Closure Notice Official Advisory: Dr. B.C. Roy Memorial Children's Reading Room and Library will remain closed on Sunday, 25 October 2026 due to the 62nd Shankar's On-the-Spot Painting Competition (for 5 to 17 years) and will re-open on Tuesday, 27 October 2026.

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A LIBRARY EXCLUSIVELY
FOR CHILDREN

Dr. B.C. Roy Memorial Children's
Reading Room and Library

With effect from September 9, 2024, the Library will remain closed on all Mondays.

☎ 011-41509267

Dr. B.C. Roy Children’s Reading Room and Library, the largest library exclusively for school children, is housed in the building of Children’s Book Trust, Nehru House, New Delhi. Founded by the renowned political cartoonist, the late K. Shankar Pillai, in memory of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.C. Roy, who was a physician, educationist and statesman, the Library was inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain on November 12, 1967. The object of the library is to provide extra-curricular reading for children.

WORKING HOURS

The Library is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The Library is closed on all Mondays, National holidays and certain festival holidays.

MEMBERSHIP

  1. Any school going child can become a member.
  2. Application for membership is to be made on the prescribed form (available free of cost at the library), giving all particulars asked for and signed by the child and countersigned by the guardian.
  3. There are three types of memberships offered:
    Membership Admission fee Yearly fee Refundable Security Deposit Total Library tickets
    Ordinary ₹ 50.00 ₹ 150.00 ₹ 500.00 ₹ 700.00 2
    Special ₹ 50.00 ₹ 300.00 ₹ 1000.00 ₹ 1350.00 4
    Double Special ₹ 50.00 ₹ 500.00 ₹ 2000.00 ₹ 2550.00 8

    (18% GST as applicable)

  4. The membership must be renewed on a yearly basis and it will lapse if not renewed within two months of the date of expiry.

TICKETS

  1. Each member is issued tickets as per the type of the membership taken.
  2. Each member is allowed to take only one book per ticket. (Certain expensive books may require more tickets, the same will be mentioned on the books.). If a member loses a ticket, a duplicate ticket will be issued on payment of ₹ 12 (including GST).
  3. The books are issued for a period of 14 days. Overdue charges of 50 paisa per book per day is charged after the due date (18% GST as applicable).
  4. The books may be renewed for a further period of one week only, provided:
    1. The request for renewal reaches the Librarian before the date of expiry of the loan.
    2. No other member has applied for the book/s in the meantime.
  5. Each member shall pay the security amount as per the type of the membership opted. This deposit shall not be refunded until all books outstanding against the member and the membership tickets have been duly returned.
  6. A member shall cease to be a member of the library upon finishing school and will have to return the membership tickets without any delay.

BOOKS

  1. The library has a collection of over 40,000 books, including a good collection of reference books. The books are on a variety of subjects such as science, mystery, adventure, history, religion and mythology, literature, fiction, short story collections, encyclopaedias and others.

ARRANGEMENT

  1. The library observes open access system. Children are allowed to select the books on their own from the shelves.
  2. The library follows the Dewey Decimal Classification for classifying the collection and has simplified cataloguing for the benefit of the children.
  3. Three types of catalogue cards namely, author, title and classified cards are prepared for each book. The author and title cards are filed in the alphabetical catalogue and the classified cards are filed in the classified catalogue.
  4. The books have been grouped under three different categories for different age groups. Group A provides books for children in the age group up to 8 years. Group B provides books for children in the age group 9 to 12 years. Group C caters to the age group between 13 to 17 years. Books are arranged serially according to the class numbers in each group.
  5. The children who use the library may select the books from the shelves where they are kept arranged. After reading, the books are to be left on the table and NOT placed back by them in the shelves.
  6. The children will be required to handle the books with care. The Children’s Book Trust reserves the right to levy an appropriate charge in the event of damage caused to books by any child and, in the case of repeated mishandling of books, to terminate the membership of the child.

GUARDIANS

  1. Guardians can accompany the members and guide them in selecting the books. However, they are not allowed to borrow books on behalf of their children in their absence. Books can be borrowed ONLY by the members. Guardians are not allowed to sit in the Reading Room.
  2. No pets will be allowed inside the library. The premises also cannot be used for consuming snacks or other eatables.
  3. The library can be used for research purposes by artists, writers, editors and school teachers with prior written permission. A mail has to be sent at library@childrensbooktrust.org with complete details of the person, purpose of research and period for which the library would be used.

RIGHT OF ADMISSION

  1. Children’s Book Trust reserves its right to deny admission to the library without having to assign any reasons.

For Library Membership Form CLICK HERE
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