About the Library

The Batticaloa Public Library is one of the oldest libraries in Sri Lanka. It was originally established in 1855 as a reading center in a building that had previously been used as a salt store. During its early years, the facility mainly provided newspapers and reading materials for a limited number of readers.

In 1884, during the British colonial administration, the reading center was formally developed into a library. Later, in 1932, it was incorporated into the Sri Lankan local government administrative system. During the 1950s, under the leadership of the late A.S. Selvanayagam, who served as the Mayor of Batticaloa, the institution was further upgraded into a public library. With a collection of 825 books and 16 registered members, the Batticaloa Public Library was officially opened to the public on 25 November 1950.

Following the elevation of the local authority to a Municipal Council in 1967, the administration of the library also came under the Batticaloa Municipal Council, and the library began functioning in a new building. Since then, the library has continued to provide information and knowledge services to all members of the community.

In 1972, a dedicated Children's Section was established to enhance library services for young readers and to promote reading habits among children. However, the library faced a major setback in 1978 when a devastating cyclone struck Batticaloa, causing severe damage to the library building and its collections. As a result, many valuable and rare books were lost. Despite this tragedy, the library was restored through the tireless efforts and dedication of the librarians and staff who served during that difficult period.

The old library building was no longer sufficiently spacious and lacked the necessary infrastructure to expand its services in line with contemporary library standards. Recognizing the growing need for a modern and well-equipped public library in the Eastern Province, steps were taken to establish a state-of-the-art library facility with improved infrastructure and advanced public amenities. Accordingly, the foundation stone for a new two storey library complex, was ceremonially laid on 23 December 2010 at the site adjacent to the Pattalipuram Grounds in Puliyanthevu by the then Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, during the tenure of Mrs. Siva Geetha Prabhakaran as Mayor and Mr. K. Sivanathan as Commissioner of the Batticaloa Municipal Council. The proposed building was envisioned as the leading library in the Eastern Province, designed to provide spacious reading environments, modern facilities, and enhanced information services to meet the educational, cultural, and intellectual needs of the community.

The construction work of the new public library was suspended between 2012 and 2018 due to various administrative and financial challenges. However, following the take over of the Batticaloa Municipal Council under the leadership of the Honorable former Mayor, Thiagaraja Saravanabhavan, renewed efforts were undertaken to revive the project. Subsequently, the necessary approvals were obtained from the relevant authorities, including the National Policy Planning Authority, Treasury and the Cabinet, enabling the recommencement of construction activities in 2019.