Abstract:
The purpose of this thesis were : 1. study the life and works of Prince Sommot Amarabhandhu, especially on his contribution to the establishment of the Thai National Library in B.E. 2448 - B.E. 2458. 2. To do an additional research of the history of Library Science in Thailand in order to fill a gap formerly omitted. The methods used in this research were :- interviewing with the Princes relatives, and studying from his diary, books, journals, and other documents in the National Archive. Major findings of the research were as follow : 1. In spite of many problems concerning the establishment of the Thai National Library, Prince Sommot Amarabhandhus contribution had resulted in its progress and development in B.E. 2448 - 2458, especially in library administration, and technical services. 2. The research revealed some of his characters that Prince Sommot Amarabhandhu was a devout Buddhist whose tenet of life is avoid doing evil and having a merciful heart. 3. The Prince himself was very noted in literary works. So, as a permanent record, a subject annotated bibliography of his works both published and unpublished was compiled as a part of the thesis.