The CSDS library is a specialized research library on the social sciences and humanities. In its selection, the library reflects the interdisciplinary ethos of CSDS.

The library began its career with the founding of the Centre and developed initially in step with the research conducted here. Over the decades, it has acquired a reputation for its rich collection and is used widely by social science researchers from the city of Delhi and beyond. It is a medium-sized library with more than 33,000 books and 5500 bound volumes of journals and a modest set of reports and booklets. More than 100 journals are received regularly. Readers have access to two excellent electronic databases of journals, namely JSTOR and Project Muse.

Apart from works on contemporary themes, the library houses a rich collection of works on Development, Asia and Africa, Arms Race and Peace Movement, non-European Perspectives, Science Studies, Ecology and Environment, Human Rights, Democracy, Philosophy, Political Theory etc. collected over many years. Significant collections developing during the last decade are in the areas of New Media, Cinema, City/the urban, Cultural Studies, Art, History, Indian Thought, Mahabharat Studies.

There is a separate collection of Hindi language books covering almost all subject areas that are covered in the English language collection subject to availability of such writings. There is a significant collection of books in the subject areas of literature, philosophy, politics, media, history etc. The collection is perhaps unique in the range of Hindi writings in the field of literature, media and development of Hindi language itself. We have small collections of Urdu and Sanskrit works as well.

CSDS library is fortunate to keep receiving significant personal collection of books from a number of social scientists. Around 1/8th of the library’s books are gifts. We are proud to host the full personal collections of such scholars as Rajni Kothari, Ramashray Roy, T. G. Vaidyanathan, Bashir Ahmed and H. R. Charurvedi. We are grateful for the regular gift of books from the journal Seminar. Moreover, we continue to receive gifts of books from many former and current faculty and other scholars who have been associated with the Centre.

Access to the library collection is computerized and the catalogue is available on the intranet. More than 100 journals with their back issues and two major electronic databases are available at the library. Reprographic facilities are provided.

The library catalogue is available to a wider community of researchers through the union catalogue of books at the Developing Libraries Network’s (DELNET) website. Scholars can avail of the inter library loan facilities through DELNET.

The library is open to all scholars with a minimum of formality. Lending facility is only for the CSDS researchers. Besides the Developing Libraries Network (DELNET), the library is also a member of the Social Science Libraries Network (SSLN).

Staff

Avinash Jha
Poornima Atri
Hemlata Gulati
Ramesh Rawat
&
Sujit Deb (Honorary Consultant)

LIBRARY TIMINGS: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
                            Monday to Friday (Except Government holidays)