The Visakhapatnam Public Library organised an exhibition of old books and magazines on its premises to mark the World Book Day on Friday.
A total of 168 books and magazines are on display. Among them is a collection of Young India, edited by Mahatma Gandhi. The volumes have been acquired by Visakhapatnam Public Library after the merger of Mahatma Gandhi Library of Gandhian K.S. Sastry. The library has a total of 14 volumes of Young India.
A number of annual issues of Andhra Patrika brought out every Ugadi beginning 1945 were on display. The editions of 1951, 54, 62 and 1969 to 80 are available in the library. The magazine carried the panchangam (almanac) of the year in the issue. The 1954-55 issue has an advertisement index separately. It carried poems by noted authors like Rayaprolu Subba Rao, Utpala Satyanarayanacharya and Puripanda Appala Swamy. Well known writer Puranam Subrahmanya Sarma's “Neeli” was also published in the issue. Volumes of “Bharati,” the reputed scholarly literary monthly are on display. The Bharati volumes were presented by Yedida Venkata Ramana Murthy of Rajahmundry. The library has issues from 1950 to 1973, according to G. Krishna Reddy, librarian of Visakhapatnam Public Library.
Reference books
“The books are on display to enable the readers know that the library has such a treasure with it. They are not lent to the subscribers. But the invaluable books are available for members as reference books,” he says.
One of the earliest books in the exhibition are the one on music by Subbarama Deekshithulu (1904) and another also on music, Ganabhaskaram by Kandada Srinivasa Iyengar (1918).
Among the other books are ‘Andhrula Charitram' (1912) by Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao and ‘Achcha Telugu Ramayanama' by Kuchimanhci Timmakavi,
The exhibition has been extended by two days owing to good response and it will continue on Saturday and Sunday too, according to Mr. Krishna Reddy.
