VIRSA
Center for Cultural & Heritage
Introduction
With the passage of time, many documents are damaged, destroyed or disintegrated by normal wear and tear, chemicals and misuse or overuse, as well as accidents, such as floods and fires. In many cases, the damage to documents is not discovered until after it spreads across the document, since acid is part of the chemicals in paper. Insects and rodents are silent factors, the effect or damage of which is only discovered too late. A great many people will remember the story of the death of Prophet Solomon (Suleiman), peace be upon him, which was only discovered when earthworms had eaten away his stick. Similarly, damage too many documents is only discovered after they completely fall to pieces.
Poor storage is the most harmful factor to documents, as nothing can be done for documents, which are undergoing disintegration before the archivists’ eyes due to the lack of financial resources required to improve storage conditions. A large number of archives in many countries around the world lack air-conditioned document storage buildings, necessary to control the level of temperature and humidity, both of which are key factors in document preservation.
Finally, poor and frequent use of documents: Numerous documents are overused or misused by members of the public, who may be unaware of or unconcerned about proper handling methods. In many cases, the material of old documents are of poor quality and more fragile than modern paper, which people are used to handle and, consequently, parts of the document often disintegrate as soon as the document is handled if such a document is not encased.
Restoration is the main element in the preservation of documents and manuscripts. At the end of the disinfection and chemical treatment of documents and manuscripts, the Restoration Section proceeds with their partial or complete restoration. This depends on the size of the affected part of and the extent of damage to the document or manuscript. The process includes necessary repairs in terms of filling up any holes, adding missing parts and strengthening the sheet paper in addition to other restoration processes.
“Preservation and conservation of manuscripts play a crucial role in building a bridge between past, present and the future as they bring back past information pertaining to social, religious, historical, cultural and spiritual happenings”. Preservation and conservation of manuscripts is very important because they are the mighty source of past information regarding social, religious, historical, cultural, economic and spiritual developments. In present day context due to different reasons like mishandling of the manuscripts by the people, indifferent attitude, environmental adversities such as atmospheric pollution, flood, fire, earthquake etc. the manuscripts are under tremendous threats. In view of this a scientific preservation and conservation of the documents is of paramount importance.
In India manuscripts which contains the ‘memory of the world’, featuring hundreds of themes, represent a large repository of records concerning its history, anthropology, economics and of course its politics.
Today, thousands of manuscripts lie neglected in institutions and homes around the country and they demand an urgent need of conservation. ILM Center for Cultural & Heritage (Preservation and conservation) will address the scientific conservation of vast source of manuscripts.
Mission
- Collection of Various Manuscripts, Preserving, Classifying, and making them easily accessible to Researchers, Historians, Student and general public
Objectives
- To collect Manuscripts from different sources and to preserve them
- To publish scientific journals and publications, to help researchers
- To preserve Heritage and making easy to access
Virsa Manuscript
A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, bark, cloth, metal, palm leaf or any other material dating back at least seventy-five years that has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value
Manuscripts department draws the visitors, researchers and heritage lovers, as it is the treasures store of knowledge left by the ancestors of this nation.
In general, tasks of this department include enriching the centre’s library with rare manuscripts, original or photocopied, then cataloging and classifying them in various ways to facilitate and provide researchers with catalogued manuscripts in order to be spread among people as the heritage is the basis of civilization and prosperity.
Problem
Today, thousands of manuscripts lie neglected in institutions and homes around the country and they demand an urgent need of conservation.
Virsa Specialized in Preservation and Restoration
- Acquisition & Preservation
- Cataloging & Classifying
Acquisition & Preservation Section
This section in cooperation with the other sections of manuscripts department aims to acquire and preserve the rare and useful manuscripts to facilitate using them by the scholars and researchers.
Cataloging & Classifying Section
This section is considered the starting point in preparing the detailed information about the manuscripts of the department seeking hardly to provide the researchers with accurate information easily in order to save time and effort.
Cataloging & Classifying Section
This section is considered the starting point in preparing the detailed information about the manuscripts of the department seeking hardly to provide the researchers with accurate information easily in order to save time and effort.
Research Service:
This department aims to provide various information for researchers quickly and easily, in order to increase awareness , spread culture and serve scholars and researchers.
- Internal Reading Service through providing materials to researchers and readers inside this section.
- Answering Inquiries: E-mail, through telephone, exploring our achieve on webpage
- Internet Service: the material will be provided on Internet at a nominal cost or at monthly/ annual subscriptions
- Current Awareness Service: aims to inform the historian, researcher scholars, and students of the recent materials that match their needs.
Publication Department:
This department aims at conducting national and international workshops, orientations and exhibitions and to publish research papers, and newsletters in order to help get recognised globally.
Preservation Department:
This department brings about the following Processes:
At Centre
- Routine and continuous observation of the various cultural materials (manuscripts-prints) and stating their conditions.
- Full chemical & biological treatments.
- Manual, mechanical and thermal repairing.
- Binding for manuscripts, and modern technical binding for prints.
- Extracting pure cellulosed fibres for restoration.
- Arranging studies required for developing work.
Digitalization Department
This department aims at enriching available resources (printed and unprinted) by classifying and digitalizing in a systematic way to facilitate using them and getting the required information quickly, precisely and easily, required by the scholars and researchers depending on technical specifications and international standards.
Step Wise Restoration Process
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Sir Nizamath Jung Library
Sir Nizamath Jung Library was established in the year 1967, the foundation stone was laid by Dr. Zakir Hussain, Honourable President of India and in the year 1972 it was opened by Princes Azmat Jah Bhadur and it was opened for public till 2011.
It has a massive collection of Books, in English, Urdu, Persian and other languages.
Successfully restored
Please see the video link given below
