Assistant-Librarian at Goethals Library!

St.Xavier's College is a landmark in the city of Calcutta, India and a beacon of education for students of all cultures in the city.Started by the Jesuit congregation in Calcutta in January1860,what was formerly the' Sans Souci Theatre' is today one of the leading christian educational institutions in the India.

St.Xavier's has a large number of libraries,from the Arts and Science Department Library,Commerce Library,Lending Library,Economics and Political Science Library to the Central Library.However,tucked away in one corner of the building, above the chapel is yet another library,the Goethals Indian Library.

The Goethals Indian Library has some of the most valuable collections of books.Archbishop Paul Goethals had a vast collection of books,periodicals,paintings,antiques and curios,which he bequeathed to St.Xavier's College,when he was Archbishop of Calcutta,in 1887.

The collection of rare books is classified into sixty-one categories in the Goethals Library.The sections range from Ancient Travels,Modern Indian History,Biographies, Folklore,Flora,Fauna,Meteorology,Classical Language and Literature,Archaeology,Architecture,Epigraphy,Education,Religion,Philosophy,Missions in India and abroad,Law,Medicine,Anthropology,to the section on Non-Indian Countries.

Fr.Achilles Verstraeten lovingly took care of the books of the Goethals Library,drawing inspiration from the huge collection of books,manuscripts,travelogues and diaries.It was Fr.Verstraeten who took on the monumental task of putting the Goethals collection in an organized system.

Renowned scholars from around the world visit the Goethals Library and appreciate the tranquility,the monastic appeal,which is ideal for research purposes.The Goethals Library books go as far back as four hundred years.A small portion of the books were printed in the 1500s.Seventy-five percent of the books are extremely rare and precious.

A large number of the books were in need of repair.The restoration and preservation work of the Goethals books and manuscripts was begun by Fr.Horace Rozario s.j.,former Rector in 1995 and was continued by Fr.Felix Raj. An enormous number of books,journals,manuscripts,about 2000,have been restored,with a large amount of money having been spent on this noble effort.

Preservation of the books was done by a preservation service company,headed by Mr.Abinash Lal,formerly of the National Library.Day to day library activities and supervision of preservation work was done by Mr.Warren Brown,who joined the library on the 1st of August 1994 till October 2005.

Rare,brittle and extremely precious books,documents,journals and manuscriptshave been through the process of deacidification,washing,destaining,lamination ,gelatining or encapsulation before being bound.After the spine-writing is completed,the books are returned to the library shelves and cupboards.

The Goethals collection has rare documents which relate to the Bengal Mission 1861-1864, documents written before1800,a list of travellers to India in the 16th and 17th centuries,the Mission during World War I,documents,photos,archival material on the History of St.Xavier's College,alongwith writings of Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya,Animananda and others.

A short listing of Goethals periodicals includes 'The Indian Antiquary'(a proverbial Treasure trove of Folklore),Indo-European Correspondence(contains very rare Historical data),The Herald(bound volumes),Bengal Past and Present(several have been restored),Journal of the Ganganatha Jha Research Society,Xaverian and Transactions of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society.

A list of a few rare books of Goethals can include De la Loubere's"Kingdom of Siam"(1643),Ebn Haukal's"Oriental Geography"(1800),Hakluyt's"Collection of Early Voyages andTravels"(1809),R.Broome's"Letters of Simpkin II"(1789),P.Xavier Ludovico's "Historia Christi"(1639),H.M.Ramsay's "Anthropometry in Bengal"(1895),M.Symes' "Embassy to the Kingdom of Java"(1800),L.H.Mills "Ancient Manuscript of the Yasna"-facsimile(1843),H.H.Risley's 'tribes and Castes of Bengal"(1891),and D.Francesco's "Missione al Gran Mogor" (1714),are but a microscopic portion of this fabulous collection.

The Goethals book-plate collection is literally a gallery of great Indian Art.A short list of Art-plates would include C.S.Hardinge's "Recollections of India",W.Hodges' "Select Views in India"(1780-83),R.H.Colebrooke's "Twelve Views of the Kingdom of Mysore", W.R.Wallace's "Panoramic India",T.H.Daniell's "Oriental Scenery",Fraser's "Views of Calcuta",B.R.Harrington's "Portfolio Studies-Indian Architecture",S.Bing's "Artistic Japan",W.Woods' "28 Panoramic Views of Calcutta".These represent but a tiny speck in the universe of the collection of great Indian Art.

In 1887,Dr.Paul Goethals became the first Archbishop of Calcutta.He later came to be known as "the Building Bishop" and there are three Memorials which still retain his name.The Goethals Memorial School in Kurseong,the Goethals building which forms part of the Loreto Convent in Entally,and the Goethals Indian Library and Research Centre at St.Xavier's College,Calcutta.

In this article I would like to honour the memories of two giants among men,Archbishop Paul Goethals and Father Achilles Verstraeten with a "literary salute". I consider it a great honour and privilege to have taken care of this special Library.I left the library to immigrate to the United Kingdom in 2005.

The Goethals library books have been catalogued under the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules(AACR2),with the primary objective of someday being entered into a computer system for easier and faster accessibility in research.The Library has its own website at (goethals.org).The Research Centre has also been set-up.The modernised library has been catering to the needs of researchers since April 1998.

The Library has a collection of approximately 17,800 books,book-plates,periodicals,journals and manuscripts. Also,there is an interesting assortment of curios,marble Buddha statues and an exquisite Malayan dagger collection.

The Goethals Indian Library of St.Xavier's College is truly a treasure trove of Indological Knowledge.

Outline of Library work done by Warren Brown,till October 2005
a.Assisting researchers in their various fields of research.
b.Arranging,planning and stream-lining the library system in order to make it compatible for research purposes.
c.Preparation of a newsletter for researchers after every three months.
d.Xerox work for researchers.
e.Checking computer records for availability of books.
f.Entering material into the computer for use in the Bulletin or for use by researchers.
g.Selection of books ,periodicals,journals,documents and manuscripts for preservation ,as well as keeping records of preservation activities.
h.Organising Exhibitions of rare books based on different themes.
-preparing charts and diagrams
-taking guests on a tour of the library
-explaining of preservation processes
-arrangement of book-displays
i.Supervision of preservation work in the preservation section.
j.Updating the library collection from time- to- time.
k.Planning and supplying of materials for website.
l.Creation of a minor Archives section.