Books- Intellectuals Pride

Dr. Meghna Dhar
Books formed of paper are the most remarkable creations of mankind. Books and other media are the record of human civilization. These are considered as treasure trove of knowledge which keeps the past account of old generations. It is the most significant means of storing and communicating the ever growing knowledge .It has always been considered a special place for reading, study or reference in a library. The past records are indispensable to the present generation as well as the generations to come. These are such great treasures which help us to study a civilization and unfold so many truths related to them and also carry us to the past, enabling the coming generations to discover the footprints of our fore-fathers besides keeping us aware of various aspects of human lives and educate us in so many fields . So it is the prime duty of every citizen to help in preserving these treasures of our society.

World Book Day

Emilie Poulsson has righty said, that,
“Books are keys to wisdom treasure;
Books are gates to lands pleasure;
Books are paths that upward lead;
Books are friends come let us read.”
‘World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the magical power of books – a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. It is the most important event organized annually by UNESCO in order to promote the reading, publishing and copyright among the public worldwide.
What are World Book Day and Copy Right Day?
23rd April the World Book Day and Copyright Day, also known as International Day of the Book is celebrated every year in order to promote the reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright among the public worldwide. World Book Day celebrations were started by the UNESCO first time on 23rd April 1995. In 1995, UNESCO decided that on this date the World Book and Copyright Day should be celebrated .23rd April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is on this date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died on this date. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors on this date thereby, encouraging everyone to access books – the most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of humanity space and time as well as the most powerful forces of poverty eradication and peace building. Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive right to it, usually for a limited time. It is “the right to copy”, but also gives the copyright holder the right to be credited for the work and other, related rights that is the protection and the encouragement given to their creators. It is an intellectual property form. Broadly speaking, copyright is an exclusive, legally secured, right to publish and sell the substance and form of a literary, musical, dramatic, and artistic works. Writers and artists contribute immeasurably to man’s knowledge and to the quality of human life; their works, therefore, must be protected from infringement. Copyright is an exclusive and assignable legal right granted by law given to the originator for a specified number of years to produce copies, print, publish, perform, film, or record and to control an original literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc. Works granted such right by law on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the lifetime of the author or creator .The duration of copyright is not fixed. For example, in our country the copyright of a book remains in force till 60 years after the death of the author. It varies from country to country. Infringement of copyright is but a common phenomenon. In photocopying shops, books after books are photocopied at the request of students in flagrant infringement of copyrights. Apart from this, dishonest publishers print books in great demand without informing the authors. These types of books are called as pirated books. Copyright safeguards the interests of publishers and other processors who transform and package the works of authors so as to present them to the public.
How are World Bok Day and Copy Right Day Celebrated?
World Book Day and Copy Right Day celebration plays a great role in bringing children close to the books, reading habits as well as creates interest in them to know about authors and other important things. The celebrations are specially carried out by librarians, authors, publishers, teachers, educational institutions, mass media, various organizations, associations etc. Various programmes and activities like workshops, lectures depicting importance book reading, visual arts, drama, story telling, organizing book exhibitions, posters and slogan making competitions for students, etc. can motivate the public. Posters can also be designed and displayed in such a way so that old, young and children get encouraged towards book reading culture.
World book day can be celebrated by buying and reading some exciting and comical books from the market or popular book shops where all the favourite authored books are available. It pulls down world- wide people to pay tribute to the books and authors. It encourages people specially youngsters to read books, discover real pleasure and knowledge among books, as well as creating new ideas for their extraordinary contributions towards the social and customer may motivate them to read books and feel respect.
Every year, major celebration events takes place at different places. In Jammu the World Book Day is celebrated at Sri Ranbir Library ,Kachi Chowni on 23rd April every year, by organizing book exhibition of rare books and manuscripts. And for the first time in the history of University of Jammu, World Book Day is being organized in the Dhanvantri Library where the rare and special collection of the library is displayed by organizing Book Exhibition.
Rare Book at Sri Ranbir Library , Kachi Chowni Jammu.
Significance of World Book Day and Copy Right Day
A World Book Day and Copy Right Day celebration attracts people from all over the world with varied cultural backgrounds. It has inspired large number of professional organizations and librarians all over the world in order to promote the power of books among people as well as disseminate variety of cultures to other people. The day is celebrated to promote education among young people as well as people living in underprivileged sections. It is generally celebrated by the authors, illustrators and librarians to encourage reading among common public and the copyright holder so that the protection, encouragement and credit is given to creators for their work .More than 100 countries around the world celebrate this day. Public of all ages come together to appreciate reading. The main aim of World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
Conclusion
Books, a gateway to knowledge are the most outstanding single innovation in the history of mankind. It has emerged as a powerful means of dissemination and retrieval to educational tools. The modern technology is applied in speedy retrieval of information most consistently. Although, Internet has helped to remove barriers of distance and time. But books are depositories of heritage, culture, windows of gateway to knowledge, tools for dialog and rich sources of wealth which teach us about past, present and future and lead us to a glorious future. Libraries are recognized as repository of knowledge and an integral part of education, society and research. To meet the information needs of the scientists and researchers comprehensively, the libraries are required to acquire and maintain suitable and adequate quantity of collection.
(The author is Assistant Professor, University of Jammu, Jammu)
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