Madras Literary Society ~ A Treasure House for Books in Chennai

The Madras Literary Society (MLS) Library at DPI Campus, adjacent to Women’s Christian College at Nungambakkam is the oldest library in Chennai. It is also the oldest existing lending library in India. MLS was founded in 1812.

The Government Egmore Museum was initially established as an extension of MLS before it was moved to the current location at Egmore. A major collection of  books from the Madras Literary Society was moved to the same premises as the Museum to form the Connemara Library only in 1890.

The College Road at Nungambakkam did not derive its name from the Women’s Christian College which functions there today, but it was named after the Fort St. George College that was established here, of which the MLS was also a part of – at least initially.

This library contains many old and rare first-edition hard copies. Books are available on diverse subjects such as religion, philosophy, history, literature, art and fiction. MLS functions as a lending library even today in addition to being a gold mine for reference. The library continues its tradition of home delivering books to its members.

Here is a list of the subscription charges as of  Nov. 2017.

Entrance Fee: Rs. 100/-

Yearly Subscription: Rs. 1000/- (Six books may be borrowed for a loan period of one-month each)

Home Delivery: Rs. 20/- per visit.

Institutional Membership: Rs. 2500/-

Book Launches & Literary Events: Rs. 5000/-

I happened to visit the Madras Literary Society Library for an event organized by Sixth Sense Publications and The Chennai Bloggers Club for the launch of our book “After the Floods” (Anthology – Fiction). I was quite taken aback to see the size of the book shelves and the number of racks and books that maybe available here. 

About this Blog Post Author Rajesh K: Destination Infinity or Rajesh K is a Blogger, Author & Sustainable Living enthusiast. His latest venture is https://wowsuper.net where he creates stylish custom slideshows for weddings, birthdays, trips & special occasions. 

Chennai Bloggers Club launching 'After the Floods' book at MLS