This document discusses the role of the National Mission for Manuscripts in preserving manuscripts at the K.K. Handiqui Library at Gauhati University and Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. It established manuscript resource centers at both locations and provides training, funding and materials to support conservation and digitization efforts. Over 4,500 manuscripts on various materials in multiple languages are housed at the K.K. Handiqui Library, while Sankardeva Kalakshetra focuses on digitizing manuscripts from across Assam and Northeast India. Suggestions include increasing awareness, digitization activities, and coordination between the organizations and National Mission for Manuscripts.

1. Role of National Mission for Manuscripts on
Preservation and Conservation of Manuscript in
K.K.H. Library, Gauhati University and Sankardeva
Kalakshetra, Guwahati: A Study
Presented By :
Rajashree Borkakoti
Professional Library Assistant
Library, Handique Girls’ College, Guwahati.
Email:rajashreeborkakoti@gmail.com
&
Gagan Chandra Talukdar
Library Assistant
Central Library, Tezpur University,Tezpur.
11-12 November 2011 NASEMPLINER-2011 @ Gauhati University
Email:gagan4may@gmail.com

2. Introduction:
Preservation and conservation of manuscripts is very important
because manuscripts are the mighty source of earlier
information regarding social, religious, historical, cultural,
medical etc. In present day context due to different reasons like
mishandling of the manuscripts by the people, dust and
atmospheric pollution, temperature and relative humidity, light,
insects and fungus and disasters like flood, fire, earthquake
etc. the manuscripts are getting damage day by day. For which
proper conservation and preservation is essential to save these
national heritages. Again this conservation and preservation of
the valuable manuscripts should be done by scientific methods.

3. In Assam the National Mission for Manuscript has established a
Manuscript Resource Center at Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library,
Gauhati University in the year 2003 with the very inception of
the Mission itself. In the same year Mission designated the
library as a Manuscript Conservation Center also. In the year
2008 the National Mission for Manuscript established a
temporary laboratory at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra,
Guwahati for the digitization of Manuscript found in North-East
India in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts
(IGNCA)
This paper will help to know about the present scenario of
conservation and preservation of manuscripts in K.K.Handiqui
Library, Gauhati University and Srimanta Sankardeva
Kalakhetra, Guwahati and role played by National Mission for
Manuscripts in this regard.

4. Objectives of the study:
1. To know about the manuscripts collection available at
K.K.Handiqui Library, Gauhati University and Srimanta
Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati.
2. To know about the organization and management of these
manuscripts collection.
3. To know about the Conservation and Preservation works done
by the two organizations.
4. To know about the digitization of manuscripts at these
organizations.
5. To know about the relationship of these organizations with
National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM).
6. To know the role played by the National Mission for
Manuscripts (NMM) for conservation and preservation of
manuscripts towards these organizations.

5. Our Manuscripts at a glance:
Picture: Deteriorated Manuscripts Due to Different Cause

6. About Manuscript Sections of the two organizations:
About Manuscript Sections of the two organizations:

7. About the Archival Cell of K.K.Handiqui Library,
Gauhati University:
The Manuscripts Archival Cell is one important section of the
K.K.Handiqui Library, Gauhati University which is mainly
working for preservation and conservation of different valuable
manuscripts. It has about 4500 valuable manuscripts written on
Sachipat, Tulapat, paper etc. in different languages like
Assamese, Sanskrit, Bengali, Nepali, Tai, Barmis etc. The Post-
Graduate students of the Assamese Department, Sanskrit
Department of Gauhati University, IDOL, Gauhati University
and other institutions and research scholars of various
disciplines outside Gauhati University use these manuscripts.

8. About the Manuscript Digitization Cell of Srimanta
Sankardeva Kalakshetra,Guwahati:
The Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra (SSK) at Guwahati is
being run by a Registered Society named “Srimanta
Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society” The Honorable Chief
Minister of Assam is the chairman of the Society. On 9th
November 1998, the then Honorable President of India, K.R.
Narayanan bestowed Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra to the
Nation. The Manuscript Digitization Cell was established by
NMM in 2008, which is performing the digitization of the
manuscripts brought from different places of Assam and North-
Eastern region and after taking the required measures for
conservation and digitization the manuscripts are returned back
to the owner of the manuscripts.

9. Manuscript Collection of the two Organizations:
Storage of Manuscript in the Surveyed Organizations:

10. Types of Manuscripts available at K.K.Handiqui
Library and Sankardeva Kalakshetra:

11. Information regarding Preservation and Conservation
of Manuscript:
Use of Natural Things for Preservation and
Conservation of Manuscript:

12. Use of Chemicals for Preservation and Conservation
of Manuscripts:

13. Digitization of Manuscripts in Surveyed Organizations:
Information about storage media used:

14. Information about Numbers of Digitized
Manuscripts:

15. Role of National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) in
Preservation and Conservation of Manuscripts:
1. Provides Training to Staff About Conservation and
Preservation of Manuscripts.
2. Provides Financial Grants.

16. 3. Provides materials for Conservation and
Preservation of Manuscripts:

17. Suggestions:
The following suggestions are felt important for the surveyed institutions-
1) Both the institutions should try to arrange some awareness
programme at different places of Assam on the importance of
manuscript and need of preservation and conservation of manuscript.
2) The institutions should try to inform the people of Assam that they are
involving in preservation and conservation of manuscript, so that
different organizations and individuals may come towards them for
help in preservation and conservation of their own manuscript
collection.
3) Both the institutions should increase the number of digitization of
manuscript.
4) Both the institutions should inform NMM regularly so that their
requirements can be fulfilled and they can increase the activity of
preservation and conservation of manuscripts and its digitization.
5) The Government should also give support for preservation and
conservation of manuscript to these organizations.

18. THANK YOU ALL