Teen Murti House also houses a specialized Library which has been designed and developed as an advanced research and reference centre on colonial and post-colonial India. This Library contains a very rich and varied collection of books, journals, photographs and other materials on microfilm and microfiche. Open to bonafide researchers on a nominal fee, the Library is an advanced research and reference institution on social sciences, with an emphasis on modern Indian history. Its relevance is augmented by the archives of rare non-official research materials, an Oral History Project to record the reminiscences of the makers of modern India and also a Centre for Contemporary Studies, sponsoring fellowships for exploring new areas and issues of research in social science.
In the last four decades, scholars on modern and contemporary history have found the institution almost indispensable for carrying out their research. A cursory glance on the acknowledgements appearing in books on modern Indian history is a testimony to this reality. It is the biggest repository in the country for microfilmed newspapers and private paper collections of eminent individuals and at the same time of non-official social and political organisations. Our manuscript and newspaper collections run into millions of pages.
The holdings of our Library cover a wide range of subjects related to modern and contemporary history. The Library holdings roughly cover the period from the eighteenth century to the present times and deal with various aspects of modern and contemporary history. The collections are massive and diverse – books, journals, photographs, periodicals, newspapers, private papers and oral history records. Currently, the Library maintains a collection of more than 2.5 lakh printed books; over 1.5 lakh photographs related to Nehru and the Indian freedom movement and around 8,000 audio tapes. Regular purchase of printed material and donations by various individuals and institutions help us update and expand the holdings of the Library continually.
The Library has grouped its holdings of published works about Jawaharlal Nehru and issues/subjects related to him under the heading ‘Nehruana’. This is a collection of published books concerning Nehru - his writings; numerous collections of his correspondence and speeches; academic works relating to diverse aspects of his life, thought, politics and leadership. Similar collections have been prepared for Mahatma Gandhi under the head ‘Gandhiana’ and for Indira Gandhi under the title ‘Indirana’. In the past few years, the Library has also built up a collection of published works on North-East India.
The Library also houses an extensive collection of documents on microfilm rolls and microfiche plates in the Microfilm Section. The newspapers, periodicals and private papers dating back to 1838 are available on approximately 18,500 microfilm rolls. Other rare documents are available on more than 50,000 microfiche plates in this section.
Journals and periodicals are housed in a separate Periodicals Section within the Library. Currently, this section maintains a collection of 497 journals in English, Hindi and other regional languages.
NMML also possesses an impressive collection of photographs of the freedom movement in India and national leaders of the pre and post independence period. This collection currently stands at more than 1.6 lakh photographs and negatives of another one lakh images. It is housed in a Photographs Section within the Library.
The Manuscripts Section collects and preserves the private papers of distinguished individuals and records of non-official institutions, associations and societies which played a significant role in the freedom struggle and the development of modern India. It also continues to acquire the private papers of institutions and eminent Indians. The Archives has over 1000 collections of personal papers of eminent leaders and institutional records.
