Digital Preservation of Rare Manuscripts in Assam - INFLIBNET Centre

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Digital Preservation of Rare Manuscripts in Assam 7 th International CALIBER 2009preservation of manuscripts in Assam. The newsreport ‘Conservation of 6,548 sanchipatscompleted’ published in the Assam Tribune, dated17 September, 2008, informed that CulturalInformatics, a branch of the IGNCA hassuccessfully completed the identification,conservation and digitization of 6,548 numbers ofrare and valuable manuscripts of Assam. Thesemanuscripts are available in different mediums likesanchipat, palm leaf, paper etc. Out of these abovenumbers of manuscripts, 4,396 were on sanchipat,259 on paper pulp, 1,892 on modern paper and 1on palm leaf, collected from 126 sources of theState, including the Satra institutes scattered indifferent places of Assam.At present, digitization of manuscripts, which areavailable in Narayani Handiqui Historical Institute(Department ofHistory & Antiquarian Studies), Guwahati is goingon by the IGNCA, which has also a mightycollection of rare manuscriptsGauhati University, the leading academic andresearch institute of NE India is known for itscentral library i.e. KKHLibrary, which is full of 2.5 lakhs valuable books.The Archival Cell is another important section ofthis KKH Library which is mainly working for thepreservation and conservation of different valuablemanuscripts. Now it has about 4,500 valuablemanuscripts written on Sachipat, tula pat and paperand these manuscripts have been preserved in themanuscript section of the Archival cell of thelibrary. Recently, digitization of around 2,000 hasbeen completed under the National Mission forManuscripts and the library will soon get the CDsof these manuscripts. It is better to mentioned thatin Assam, KKH Library has been working asManuscript Resource Center (MRC) andManuscript Conservation Center (MCC) from thevery beginning of this Mission to carry out thepreservation and conservation works of manuscriptsof the State and the library has developed abibliographic database including all total 25,480manuscripts till 4.12.2008.America based Assam Society of America, has beeninvolving in preservation of manuscript in Assam.The Society had started a Project for the digitalrestoration of rare and ancient Assamesemanuscripts, with Jugal Kalita as the ProjectCoordinator. The Kuruabahi Satra in Golaghat,Assam is one of the famous Satras in Assam, has acollection about 60 manuscripts. In 2005, theSociety digitally photographed these manuscripts,as this Satra had published an advertisement in anewspaper, seeking help for preservation of thesemanuscripts.In Assam, the manuscripts, whether stored inuniversity library, in museum or in otherorganizations, are mainly originated in Satrainstitute. So, emphasis should be given onpreserving these manuscripts first.6. ConclusionThe deterioration is one of the major problems inorganization and management of manuscriptcollection.But deterioration is the rule of nature, so nowemphasis is given on the preservation of thecontents along with the physical preservation ofthe manuscripts; in some cases physicalpreservation of manuscripts is impossible too. Thedigital preservation is suggested and followed as itcan preserve the manuscripts with its own physicalfeatures and contents.- 17 -
7 th International CALIBER 2009 Digital Preservation of Rare Manuscripts in AssamSome people believe that if the manuscripts aredigitized and made available on web, then they areeasily accessible from every nook and corner of theentire world; the manuscripts users will not cometo those places where the manuscripts are physicallypreserved and in such situation the organizationswill lose its glory and also lose an amount ofrevenue from which those organization are gettingfinancial support. The importance of digitalpreservation can not be ignored. The digitizationshould be the supplement for the electronic accessof such manuscript collection and these digitalforms of manuscripts should not be made availableon open access, if the custodians of suchmanuscripts refuse to do it.References4. Das, Utpal . Importance of preservinghistorical materials of Assam. New Spectrum,2006, 2 (1), pp. 15- 24.5. KALITA, Jugal. Photographing manuscriptsat Kuruabahi Xotro. ASA News Letter, March2005, 33 (6), pp.5-6.6. Kumar, Nirender. Manuscriptology andmanuscript libraries in India. In: Library andInformation science: current trends in India,pp. 141-149, edited by P.K. Gupta and UshaPawan. Jaipur: RBSA Publication, 1986.7. Mahapatra, P. K. Preservation of librarymaterial. In: Library management, Kolkata:World Press, 1997. pp. 236-269.1. ALi, Amjad. Encyclopedia of informationtechnology. Vol-1 (A-L). New Delhi: GalgotiaPublications, 2005.2. Barman, Rajani Kanta and Goswami,Chandan. Need for manpower developmentin preservation and conservation: a view. In:Seminar proceedings: National seminar onsocial role of media and building up of anational information resource centre – cumarchive for the North –East, Media Trust,Guwahati, Assam, edited by Alaka Buragohainand Narendra Lahkar. Guwahati: Media Trust,2004, pp.76-80.3. Chopra, H.S. and Naranga, Asha. Digitalpreservation of achieves and manuscripts: anIndian scenario. In: Information andKnowledge Management in Networked World.Proceedings of the International CALIBER2007, Punjab University, Chandigarh,Ahmedabad, INFLIBNET Centre, 2007,pp.25-33- 18 -8. Malesh, M., Lahkar, Narendra andGAJAKOSI, S. Digitization of culture. In:Library as a global information hub:perspectives and challenges, proceeding ofPLANNER -2007, Gauhati University,Guwahati, Assam, 2007, edited by J Arora.Ahmedabad: INFLIBNET Center, 2007. pp.245-253.9. Mazumdar, Nirmal Ranjan. Manuscriptscollection in Satras of Barpeta & role of KKHLibrary, Gauhati University in conservation ofmanuscripts. In: Library profession in searchof new paradigm, proceeding of 23 rd nationalseminar of IASLIC, Bose Institute, Kolkata,2008, edited by Amitabha Chatterjee ( et.al.).Kolkata: IASLIC, 2008.pp 67-72.10.Mehta, Dilnavaz. Caring of books. Jet wings.2002, 2 (11), pp.157.11. Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft computerdictionary. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India.2002.
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