Indian LANGUAGES COLLECTIONS
The following information is a repeat of Minutes from February 17th, 2016.
Monica Khosla from India for Everyone in Cupertino, California joined us via Skype. Monica gave a presentation entitled "4 Steps to Your Indian Language Materials" in which she talked about the services that India for Everyone can provide to libraries and addressed the following questions that we had provided to her ahead of time:
- What is the best way to determine which Indian language(s) would be the most appropriate or prevalent when starting a new collection or adding to an outdated collection?
- Do Indian patrons prefer to read native Indian authors over Indian language translations of popular or classic English language works?
- What kinds of fiction and nonfiction books are the most popular?
- Who are the most popular authors?
- What classic Indian language works are essential to have?
- Are there lists of Indian language literature prizewinners that we should know about?
- Are there any websites listing bestsellers in India that would be helpful?
- Are there particular publishers that might be better when purchasing books for library collections?
Monica then answered numerous questions from the group which are summarized below.
Can India for Everyone (IFE) post monthly bestseller lists?
Monica suggested that lists be posted quarterly rather than monthly. IFE utilizes in-house selectors. Lists can be sent via email. IFE can also send customized lists to specific libraries.
How do we get these customized lists?
I will send the emails of the participants who asked me to do so to Monica. If you were not at the meeting you can contact Monica at [email protected].
Monica will then contact interested libraries for more information about their collections such as:
- is this a new or ongoing collection
- preferred language(s)
- how big will the collection be
- how often will you add to the collection
- how many copies of each title are needed
- which demographic are the books for (young parents or grandparents)
Is India for Everyone a for-profit company located in India?
IFE is a nonprofit company based in Cupertino, California. It takes approximately 4-6 weeks from the time an order is received by IFE for a library to receive books. IFE works with consolidators in India to fill orders. Books are then sent to IFE where boxes are opened, and books are inspected and repackaged including MARC records before sending to the libraries.. IFE keeps track of a library's purchasing history so that duplication is avoided. Shipping is via UPS ground. IFE will send sample books to libraries wishing to see the quality of books before ordering.
Does that fact that we circulate mostly Gujarati books demonstrate our actual demographics? Should we bother to "boost" our Hindi collection (which currently is smaller)?
IFE can do small "test orders" to help determine whether a particular language will circulate.
What are the more popular nonfiction areas and specifically, do you carry alternative medicine/home remedies titles?
IFE does carry alternative medicine/home remedies titles. Other popular nonfiction topics include yoga, cooking, self help and technology.
Do Indian language patrons prefer to read English language books?
Approximately 70% of younger Indian people read and enjoy English language books. Thirty percent of older people read English but most prefer to read in their native language. Most people prefer native Indian writers over English writers.
We have noticed that books by classic author Premchand seem to be very inexpensive. Does this reflect their quality? Can we search for books by a particular author on the IFE website?
The average price of a good quality book is between $15-$30. You can search by author.
Does IFE provide "shelf ready" processing?
IFE can do this. Libraries provide their specific requirements as to labels, stickers and barcodes, etc. via a form.
How is payment handled?
Invoice or credit card are fine.
Can IFE provide a "test order" of books for a youth collection?
Yes.
How long does it generally take for English language bestsellers to be translated into Indian languages?
It can take a while. Requests can be made to publishers to translate particular English titles.
Are there any AV materials for children for English language learning?
There is a popular DVD series. Monica can provide a list.
Are there any audiobooks in Hindi or Gujarati for adults and kids?
There is a publisher of audiobooks for children (Karadi Tales) but not yet for adults. This is something that is being explored. Also working on e-books.
Can IFE provide electronic MARC records?
Yes - an electronic file can be sent with the shipment.
What are the general reading interests of the two main demographic groups?
The younger adults/parents with children want Bollywood DVDs and bilingual materials for their kids. They are also interested in fiction as well as nonfiction about finance and technology. Older adults/grandparents are interested in nonfiction topics such as health, yoga, simple technology and self help.
Monica concluded by saying that IFE is always happy to receive suggestions and comments directly from librarians.
Following Monica's presentation we had a general discussion of some of the Indian language vendors that are currently being used.
