THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Central Library, aka the Public Library, is going the e-way to preserve some of the oldest books in its collection. The library has launched an initiative to digitise books dating up to the 1920s as part of preserving them for future readers.
“It’s a mammoth enterprise, but if we don’t digitise them, they may not survive,” P K Shobhana, chief librarian, said. One of the oldest libraries in the country, the State Central Library, situated at Palayam, has in its possession books dating back to the 16th century - the oldest being ‘A Righte Noble and Pleasant History of the successors of Alexander surnamed the Great taken out of the Diodorus Siculus and some of the lives written by the Wise Plutarch.’ The book was published in 1569.
Translated from the French into English by Thomas Stocker, this book was printed in London by Henrie Bynneman in 1569. Another proud possession is a 228-year-old translation of Kalidasa’s Shankuntalam: ‘Sacontala, or The Fatal Ring, An Indian Drama by Calidas. Translated from the original Sanscrit and Pracrit.’
“The old books are an asset to the library. In fact, the library has collections which may not be available outside any more,” Shobhana said. The State Central Library was established in 1829 during the reign of Swati Tirunal, but it was transferred to government control only in 1898. The same year, it was opened to the general public. In 1958 it was declared the State Central Library. The digitisation programme is part of a number of development initiatives planned by the library to address space constraints as well as changing tastes of readers.
A new block, designed on the older architecture, is coming up alongside, and it is expected to be inaugurated in 2017 itself. “Drainage and electrical works remain to be completed. We plan to open the new building this year itself,” Shobhana said. Among other things, the new three-storeyed building will house a Braille collection as well as fiction from various languages. The digitisation project is already underway, library officials said.