Rare books, manuscripts of DU library decaying
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Khairul Islam
About 50,000 rare books, manuscripts, historical 'punthies' of Dhaka University (DU) central library have been decaying due to lack of apposite management system, a library official source said.
He said preferring anonymity that about 300 rare manuscripts and at least 600 microfilmed newspapers have already been damaged as those were preserved in analog system.
Another, five hundred historical putties and newspapers are going to face the same fate if protective measures are not taken, he added.
It was found that some rare newspapers carrying historical events like division of Bengal in 1905, division of India in 1947, Bangla language movement and our liberation war are being damaged because of being, rain-splashed and over-moisture during monsoon as well as being eaten by pests those have been kept on outdated bookracks.
Dilip Chandra Biswas, deputy librarian of the Manuscript section said Sharada Tilok, a Sanskrit punthy -- more than 550 years old and rare Bangla works from the Middle Ages like Padma Puran, Yusuf Zulekha, Padmabati by Alaol, Uhaganam, Ekaksarkosa, Kevala, Kaupinapacanka, Gitaahatmya, Gurutra, Cakadatta, Navaratna are some of the notable punthies among the historical volumes.
Yusuf, a third year student of DU said apart from the white ant attacks, a good number of newspapers in bound form got damp due to rain-splash and over-moisture during monsoon.
Md Raton, a library staff of newspaper section said several times researchers and readers complained that many of the pages of old copies of newspapers are missing.
While asked about the missing pages of newspapers and other valuable books, the authority could not give any satisfactory reply.
About 50,000 rare books, manuscripts, historical 'punthies' of Dhaka University (DU) central library have been decaying due to lack of apposite management system, a library official source said.
He said preferring anonymity that about 300 rare manuscripts and at least 600 microfilmed newspapers have already been damaged as those were preserved in analog system.
Another, five hundred historical putties and newspapers are going to face the same fate if protective measures are not taken, he added.
It was found that some rare newspapers carrying historical events like division of Bengal in 1905, division of India in 1947, Bangla language movement and our liberation war are being damaged because of being, rain-splashed and over-moisture during monsoon as well as being eaten by pests those have been kept on outdated bookracks.
Dilip Chandra Biswas, deputy librarian of the Manuscript section said Sharada Tilok, a Sanskrit punthy -- more than 550 years old and rare Bangla works from the Middle Ages like Padma Puran, Yusuf Zulekha, Padmabati by Alaol, Uhaganam, Ekaksarkosa, Kevala, Kaupinapacanka, Gitaahatmya, Gurutra, Cakadatta, Navaratna are some of the notable punthies among the historical volumes.
Yusuf, a third year student of DU said apart from the white ant attacks, a good number of newspapers in bound form got damp due to rain-splash and over-moisture during monsoon.
Md Raton, a library staff of newspaper section said several times researchers and readers complained that many of the pages of old copies of newspapers are missing.
While asked about the missing pages of newspapers and other valuable books, the authority could not give any satisfactory reply.