International Journal of Research in Library Science ISI Impact Factor: 3.723 Indexed in: IIJIF, ijindex, SJIF,ISI, COSMOS Volume 2,Issue 2 (July-December) 2016,183-187 Received: 27 Oct .2016 ; Accepted: 8 Nov. 2016 ; Published: 3 Dec. 2016 ; Paper ID: IJRLS-1193 INDIGENOUS MATERIAL OF PRESERVING MANUSCRIPTS IN LIBRARY 1 2 Dashrath Patidar ; Ashish Soni 1 2 Librarian AKS University, Satna ; Asstt. Librarian AKS University, Satna [email protected]; [email protected] 2 ABSTRACT The manuscripts collection are important to the human available for use. It is the responsibility of the library society, researcher, scholar can measure the value of staff to keep these materials in good physical valuable collection, which they are able to access them. condition so that they are available for users at all The aim of this paper is to highlight the Indigenous times. Materials in many libraries and archives Material of Preserving Manuscripts in Library. The throughout the country are still housed in conditions paper discuss role of NMM for Preservation and that leave much to be desired (Olatokun, 2008). A conservation of Manuscripts. The present article is an large portion of information recorded on audio or attempt to highlight different types of indigenous videotape about important events, people, etc., has material to preserving the manuscripts. In this paper been routinely wiped out in our electronic media an attempt has been made to summarize the houses (Popoola, 2003). This is a sad situation and effectiveness of the Indigenous Material of one that is found in many libraries of African higher preservation. institutions. The deterioration of information-bearing material has a long history. Unless something is done Keywords: Preservation, Manuscripts, NMM to stop the process, library collections deteriorate and (National Mission for Manuscript) will continue to deteriorate. This is a battle that has to be waged against to prevent the deterioration of our intellectual heritage. Preservation is the action taken to anticipate, prevent, stop, or slow deterioration. It 1. INTRODUCTION can also be described as the art of anticipating and Libraries are places for knowledge, in other words, preventing decay (Baker, 1981). Conservation is an they are centres for sharing Knowledge. In the recent act of preservation, protecting and shielding material years, libraries are known as a knowledge oriented from destructive influences that shorten their life organizations and they play an important role in span. The library plays a crucial role of protecting and order to preserve, and disseminate information and preserving information-bearing materials from knowledge to their end-users. Along with these distortion, deterioration, and eventual loss because libraries, nowadays try to manage the knowledge the materials are imperative. Academic libraries transfer with modernizing the information systems, acquire information resources to meet the needs of networks and other modern facilities. their community. People use the collections as a Preservation of deteriorating information resources result of increasing enrolments in higher education. in libraries has become a global phenomenon to There are shortages and decline in book budgets which libraries must aggressively respond if their arising from the poor funding of the institutions as mission of providing information needs of their well as the high cost of books and other information patrons would be met (Akande, 2009). Libraries resources. As a result, the libraries are left with acquire material to meet the informational or damaged books, distorted tapes, scratched CDs, etc recreationadeteriorate unchecked or become (Popoola,2003). India has been a great seat of damaged in anyway, it may be difficult and may be learning from the ancient period. The ultimately difficult or the information it embodies Takashila/Texila (now in Pakistan) and Nalanda in © 2016, IJRLS All Rights Reserved www.ijrls.in Page 183 Dashrath Patidar & Ashish Soni Bihar were two important seats of learning during cataloguing of texts and conservation of 7th and 5th century B.C. These seats of learning had a manuscripts good oriental collection in classical languages. In the To promote access to manuscripts by digitizing medieval period, particularly during the Mughal rule, the rarest and most endangered manuscripts a large number of madrasas were established which To promote access to manuscripts through had a rich collection in Persian, Arabic and Urdu publication of critical editions of unpublished languages. In the modern period a large number of manuscripts and catalogues institutions, schools, colleges, and universities were To facilitate public’s engagement with set up which possess a collection of oriental