INDIACSR News Network
VISAKHAPATNAM: PSN Murthy, former Library Manager Visakhapatnam Steel plant has been awarded the Ranganathan-Kaula Award for the year 2011 in recognition of his self-less service to the development of public libraries. The felicitation function was held on 11th August 2012 at the Visakhapatnam Public Library on the occasion of the 122nd birth anniversary of Padmashree Dr. S R Ranganathan.
Prof. Kaula Endowment for Library & Information Science is based in Lucknow and Dr. Velaga Venkatappaiah, as its secretary. Every year the award is given to an eminent library professional, who has done commendable service to the library profession. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 5,000.
The award was handed over to PSN Murthy by many dignitaries of Govt. of AP -Dronamraju Srinivas, MLA; Tynala Vijaya Kumar, MLA; Thota Nagesh, District Congress president and Dr. Velaga Venkatappaiah, a doyen of Indian library movement. The felicitation function was also attended by the former Vice Chancellor of Nagarjuna University Prof. V Balamohan Das; Shri GBS Prasad, Executive Director, Visakha Steel Plant, and many library professionals form the city of Visakhapatnam.
While addressing the gathering, Dr. Velaga Venkatappaiah said “Shri PSN Murthy even after retirement he is very active in the promotion & development of public libraries in and around Visakhaptnam; especially raising funds from the corporate firms and PSUs under the banner of Corporate Social Responsibility”. He also said “Shri Murthy is Iyyanki Venkataramanaih of today, who spends personal money for such activities”.
PSN Murthy is known for doing public service through library extension programmes. He is associated with many local Libraries and distributed large number of books to Public and School Libraries in and around Visakhapatnam. Shri Murthy takes special interest in serving his library users to their utmost satisfaction and made a permanent mark among the Engineers and Managers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, for which many of them call him as ‘Library Murthy’. PSN Murthy received many awards and honours for his outstanding service to the library profession. They are: Jawaharlal Nehru Award for outstanding service in VSP Central Library in 1994, and Quality In 1994 he was awarded with Jawhar Lal Nehru Award from Visakhaptnam Steel Plant for his outstanding work; Long time service award and Quality Circle Award by the National Productivity Council, Hyderabad for providing excellent library service through intranet in 2009. He is a recipient of the “Samaja Mithra” award (Best Citizen) by ‘Prothsaha Cultural and Social Welfare Association’, Visakhapatnam, and ‘Aanimuthyam’- Lifetime achievement Award for 2011 by Mother Theresa Social Welfare Organization, Visakhapatnam. In 2012, he received the Nandana nama samvatsara ‘Ugadi puruskaramu’ by Branch Library of the ZGS, Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam.
Shri Murthy is a visionary in his thinking and practical in work. He believes that both public and private sector industries can contribute a lot to the welfare of its working community and society at large. While providing community service through the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, he struck on a novel idea of improving libraries using the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept. He then formed the “Society for the Promotion of Public Libraries” at Visakhapatnam to help public libraries to generate funds. Shri PSN Murthy has demonstrated that public libraries can develop and improve under public-private-partnership through CSR initiatives. He has become an inspiration for many library professionals in AP.
