Connemara Public Library at
Chennai is one of the four deposit libraries in the country which entitles them to a copy of every publication in India. The library began in 1861 as part of the Madras Museum, till in 1896 it was opened to the public by Lord Connemara, the then Governor of Madras Presidency. Henry Irwin, the renowned architect designed the building in the Pantheon complex.
The library stores a rapidly growing collection of over half a million books. Periodicals hall, reference and video rooms, an entire floor for books of various Indian languages and a Braille Library are the highlights here. The library also has a rich collection of rare books like the 1608 edition of The Bible and the whole set of Hortus Indicus Malabaricus. This library has been a UN depository center since 1956.
