The Indian public libraries have achieved its greatest development in large cities. Some cities maintain service that not only comes up to but surpasses minimum standards. Achieving standard library facilities presents special difficulties in small cities, scattered suburbs, towns, villages, and rural areas. Even with substantial financial effort, he small locality is often not able to raise enough money to buy the books needed and to employ the requisite professional personnel. For these reasons the many smaller libraries in the country have usually not approached the range and quality of service specified in national standards.

Yet the need for and ability to use library service, in variety and quality, are no less in the suburb and the country than in the city. The modern Indian, in large place or small has wide interest and can use facts to improve his way of life. Similarly the benefits to him and his children from the services of skilled librarians, who can anticipate and locate what he wants and who can guide him in using and interpreting resources are no less than the benefits to his city cousin. The problem is similar to that of the