DK Agencies www.dkagencies.com
Pros:
- good selection lists but getting good customized lists can take a few tries
- cheaper than some other vendors
- quality is better than IFE
- responsive to requests
- pleasant and easy to work with
- MARC record included in front of book
- there have been some problems with odor especially for larger orders but letting the books "air out" for a while seems to help
- returning books is very difficult as the company is in India
- don't seem to have any translations of English language books
- don't bother with Hindi audiobooks - Mount Prospect PL bought 50 on CD and they never went out - all have been weeded
- Fremont PL lets DK Agencies do the selection (30-40 books per shipment) and this has worked out well
India for Everyone www.indiaforeveryone.org
Pros:
- much easier to return books as company is in California
- willing to work with libraries until they "get it right"
- willing to send samples and "test orders"
- very responsive
- selection lists are not as informative
- quality of older books can be poor
Multicultural Books and Videos www.multiculturalbooksandvideos.com
Per Naperville PL:
- until recently had a good experience with MCBV - books were in good condition and included MARC records
- timing is currently the biggest problem - books take too long to arrive
- customer service was good until recently
- some libraries have had negative feedback on some MCBV language sets especially Polish and Korean although you don't have to order sets
- they don't always have the materials that they advertise in their email announcements
India Club www.indiaclub.com
Per Chicago PL:
- experience is similar to other vendors
- timing is slow
- sometimes send materials you may not want
- decent quality and no ink/paper odor issues
- US based vendor - New Jersey
- not many translations of English books
- some materials are older but patrons seem to be OK with this
- books look attractive
- good customer service makes up for shortcomings
Other points mentioned in our discussion:
- There do not seem to be any reliable local vendors or bookstores for Indian language materials
- patrons at some libraries do like the essay and short story collections
- make sure you know your community before you decide which Indian language to order
- Always check OCLC first to see if titles are being acquired by other libraries
- Avoid muti-volume novels
- It's easier to work with lists the vendor provides than to ask for specific titles
- Don't order anything on back order
- Vendors located in the US are often easier to work with, especially if there are problems with the order
There were several additional handouts distributed at the meeting:
- Excerpt of minutes from May 21, 2014 WLNG meeting on Indian Languages. I have not attached this. Please go to our website at http://wlng.weebly.com/minutes.html for the full minutes from this meeting and http://wlng.weebly.com/indian-languages-collections.html for additional material if you are interested.
- Shared by Sarah Dolley from Fountaindale PL :
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/69232-in-india-education-and-the-government-drive-the-publishing-market.html and file attached below - advertisement - "Stories of India" - Shared by Larissa Yabloch from Skokie PL - file attached below - Popular Authors
Hindi literature
Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. In translation his poetry was viewed as spiritual however, his "elegant prose and magical poetry" remain largely unknown outside Bengal. Tagore introduced new prose and verse forms. He was highly influential in introducing the best of Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern South Asia.
Here are the most know and liked reading materials:
-Poetry
-Essays
-Travel literature
-Playwriting
In the 20th century Hindi Poetry is marked by beauty of expression and flow of intense emotion. A unique feature of this period is the emotional (and sometimes active) attachment of poets with national freedom struggle, their effort to understand and imbibe the vast spirit of a magnificent ancient culture.
Important names include:
Pandit Nalin Vilochan Sharma
Kesari Kumar
Naresh Mehta
Nalin Vilochan
Kesari Kumar
Hindi travel literature:
-Rahul Sankrityayan, Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan, Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Ajneya' and Baba Nagarjun were some of the great Indian writers who dedicated themselves entirely to the Hindi Travel Literature
-Rahul Sankrityayan is known as the ("Father of Hindi Travel literature").
-Baba Nagarjun
As the Independence struggle Hindi authors adapted themes from mythology, history and legend and used them as vehicle for political messages, a trend that continues to date, though now it was employed to bring out social, personal and psychological issues rather than clearly political.
Worth mentioning:
-Jagdish Chandra Mathur
-Upendranath Ashk
-Mohan Rakesh
-Lehron Ke Rajhans
-Dharamvir Bharati
-Bhisham Sahni.
Gujarati literature
As we all know, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He was also a writer.
One of Gandhi's earliest publications, Hind Swaraj, published in Gujarati in 1909, is recognized as the intellectual blueprint of India's independence movement. The book was translated into English the next year, with a copyright legend that read "No Rights Reserved". For decades he edited several newspapers including Harijan in Gujarati, in Hindi and in the English language. In addition, he wrote letters almost every day to individuals and newspapers.
Gandhi also wrote several books including his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth of which he bought the entire first edition to make sure it was reprinted. His other autobiographies included: Satyagraha in South Africa about his struggle there, Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, a political pamphlet, and a paraphrase in Gujarati of John Ruskin's Unto This Last. This last essay can be considered his programme on economics. He also wrote extensively on vegetarianism, diet and health, religion, social reforms, etc. Gandhi usually wrote in Gujarati, though he also revised the Hindi and English translations of his books.
Gujarati
Literature in Gujarati is sometimes classified into two broad categories, poetry and prose.
During Mahatma Gandhi period:
-Novels
-Short stories
-Diaries
-Letters
-Plays
-Essays
-Criticisms
-Biographies
-Travel
This trend continues until now.
After the rise of Mahatma Gandhi, poets like Umashankar, Sundaram, Shesh, Snehrashmi and Betai, amongst others, centered on the existing social order, the struggle for independence.
