Collection Development - Acquisition

Raj Bhavan Library is situated Ground floor, South-east corner of Raj Bhavan, Kolkata. The Library is modest of size. But it holds "niches of surprise, volumes and papers that reflect a certain grace-in-age." It has been our special privilege to restore from the dust of neglect several books that belong to the Governors of the days and contributed to the Library or just 'left behind'. Often bearing their signatures and inscriptions, they tell us something of the Governors' range of reading interests and concerns. And also, of course, of the diversity of their visitors who brought books as gifts.

The library has about 10,000 books, two manuscripts, 800 CDs & DVDs, about 5000 photographs grown and enriched by the personal collection of the past and present governors and by their initiatives on various subjects dating back to the pre-independence period to date. Some of rare and invaluable books and manuscripts of the Library are :

1. Works of Sir William Jones.1799. 6 vols and one supplement.
2. Memoirs of the life, writings and correspondence of William Jones. [1800]
3. The ruins of Gour by H. Creighton.1817.
4. Mediaeval researches from Eastern Asiatic sources .../ E. Bretshneider. 1888.
5. Hastings and Rohilla War by Sir John Strachey. 1892.
6. The Tagore family by James W. Furrell. 1892.
7. The origin of the musalmans of Bengal by Khondkar Fuzli Rubbee. 1895. Etc.

Manuscripts

1. Holy Quran in Arabic dated 1783-84.
2. Magnum opus named Kimia-e-sadaat (revival of religious learning) written by Imam Abu Hamid-a-Ghazali . Persian. 10th century AD.