Genesis: The year 1972 is a significant year in the history of library movement in India. The country was celebrating silver jubilee of independence. It was the bicentenary year of the birth of Raja Rammohun Roy, a pioneer social reformer who had stressed the need for modern education for the progress of the nation. The year was also being celebrated as an International Book Year with the slogan BOOKS FOR ALL. Emphasis was laid on promotion of reading habit among the masses for betterment of their lives. It was in this auspicious year that Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) was established in May, 1972 by the Department of Culture, Govt. of India to spread library services all over the country in cooperation with State Governments, Union Territory Administrations and Organisation working in the field.

The Foundation: RRRLF is a central autonomous organization established and fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. RRRLF is registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961. It is the nodal agency of the Governemnt of India to support public library services and systems and promote public library movement in the country commensurate with the objectives as embodied in its Memorandum of Association.

The supreme policy-making body of RRRLF is called the Foundation. It consists of 22 members nominated by the Government of India from amongst eminent educationists, librarians, administrators and senior officials. The Minister of the Department of Culture, Government of India or his nominee is the Chairman of RRRLF. Ms. Sangita Gairola, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Culture is the present Chairperson of RRRLF and Shri K.K. Banerjee , Director is the executive head and ex-officio Member-Secretary of the Foundation. The Foundation functions in each State/U.T. through a machinery called State Library Committee (SLC).

The Foundation works in close association and active cooperation with different State Govts. and Union Territory Administrations through a machinery called State Library Planning Committee (SLPC/SLC) set up in each State at the instance of the Foundation. To participate in Foundation's programmes, a State Government/U.T. is required to contribute a certain amount fixed by the Foundation.

Since 2005-06 the Foundation has also taken up the initiative to develop the District Youth Resource Centre (DYRC) in collaboration with Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathana, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs.

Objectives: RRRLF function as a promotional agency, an advisory and consultancy organisation a funding body for public library developement in India. Some important objectives are :

to promote library movement in the country ;
to enunciate a national library policy and to help build up a national library system ;
to provide financial and technical assistance to libraries ;
to provide financial assistance to organisations, regional or national engaged in the promotion of library developement ;

to publish appropriate literature and to act as a clearing house of ideas and information on library developement in India and abroad ;
to promote research in problems of library developement ;
to advise the government on all matters pertaining to the library developement in the country.