Based on our observation mature readers will go back to the classic poetry, essays and novels. Younger audience will go for the well-known modern novel writers.
The Gujarati novel was also made a household name by G.G. Joshi ('Dhumaketu'), Chunilal V. Shah, Gunvantrai Acharya, Jhaverchand Meghani, Pannalal Patel and Manubhai Pancholi.
Amongst the important essayists, citation can be made of Kaka Kalelkar, Ratilal Trivedi, Lilavati Munshi, Jyotindra Dave, Ramnarayan Pathak.
Well known laureates of Gujarati literature are Hemchandracharya, Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Akho, Premanand Bhatt, Shamal Bhatt, Dayaram, Dalpatram, Narmad, Govardhanram Tripathi, Mohandas Gandhi, K. M. Munshi, Umashankar Joshi, Suresh Joshi, Pannalal Patel and Rajendra Keshavlal Shah.
Hindi Language – awarded authors
Year Author Work
1955 Makhanlal Chaturvedi Him Tarangini (Poetry)
1956 Vasudeva Saran Agrawal Padmavat Sanjivani Vyakhya (Commentary)
1957 Acharya Narendra Dev Bauddha Dharma Darshan (Philosophy)
1958 Rahul Sankrityayan Madhya Asia Ka Itihas (History)
1959 Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' Sanskriti Ke Char Adhyaya (A Survey of Indian culture)
1960 Sumitranandan Pant Kala aur Burha Chand (Poetry)
1961 Bhagwati Charan Verma Bhoole Bisre Chitra (Novel)
1962 No Award [1]
1963 Amrit Rai Premchand: Kalam Ka Sipahi (Biography)
1964 S.H. Vatsyayan 'Agyeya' Aangan Ke Par Dvar (Poetry)
1965 Nagendra Rasa Siddhanta (Treatise on poetics)
1966 Jainendra Kumar Muktibodh (Novelette)
1967 Amritlal Nagar Amrit Aur Vish (Novel)
1968 Harivansh Rai Bachchan Do Chattanen (Poetry)
1969 Shrilal Shukla Rag Darbari (Novel)
1970 Ram Vilas Sharma Nirala Ki Sahitya Sadhana (Biography)
1971 Namwar Singh Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman (Literary criticism)
1972 Bhawani Prasad Mishra Buni Huyi Rassi (Poetry)
1973 Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Alok Parva (Essays)
1974 Shivmangal Singh 'Suman' Mitti Ki Baraat (Poetry)
1975 Bhisham Sahni Tamas (Novel)
1976 Yashpal Meri Teri Uski Baat (Novel)
1977 Shamsher Bahadur Singh Chuka Bhi Hun Nahin Main (Poetry)
1978 Bharat Bhushan Agarwal Utna Vah Suraj Hai (Poetry)
1979 Sudama Panday 'Dhoomil' Kal Sunana Mujhe (Poetry)
1980 Krishna Sobti Zindaginama - Zinda Rukh (Novel)
1981 Trilochan Tap Ke Taye Hue Din (Novel)
1982 Harishankar Parsai Viklang Shraddha Ka Daur (Satire)
1983 Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena Khutiyon Par Tange Log (Poetry)
1984 Raghuvir Sahay Log Bhool Gaye Hain (Poetry)
1985 Nirmal Verma Kavve Aur Kala Pani (Short stories)
1986 Kedarnath Agarwal Apurva (Poetry)
1987 Shrikant Verma Magadh (Poems)
1988 Naresh Mehta Aranya (Poems)
1989 Kedarnath Singh Akaal Mein Saras (Poetry)
1990 Shiv Prasad Singh Neela Chand (Novel)
1991 Girija Kumar Mathur Main Vaqt Ke Hun Samne (Poetry)
1992 Giriraj Kishore Dhai Ghar (Novel)
1993 Vishnu Prabhakar Ardhanarishwar (Novel)
1994 Ashok Vajpeyi Kahin Nahin Wahin (Poetry)
1995 Kunwar Narayan Koi Doosra Nahin (Poetry)
1996 Surendra Verma Mujhe Chand Chahiye (Novel)
1997 Leeladhar Jagoori Anubhav Ke Aakash Mein Chand (Poetry)
1998 Arun Kamal Naye Ilake Mein (Poetry)
1999 Vinod Kumar Shukla Deewar Main Ek Khirkee Rahathi Thi (Novel)
2000 Manglesh Dabral Hum Jo Dekhte Hain (Poetry)
2001 Alka Saraogi Via Bypass (Novel)
