The Hindu : Front Page : NIT goes herbal to preserve its vast library collection

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 03, 2005

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NIT goes herbal to preserve its vast library collection

R. Krishnamoorthy

NIT goes a la Saraswathi Mahal Library for conserving 16,000 books and back volumes

TIRUCHI: The National Institute of Technology here is toeing the `herbal approach,' adopted by the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur, to preserve age-old palm leaf manuscripts, for conserving a vast collection of over 16,000 books and back volumes in its library.

Thousands of valuable books on science, engineering, and technology, published since 1948, and compilations of international publications, including journals of the American Society for Mechanical Engineering, American Society for Civil Engineering, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, USA, and the Institute of Electrical Engineers, UK, to which the NIT has been subscribing since its inception in 1964, are being rebound with leather. These materials are subjected to a process of deodorant preservation, using a mixture of `vasambu,' `poochoodam,' `pattai,' cumin seeds, pepper, clove and industrial spirit.

For leather dressing, the NIT library employees, who were imparted hands-on training by the Chief Librarian of Saraswathi Mahal Library, P. Perumal, use a mixture of honey wax, cedar wood oil and lanoline anhydrous. It takes about 15 minutes to clean a book and apply the mixture, says P. Mounissamy, Librarian, NIT.

Fifty per cent of the books had already been conserved during the past three months. This technique prevents damage of books due to fungus and silver fish, which picks holes in books.

The NIT has undertaken the task in deference to a suggestion of an NBA (National Board of Accreditation) team, which visited the institute six months ago. NIT is next only to Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, to have a vast collection of unique books.

The process of herbal preservation will be completed in a few months, according to the Overall Library In-Charge, Raghavan. The back volumes, he says, are vital for researchers, since only the bibliographic details, rather than the text, could be accessed through the Internet. The library would be designated as `Archives Section' once the new state-of-the-art digital library, at an estimate of Rs.7 crores, is constructed. The NIT has already received Rs.2 crores and the construction work has been entrusted with the Central Public Works Department.

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