Pune: After 60 long years, British Library to close down physical presence, English test centre to be set up there

Pune, June 12, 2020: Having served as a hub for knowledge and cultural activities for Punekars since 1959, the British Council Library (BCL) in Pune has decided to close down. The British Council has decided to make all the books in the library available in digital format from now on, and a test centre for English language aptitude tests will soon be set up in the library space at Shivajinagar. Therefore, people won’t be able to sit and read there.

From July, the British Library space will be used as a centre for online tests of the English language required for various examinations in the UK. The British Library premises will now be an up-to-date computer-based testing centre for IELTS and other qualifying examinations controlled by BC Examinations and English Services India. The demand for exams like IELTS is on the rise, and the change will be a good opportunity for young people to get the internationally recognised qualifications required for jobs and education, Maharashtra Times quoted Antonius Raghubansie, Director, Learning Services, British Council India.

“The use of digital media has grown exponentially in the last few years, and digital media is gaining popularity among the youth. Therefore, from now on, we will focus on providing quality education online”, he added.

The library has been closed for the last two and a half months due to lockdown. Last month, e-mails were sent to members informing them when the library would open. An email was sent by the British Council on Thursday stating that the library would be closed, and open online.

The British Library was started in 1959 in Pune. It was the rightful place for English language literature as there was no internet option available at that time. In the early days, books by European authors, important reference books, periodicals and international English newspapers were available in the library. So researchers, scholars, professors were connected to the British Library for years. Until just a few years ago, people had to wait for months to get a membership in this library. The library was shifted from FC Road to a building near Sancheti Hospital in Shivajinagar two years ago.

The library and cultural centre spread over 5,000 sq ft at Ramsukh House, Shivajinagar, featured over 10,000 books, DVDs, popular UK newspapers and magazines, in addition to digital access to 1,15,000 books and 14,000 journals covering a wide range of subject areas.

The email sent to members on June 11 announcing the closure of the physical library: “Dear Member

First, we would like to thank you for your continued support and engagement with the British Council library.

Second, we want to update you on the changes we are making in response to what our customers have been telling us, and the rapidly evolving external context and increased demand for digital access.

Our growth strategy for the next five years is focused on delivering more flexible and personalised offers to more people both on and offline, ensuring our offer stays relevant to our customers’ needs. All of you have access to our online membership and we have seen a steady growth in access and use of our online resources. More recently we have started online English language learning courses for adults and young learners, and we want to ensure that more people in more cities can access our wide range of digital learning resources. Our aim is to create opportunities for young people to succeed in a globalised world.

This means our physical library offers in Pune will now become a fully online offer that aims to bring the best of UK education, arts and culture to a much larger audience beyond our physical locations.

Our online offer is continually growing! We have invested in increasing and strengthening our digital offer so that you can access a vast range of educational and entertainment resources online. More details are available at the end.

The Mobile App version of the Digital Library will be launched at the end of June for both Android and iOS platforms, offering you a seamless and interactive customer journey which pulls together our content in one place and allows you to build your own library collection.

We are also moving the annual Reading Challenge event online for the first time this year with the available titles added to the Digital Library.

Our physical centre in Pune will become a state of the art, computer-based testing centre for IELTS and other UK qualifications, managed by BC Examinations and English Services India Pvt Ltd (BCEESIPL). This centre will continue to provide many aspirational young people the opportunity to access UK qualifications as a route towards international mobility for work or study, and to improve their skills.

What this means for you

You will continue to have access to your online membership for as long as your current physical membership is valid. Apart from that, to compensate for the withdrawal of your physical membership, your online membership will be extended by six months from the date of expiry of your current membership, giving you access to our world class online resources for an increased period of time.

You will also continue to have exclusive digital access to our programmes like Reading Challenge, Summer School, etc.

If you would like to opt for a refund, then please fill up the details in the form here

If you would like to speak to us, then please leave your details in the form here . One of our colleagues will give you a call to answer queries.

We hope to see more of you, online! And we look forward to your continued support.

Details of our digital collection:

Newspapers: 2,400 full-text newspapers from over 100 countries

Magazines: 8,000 full-colour, digital editions for instant desktop and mobile reading. Library members can select both new and back issues, adding them to personal reading libraries with no holds, no checkout periods, and no limits to the number of magazines checked out, including The Economist and New Scientist

EBooks and Audio Books: Read or listen on the go to thousands of titles from all major publishers and authors, including the latest releases

Comics and Graphic Novels: Browse and enjoy over 1,500 comic titles and graphic novels available to library members of all ages

Music: over 1,500 of live moments in music, full-length concerts and music documentaries streamed on-demand to any digital device

Independent Films: streaming movie service that offers access to over 7,000 pop culture favourites, box office hits, award-winning feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Library members can instantly view thousands of titles from around the world, including the best from classic TV, horror, comedy and film festivals

Theatre: The best of British theatre to teachers and students – library members can enjoy more than 600 productions, as well as talks and discussions from leading theatre practitioners

Academic Books: Over 100,000 eBooks are available in all academic subject areas along with powerful research tools. Subject areas include: Anthropology, Business and Economics, Computers & IT, Education, Engineering & Technology, Fine Arts, History, Language & Literature, Law, Life Sciences, Medicine, Physical Sciences, Psychology, Religion and Social Sciences

Software Training: online how-to training on hundreds of common software applications and devices, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Docs and iPad

Road to IELTS: both the general and academic versions are available for all members”