published by the Indian Language Theological Literature Committees. Some of the treasures in the Archives are Martin Luther's Commentary on the Galatians in Latin, printed in Basel in 1523; Bartholomew Ziegenbalg's Grammatica Damulica, Hale, 1716 and the Biblia Damulica by Zie genbalg and Benjamin Schultze, Tranquebar, 1725-28. The Palm Leaf Collection dating back to about 600 years are in Kannada, Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu and Malayalam on subjects such as history, poetry, stotras, puranas, astrology etc.

Mrs. Tabitha Shamsunder, Librarian
People in Bangalore with proper recommendation can avail membership facilities for reading and checking out books from the library. The librarian can be contacted through phone or e mail or can be contacted in person during office hours. The library is open on Monday to Friday 9 AM- 1 PM and 2 PM- 7 PM and 8 PM to 11 PM. Books can be checked out from 9-4. On Saturdays the library is open 9 AM - 12 noon and 2 PM- 5 PM. Sunday is a holiday.

Contact address:
The Librarian
United Theological College
P.O.Box 4613,
63, Millers Road,
Benson Town
Bangalore - 560046. India.
Telephone : 0091-80-23333438/23330502 Fax: 0091-80-23330015
E-mail: librarian@utcbangalore.org

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