Preservation of Documentary Heritage Collections for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna

Abstract

Documentary heritage materials hold historical, cultural, scientific, and social significance which creates the heritage, memory, and intellectual achievement of a nation or society which are essential for understanding the glorious past of a nation and human experience. In an era of technological advancement and evolving social needs, the preservation of historical and cultural treasures becomes paramount. The Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library (KBOPL) located in Patna, Bihar is one of the premier institutions dedicated in the field of preservation of documentary heritage collections. The key purpose of present study is to analyse the all-round activities of KBOPL in digital preservation and maintenance of rare documents available in its repository and initiatives taken for the preservation, conservation and archiving of these rare cultural materials for future generation. Method of study adopted in this paper is survey method collecting the relevant data through survey as well as from the website of the institute for analysis of activities of KBOPL undertaken for the preservation of documentary heritage materials. Findings of the study reveals that the KBOPL has successfully preserved over 21000 rare manuscripts and 2.5 lakh other rare books spanning the ancient to medieval period which are available in different languages and scripts.