The Central Library was established on 26th June 1947, Under the management of Asiatic Society of Bombay as per the recommendations of the then Bombay State’s the Library Development Committee, which was appointed under the Chairmanship of Shri A.A.A.Fyzee by the Government of Bombay in 1939-40.
In 1955, the Government of India notified the Central Library as a National Depository Library under the Delivery of Books (Public Libraries) Act, 1954 and books started coming in from December 1955.
As per provision made in the Maharashtra Public Libraries Act,1967 Govt. of Maharashtra has taken the State Central Library from Asiatic Society of Bombay from 1st July 1994.
The Committee recommended that :
The Central Library should be freed from the Asiatic Society of Bombay and the State Government should establish the State Central Library for the whole State under the provisions of Maharashtra Public Libraries Act, 1967
A separate new building for the State Central Library should be constructed at Vidyanagari, Kalina Campus, Santacruz, Mumbai. The financial assistance for erecting a new building may be sought from the Central Government.