2002 Rajesh Joshi Do Panktiyon Ke Beech (Poems)
2003 Kamleshwar Kitne Pakistan (Novel)
2004 Viren Dangwal Dushchakra Mein Srista (Poetry)
2005 Manohar Shyam Joshi Kyap (Novel)
2006 Gyanendrapati Sanshyatma (Poetry)
2007 Amar Kant Inhin Hathiyaron Se (Novel)
2008 Govind Mishra[2] Kohre Mein Kaid Rang (Novel)
2009 Kailash Vajpeyi [3] Hawa mein Hastakshar (Poetry)
2010 Uday Prakash [4] Mohan Das (Short stories) [5]
2011 Kashinath Singh[6] Rehan Par Ragghu (Novel)
2012 Chandrakant Devtale[7] Patthar fenk Raha Hoon (Poetry)
2013 Mridula Garg[8] Miljul Man (Novel)
Sahitya Akademi Award to Gujarati Writers by Sahitya Akademi
1955 Mahadev Desai Mahadev Bhaini Diary Memoirs
1956 Ramnarayan Pathak Brihat - Pingal Treatise on prosody
1958 Pandit Sukhlal Darshan ane Chintan Philosophical essays
1960 Rasiklal C. Parekh Sharvilak Play
1961 Ram Singhji Rathod Kachhnun Sanskrit Darshan cultural survey
1962 V.R. Trivedi Upayana Critical writings
1963 Rajendra Shah Shant Kolahal Poetry
1964 Dolarrai R. Mankad Naivedya Essays
1965 Kakasaheb Kalelkar Jeevan-Vyavastha Essays
1967 Dr.P.B. Pandit Gujarati Bhashanum
Dhwani-Swarup and
Dhwani-Parivartan Linguistic study
1968 Sundaram (Tribhuvandas P. Luhar) Avalokana Literary reviews
1969 Swami Anand(Not Accepted) Kulkathao Pen-portraits
1970 Nagindas Parekh Abhinavano Rasavichar Literary criticism
1971 Chandravadan.C. Mehta Natya Gathariyan Travelogue
1973 Umashankar Joshi Kavini Shraddha Literary criticism
1974 Anantrai M. Raval Tartamya Literary criticism
1975 Manubhai Pancholi 'Darshak' Socrates Novel
1976 N.K. Pandya 'Ushanas' Aswattha Poetry
1977 Raghuvir Chaudhari Uparvas Kathatrayi Novel
1978 Harindra Dave Hayati Poetry
1979 Jagdish Joshi Vamal Nan Van Poetry
1980 Jayant Pathak Anunaya Poetry
1981 Dr.Harivallabh Bhayani Rachna ane Samrachna Criticism
1982 Priyakant Maniar Lilero Dhal Poetry
1983 Dr.Suresh Joshi(Not Accepted) Chintayami Manasa Essays
1984 Ramanlal Joshi Vivechanni Prakriya Literary criticism
1985 Kundanika Kapadia Sat Paglan Aakashman Novel
1986 Chandrakant T. Sheth Dhoolmani Paglio Reminiscences
1987 Sitanshu Yashaschandra Jatayu Poetry
1988 Bhagwatikumar Sharma Asooryalok Novel
1989 Joseph Macwan Angaliat Novel
1990 Anil R. Joshi Statue Essays
1991 Labhshanker Thaker Tolan Aawaz Ghunghat Poetry
1992 Bholabhai Patel Devoni Ghati Travelogue
1993 Narayan Desai Agnikundaman Ugelun
Gulab Biography
1994 Ramesh Parekh Vitan Sud Beej Poetry
1995 Varsha M. Adalja Ansar Novel
1996 Himanshi Shelat Andhari Galima
Safed Tapakan Short stories
1997 Ashokpuri Goswami Kuvo Novel
1998 Jayant Kothari Vank-dekham Vivechano Criticism
1999 Niranjan N. Bhagat Gujarati Sahiyta-
Purvardha Uttarardha Criticism
2000 Vinesh Antani Dhundhabhari Khin Novel
2001 Dhiruben Patel Agantuk Novel
2002 Dhruv Prabodhrai Bhatt Tattvamasi Novel
2003 Bindu Bhatt Akhepatar Novel
2004 Amritlal Vegad Saundaryani Nadi Narmada Travelogue
2005 Suresh Dalal Akhand Zalar Vage Poetry
2006 Ratilal 'Anil' Ratano Suraj Essays
2007 Rajendra Shukla Gazal-Samhita Poetry
2008 Suman Shah Fatfatiyun Short stories
2009 Shirish Panchal Vaat aapanaa vivechan-ni criticism
2010 Dhirendra Maheta Chhavni Novel
2011 Mohan Parmar Anchalo Short Stories
2012 Chandrakant Topiwala Sakshibhasya Criticism
Compiled by:
Maria Garstecki
South Branch Manager
Outreach Librarian
Mount Prospect Public Library