With the spread of Western education, Libraries started growing in different parts of undivided India. In the 19th century, various types of libraries emerged in different parts of undivided Bengal. The Calcutta Public Library was established in 1836, followed by establishment of the one hundred more public libraries in different districts of undivided Bengal by the end of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century necessity was felt to co-ordinate the activities of those libraries and to organize the library movements in the province. It is in this context, the All India Public Library Conference, held at Belgaon in the year 1924 under the president ship of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, adopted a resolution urging the formation of library associations in each province of India. The resolution was moved by Sushil kumar Ghosh, a delegate from Bengal. A meeting was held in Calcutta, in Albert Hall on the 20th December, 1925. The meeting was presided over by J. A. Chapman, Librarian, Imperial Library. In this meeting All Bengal Library Association was formed with Poet Rabindranath Tagore as President. Sushil Kumar Ghosh became its first secretary.

With the establishment of All Bengal Library Association, a province-wise library movement started gaining grounds.

In 1933 the All Bengal Library Association was renamed as Bangiya Granthagar Parishad in Bengali and Bengal Library Association in English and the All Bengal Library Conference was renamed as Bengal Library Conference.