literature manuscripts through lectures, seminars, in addition to resources in modern Indian languages. publications and other outreach programmes Besides, India is quite rich in terms of oriental (Available on http://www.namami.org/ resources in the form of manuscripts, rare books, manuscript) coins, edicts, “Shahi farmans” and other materials. This valuable treasure is in both classical languages 4. WHAT IS MANUSCRIPT and Indian languages namely Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Tamil, and Urdu etc. These bark, cloth, metal, palm leaf, skin or any other resources represent the history of Indian culture materials dating back at least seventy-five years that presentable in subjects of Theology, Languages and has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value. Literature, Philosophy, Religion, Mysticism, Lithographs and printed volumes are not Architecture, Archaeology, Epigraphy etc. (Mahawar manuscripts. Manuscripts are found in hundreds of 2013). different languages and scripts. Often, one language is written in a number of different scripts. For Example, 2. ROLE OF NATIONAL MISSION OF Sanskrit is written in Oriya script, Devanagari script MANUSCRIPTS (NMM) FOR and many other scripts. Manuscripts are distinct from historical records such PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION as epigraph on rock, firmans, revenue record which OF MANUSCRIPTS provide direct information on events or processes in The National Mission for Manuscripts was established history. Manuscripts have knowledge content. in February 2003, by the Ministry of Tourism and Manuscripts are not only the reading material but Culture, Government of India. A unique project in its also the heritage materials as well as historical programme and mandate, the Mission seeks to evidences. In the era of computer, the use of unearth and preserve the vast manuscript wealth of manuscripts as reading material may not be required, India. India possesses an estimate of five million but for research and to conserve our civilization, we manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the must keep the manuscript as it is. Our country people world. These cover a variety of themes, textures and have been following different type of traditional aesthetics, scripts, languages, calligraphies, techniques to save or conserve the manuscripts from illuminations and illustrations. Together, they insects, micro-organisms, light, heat etc. because of constitute the ‘memory’ of India’s history, heritage which we still have lakhs of Sanchipat, Talpat, and thought. These manuscripts lie scattered across Bhojpatra, Tulapat ‘Pothi’, or paper manuscripts in the country and beyond, in numerous institutions as various parts of our county (Mishra 2012). well as private collections, often unattended and undocumented. The National Mission for Manuscripts 5. TYPES OF MANUSCRIPTS aims to locate, document, preserve and render these accessible to connect India’s past with its future, its Palm Leaf memory with its aspirations. Brich Bark Sanchi Pat or Hansi Pat Bamboo Leaf 3. OBJECTIVES OF NATIONAL Banana Leaf MISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS Bhoj Patra Some objectives of NMM Cloth Locate manuscripts through national level Parchment Survey and Post-Survey Ivory Document each and every manuscript and Metal (Bronze, Copper, Gold etc.) manuscript repository, for a National Electronic Paper Database that currently contains information on one million manuscripts making this the largest 5.1 The factors affecting the database on Indian manuscripts in the world manuscripts Conserve manuscripts incorporating both Micro-Organism: Bacteria and fungus are very modern and indigenous methods of conservation damaging to the manuscripts. Fungus damages the and training a new generation of manuscript material, creates stains and discolours the letters. conservators These grow in 65% humidity and 240-300C To train the next generation of scholars in temperature. Bacteria also damage the leaves by various aspects of Manuscript Studies like creating colonies on the surface area. languages, scripts and critical editing and © 2016, IJRLS All Rights Reserved www.ijrls.in Page 184 INDIGENOUS MATERIAL OF PRESERVING MANUSCRIPTS IN LIBRARY for acidic paper or for vellum and parchment, Insects: The insects like silver fish, book-worm, book incorrect temperature and RH can have more serious lice, cockroach, termite etc. take the manuscript as and rapid effects than for some other materials. You their food and shelter. These insects may damage the should assess and control all the preservation risks manuscripts totally. which may affect your collections (Walker 2013). Heat and light: High temperature (>360) and high 7. NEEDS OF PRESERVATION