Guwahati, July 4: A mission to digitally preserve Assamese literature of the 19th century has become part of the National Archives network. The Guwahati-based Nanda Talukdar Foundation launched the project in 2002 and has since restored all available editions of the first journal in Assamese, Arunudoy. Christian missionaries had published the inaugural edition of the journal in 1846.
The foundation?s administrator, Maitrayee Das, said the National Archives adopted the project last month.
?The National Archives selected our project after stringent scrutiny of our status and financial discipline. We received a one-time grant of Rs 60,000 to continue the task of digital restoration.?
The foundation?s library houses nearly 40,000 books and journals. Historical journals such as Bijulee and all volumes of Assam Bandhab have already been digitised.
?We have only a single copy each of certain journals and preserving these for posterity is a painstaking process. Every page has to cleaned and scanned with utmost care before being saved in compact discs,? Das said.
After its pages are scanned, a rare book or journal is put inside a vacuum-sealed packet, not to be touched unless absolutely necessary. The CD on which the contents are saved is, however, available for duplication and page-by-page printing.
The North East Foundation?s office at Ulubari houses the library, but the digitisation process is under way at the original home of the Nanda Talukdar Foundation at Pub Sarania.
?Researchers of the Assamese language have been availing of our facilities since the inception of the project,? Das said.
The foundation is planning to go online soon. If it does, the library will become the first in the eastern region to join the Internet bandwagon.
Initially, the complete listings will be posted on the foundation?s website. The contents of the rare books and journals will be made available online during the next phase of the project.