Most visited Tourism Destinations places in Colombo - Public Library

 

                              Public Library

The first public library in the country was the 'United Service Library', which was established in 1813. It was exclusively used by civil and military officers of the Government stationed in Colombo and was housed in a building opposite the Queen's House on Janadhipathi Mawatha (formerly Kings Street). In 1829 the burghers opened the 'Colombo Pettah Library' in Pettah. On 1 October 1924 E. W. Jayawardena moved a resolution at the Colombo Municipal Council to establish the Colombo Library. The Colonial Secretary, Sir Cecil Clementi, called a meeting of subscribers of both libraries and it was agreed to hand over their books to the new library, which was to be run as a department of the Colombo Council.

The Colombo Library was opened on 10 August 1925 in a mansion, 'Sirinivasa', built by Mudaliyar Simon Fernando Sri Chandrasekera (who bequested the building to the government), on Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha (formerly Edinburgh Crescent). At its formation the library had three departments, the Reading Room, the Lending Room and the Reference Library. It had approximately 16,000 books, 94 members, and seven staff, with S. C. Blok as the first principal librarian. In 1980 the library was relocated to a newly constructed building adjoining Viharamahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park)