Brief Introduction:

The library was established in 1908 with the start of Agricultural Experiment Station and Agricultural School at Sabour. It continued with its basic activities of information resources development by collecting, processing, organizing, storage and retrieval of information; maintaining liaison with other related University libraries for resource sharing and exchange of information; providing need based current awareness, reference and bibliographic services and facilitating online access to wide range of information resources in print and electronic versions. Open access system is followed in the Library and the books are arranged as per Dewey Decimal Classification scheme and catalogued as per A.A.C.R.-II.

During every financial year library makes collection building of about 4,000 / 5,000 titles under different schemes of University / ICAR. Some of the holdings (Books and Journals) are of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. These are the rare and valuable documents of this University library. The Library has a total of 45,000 books including volumes of Journals. It subscribes 74 Foreign & Indian Journals and 31 news papers including popular magazines. Library has acquired data bases like: AGRIS, AGRICOLA, CABSAC, HORT CD and CROP CD since 1973. It has 680 theses of M.Sc. and Ph.D. scholars. Library provides services like: E-Access, CD-ROM Search, Photocopying, Circulation, Reference, Book Bank, Resource Sharing and Clipping, etc. 

The library has the rare privilege of possessing, some unique books which are over 300 years old and were procured in the year 1913.

(i) HORTUS MALABARICUS: 12 VOLS.

It had been published during 1686-89-1703 by Henry Southern Company, Piccadilly West. These publications are original in nature and very rare and scripted in Latin, Arabic, Brahmi (Sanskrit) and Malayalam with 794 beautifully engraved black and white plates. These books deal with different horticultural plants located at Malabar Hills in peninsular India. There is a separate commentary on all the 12 Vols. for its description written by Francis Hamilton published in 1821 in English language for the benefit of the users who are not conversant with above 4 languages.

(ii) MUSEUM RUSTICUM ET. COMMERCIAL: 6 VOLS.

It had been published during 1764-1766 by R. Davis, London. These books deal with marketing of agricultural products along with the art, commerce and manufacturing. These are available in the form of letters from various experts in their own field narrating experiences to the editor MUSEUM RUSTICUM ET. COMMERCIAL on the topics mentioned earlier.

(iii) PLANTS OF COAST OF COROMANDEL: 3 VOLS.

It had been published by George Nicol, Book Seller to His Majesty, London during the period 1795-1819. These volumes deal with coastal plants of Coromandel contains 300 beautiful coloured engraved plates of different plants with their generic characters, description and observations in English. These coloured engraved plates are still intact with no sign of fading of their colours and are very lively and beautiful for the benefit of botanist and allied subject’s users.

(iv) Mahatma Gandhi:

Above is collection of 500 photographs gathered from different sources scattered throughout the world brought out by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to enshrine the life and work of Father of the Nation and published in 1954.

Library Resource Developments

During the period of 2010-2011 to 2015-2016, the following information resources / items were added: