Digitisation of presidential library high on Pranab's agenda

President Pranab Mukherjee is a man of many talents, at ease with a multitude of assignments of varying kinds. Besides managing the affairs of the state, the veteran politician is these days busy digitising historic records and books in the Rashtrapati Bhavan library, sorting his old 

sorting his old journals to put together  a book and restoring the British-era building to its pristine glory - and of course, reading.

Briefing the media at an informal interface in Rashtrapati Bhavan Tuesday, Mukherjee said the library was big enough for "anybody to spend five years reading".

"The library has records as old as government proceedings of 1891. Right now, the documents are dumped on the floor are being removed and put in order. After seeing the library in order, I will concentrate on reading.

"I want to read official records - the history of the transfer of power and how the financial business of the government was transacted. The first budget was passed in 1892," Mukherjee said adding digitisation of old books and reports was his priority.

An aide to the president said: "Out of the 24,000 documents and records, only 4,000 have been digitised during president A.P.J Abdul Kalam's tenure".

But the "hardware is outdated and restorers are trying to retrieve them in a user-friendly format".

The president is also keen on writing a couple of books.

"Not an autobiography or anything like it," he said.

The president said "he did not want to add anything new to Rashtrapati Bhavan but "just restore the building to its original glory".

"I will not change anything. I am traditionalist," he said.

Mukherjee said he has recently watched "Lincoln" that won its lead actor Daniel Day Lewis a Golden Globe award and has bought a copy of Ramachandra Guha's new essays.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Books/Chunk-HT-UI-BooksSectionPage-LiteraryBuzz/Digitisation-of-presidential-library-high-on-Pranab-s-agenda/Article1-990427.aspx

Lucknow University's Tagore Library needs Rs 9.48 crore for restoration

LUCKNOW: Fairing poorly on the infrastructure and human resources front, Lucknow University's Tagore Library may go for an overhaul. And, to set things straight, university administration via library officials have sought Rs 9.48 crore from the state government. The proposal was put up at the vice-chancellors meet held on December 12, 2012. 

According to LU authorities, the university plans to do digitisation, automation and equip the library with other modern facilities. One of the richest and biggest libraries in the country, LU's Tagore Library is seeking help. While the building is in a dilapidated condition, common room and reading halls remain vacant most of the times. The library still uses outdated computers that were bought more than a decade back. 

As per library officials, a sum of Rs 2.35 crore is required for server and browsing room, Rs 1.1 crore to purchase old journals that were discontinued two years back, Rs 1 crore for automation and training, Rs 10 lakh for Bar Code System, Rs 30 lakh for the stack room, Rs 12 lakh for CCTV camera system, Rs 20.5 lakh for fire safety and wiring and Rs 1.71 crore for annual maintenance, new books, and foreign journals. 

Besides, the university has also sought financial assistance of Rs 65 lakh for digitisation of the books. Deputy librarian Jyoti Mishra said that in the first phase, digitisation of 50,000 books will be done. "Under the process, we will get computerisation of books. An online catalogue of all the books will be created, so that it is easy to locate books," said Mishra. The university is also planning to get Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology. The RFID tags are used in libraries as theft detection systems. "Just like in a mall, there is a tag on every material to avoid getting it stolen, RFID tags will help in avoiding thefts of books," said Mishra. 

Preservation of manuscripts, arts gallery: Tagore library has a heritage section called manuscript section. It consists of about 2,000 rare and valuable manuscripts, which are on paper and palm leaves. These manuscripts are in Sanskrit, Pali, Arabic and Persian. Gold coated illustrations can be seen in some manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts are 600 to 800 years old. 

To preserve them, the university has begun the preservation work. According to university officials, as many as 30 manuscripts are already preserved. The work is being carried by INTACH. The university has received a sum of Rs 2 lakh from the National Archives of India, Union ministry of culture. "The major amount is being spent on preservation of manuscripts. But we need more funds," said Mishra. With this amount, 13 or 14 more manuscripts can be preserved. 

The work of restoration of library's arts gallery that has rare paintings and sculptors is being undertaken by National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC). 

Times View 

It's really sad to see the state of the Tagore Library at Lucknow University. With its enviable collection, it was a place buzzing with scholars and students not very long ago. But, it's now a pale shadow of its past. crumbling cupboards and broken chairs hardly present an inspiring picture. Add to it the fact that the library hasn't purchased a single book in the past four years and journals in two years, and the picture turns even gloomier. This library doesn't belong only to the university but is an inseparable part of the city's heritage. It still has one of the richest collections of ancient manuscripts and rare books. It's the responsibility of not only the university administration but also the state government and LU alumni to ensure that this prized possession doesn't get destroyed by sheer neglect.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Lucknow-Universitys-Tagore-Library-needs-Rs-9-48-crore-for-restoration/articleshow/18054517.cms

Restoration of Hyderabad library to be delayed further

HYDERABAD: The already slow paced restoration of the State Central Library is set for further delay as the contractor executing the renovation work has sought a two-month extension raising the possibility of a prolonged discomfort for the readers and visitors at the library in the coming months.

Restoration estimated at Rs 2.33 crore was scheduled to begin in August 2011 and was slated for completion in August 2012. But the works did not take off until October last year. The slow pace of works had inconvenienced readers greatly as the library staff sought to accommodate them even as restoration was in progress. Efforts which seemed to have picked up pace early this year, have slowed down again with the contractor asking for a rework of estimates citing that they are dated by more than a year and costs have gone up.

According to officials of AP Educational and Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation overseeing the restoration, works to the tune of only Rs 50 lakh have been completed of which Rs 35 lakh have been released. Currently roof and electrification works are nearing completion while a major portion of the exterior has also been renovated. But work is yet to commence in the expansive reading hall, the binding section and the stock section.

Library authorities told TOI that reader discomfort is currently negligible. "Until recently the leakage from the roof presented a problem. Now that has been addressed as slabs have been laid," said chief librarian Lalitha. When asked how the readers would be accommodated when the reading hall is taken up for renovation, she admitted that works there would cause discomfort and that library may be shut for a while. Library officials also expressed concern over lack of execution of works in an organized manner, indicating that any move to accommodate the readers may prove inadequate.

Sources close to the restoration project revealed that request for reworking estimates is only an alibi. The real problem, they say, is the shortage of skilled labor. "Working on heritage buildings requires experience and there are not many skilled hands available for such works. The contractor was chosen considering the firm's experience in handling such tasks. So he has to train workers for the task and ensure that adequate hands are available to complete the work on time. To complete the work in another four months, four teams are required. If work goes on this way, it cannot be completed even by October."

When contacted, the contractor V Babu of Babu Associates maintained that the estimates required reworking as they do not reflect the ground condition. "The work on ground is deviant from the original estimate prepared. The requirement for material has gone up and some changes were also desired by the library authorities. Even if the total cost of the work does not increase by much, there is a need to rework and get it approved. This may also change the requirement for labor. Work can pick up pace only after the necessary sanctions are given," he said.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-24/hyderabad/32393128_1_library-officials-restoration-rework