Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to inform you that Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in collaboration with Anwesha is organizing a three day national seminar on Status of Digitation, Digital Preservation and Access to libraries and Archives in North-East India at Guwahati. North-East India includes Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. North-East is not a homogenized space. It is a geographical nomenclature, used for administrative convenience. There had been a great tradition of oral culture in the region. The Bhakti Movement in medieval time, known for its liberal ideals, paved the way for regional cultural identities. It enriched our literary tradition. In Assam the Vaishnavite saints and their disciples produced innumerable manuscripts with the objective of spreading religious ideals. These manuscripts are still available all over Assam in more than 600 Vaishnava monasteries. Simultaneously different kinds of manuscripts are scattered all over the North East. Print culture was introduced in the North East by the Christian Missionaries and colonial rulers. Indira Ganndhi National Centre for the Arts was established in 1987 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, as a centre for research, academic pursuit and dissemination in the field of the arts. The IGNCA has six functional units -Kala Nidhi, the multi-form library; Kala Kosa devoted mainly to the study and publication of fundamental texts in Indian languages; Janapada Sampada engaged in lifestyle studies; Kaladarsan the executive unit which transforms researches and studies emanating from the IGNCA into visible forms through exhibitions; Cultural Informatics Lab, which applies technology tools for cultural preservation and propagation; and Sutradhara the administrative section that acts as a spine supporting and coordinating all the activities. The Member Secretary is the Executive head of both academic and administrative divisions. IGNCA has been designated as the nodal agency for all matters relating to arts, humanities and cultural heritage by the Government of India to provide computerized storage, retrieval and dissemination of information on all aspects of arts and cultural heritage. Over the years, the IGNCA has developed several unique computerized multi-media databases and information systems to preserve the vast cultural heritage in various forms and make it accessible for research and dissemination. Anwesha is a not-for-profit organized based in Guwahati, Assam. Anwesha is well known in Assam and its neighborhoods for promotion of culture of reading and quality books. The idea of Anwesha came from the realization that reading is essential for a developed and humane society. Education and development are closely connected because to educate is to empower. One can not think of education without the role of reading and books. To reinforce what the formal education offers to our children they need exposure to various kinds of knowledge and experience through different kind of books. With this realization Anwesha has been trying to promote reading and books among the young people in Assam for more than a decade now. Anwesha is doing it through the organization of book fairs and book related events all over the state. Nothing is more important for the education of our younger people than offering them the best available books in their mother tongue and English. The climatic conditions in the North-East and its proneness to natural calamities make the preservation of valuable books and manuscripts an uphill task in the region. Because of our lackadaisical attitudes and lack of awareness we have already lost precious manuscripts, books and other documents of historical importance. Through digitization we can preserve them safely for our posterity. The essence of digitization is safe preservation of invaluable books and manuscripts and their easy access to the users. Preservation alone is not enough. We should also have easy access to the preserved materials for its meaningful use. E- access to digital libraries and archives saves us the money, time and energy of visiting locations. It also helps in the intellectual resource sharing. Unfortunately, till now we have not taken enough measures towards digitization and digital preservation of our books and manuscripts in the libraries and archives in the North-East. The conservation needs of the region, in this respect demand that we have a fresh look at the status of digitization and digital preservation of our libraries and archives. Equally important is the issue of easy access to the books in the libraries and archival materials. Therefore the proposed seminar will mainly focus on the following: · Conservation and preservation needs of the old and rare manuscripts and books in the libraries and archives in the North- East · Identification of libraries and archive of historical significance · Collaboration between IGNCA and libraries and archives in North- East · Acquisition of personal libraries and archives from North East, India The seminar will comprise an inaugural session, business sessions, panel discussion and a valedictory session. It is expected that this seminar will offer us a road map towards digitization, digital preservation and easy access to the libraries and archives in the North-East, thus leading to a new collaborative effort of IGNCA and Anwesha for accomplishing this important task. Tentative Programme April 28, 2011 Inaugural Session: 09:30 am-11.00 am 1. 09:30am-10:00am : Registration 2. 10:00am-10:10am : Felicitation 3. 10:10am-10:15am : Welcome 4. 10:15am-10:25am: Introduction to the Seminar 5. 10:25am-10:35am: Inauguration 6. 10:35am-10:45am: Speech by the Chief Guests 7. 10:45am-10:50am: Speech by Guest of Honor 8. 10:50am-10:55am: Presidential Address 9. 10:55am-11:00am: Vote of Thanks 10. 11:00am-11:30am: Tea Break Business Session I 1. 11:30am-11:40am: Keynote Address 2. 11:40am-11:55am: Presentation on Manipur 3. 11:55am-12:25pm: Discussion on the presentation 4. 12:25pm-12:40pm: Presentation on Mizoram 5. 12:40pm-01:20pm: Discussion 6. Lunch Break: 01:20 pm-02:00pm Business Session II 1. 02:00pm-02:30pm: Presentation on Arunachal Pradesh 2. 02:30pm-03:00pm: Discussion 3. 03:00pm-04:30pm: Presentation on Meghalaya 4. 04:30pm-05:00pm: Discussion April 29, 2011 Business Session III 1. 10:00am-10:10am: Keynote Address 2. 10:10-10.25:Presentation on Nagaland 3. 10:25am-10:55am: Discussion 4. 10:55am-11:10am: Presentation on Tripura 5. 11:10am-11:40am : Discussion 6. 11:40am-12:00Noon : Tea Break 7. 12:00Noon-12:15pm: Presentation on Sikkim 8. 12:15pm-12:45pm: Discussion 9. 12:45pm-02:00pm: Lunch Break Business Session IV 5. 02:00pm-03:00pm: Presentation on Assam 6. 03:00pm-03:15pm: Tea Break 7. 03:15pm-04:30pm: Discussion April 30, 2011 1. 10:00am-10:10am : Keynote Address: 2. 10:10-10:40:Summing up: 3. 10:40am-11:25am : General discussion 4. 11:25am-11:45am : Tea Break 5. 11:45am-12:25pm: Resolution 6. 01.30pm-02.00pm: Lunch Break Valedictory Function 1. 02:00pm-02:10pm: Felicitation 2. 02:10pm-02:20pm: Welcome Address 3. 02:20pm-02:30pm: A few words from the organizers 4. 02:30pm-02:45pm: Summery Report 5. 02:45pm-3:13pm:Comments from the participants 6. 03:15pm-03:25pm: Valedictory Speech 7. 03:20pm-03:30pm: Vote of thanks Eminent scholars and experts in the field will attend the seminar and present papers on different aspects of the theme. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and Anwesha also invite papers from interested scholars for the seminar. However, intending participants should, first send the synopsis of their papers . If their synopses are found promising they will be invited to present their papers in the seminars, though they have to bear the expenses of their participation. The organizers will try to offer the accommodation to the outstation participants. regards ramesh ******************************************** Dr. Ramesh C Gaur PGDCA, MLISc,Ph.D. Fulbright Scholar (Virginia Tech, USA) Librarian & Head-Kala Nidhi Division Coordinator- ABIA International Index Project Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts(IGNCA) (An Autonomous Trust under Ministry of Culture. Govt. of India) 11 Man Singh Road, New Delhi-110001 Phone: 91-11-23385442, 23385884 Fax: 91-11-23385884 Mobile: 91-9810487158 URL: www.ignca.gov.in Email: gaur@ignca.nic.in; rcgaur@bol.net.in ramesh.gaur@fulbrightmail.org http://www.ignca.nic.in/PDF_data/Profile_Dr_RC_Gaur.pdf [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: New Members 2 Visit Your Group Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use. __,_._,___ -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.