| This project has been suported by
the US
Ambassador's Fund on Cultural Preservation
With this main target Library Working Group ( LWG ) selected
almost three thousand books about region (Central Asia, Afghanistan,
Persia, North India, and China Turkistan). Generally, these
are books published in XIX century in Russian, English, French,
German, Arabic and Persian Languages. Currently, due to the
conditions of the collection, rare books access is only available
to a very limited number of patrons. The opening of the collections
creates another resource for Central Asian history and contemporary
state of Eurasia.
While establishing a small capacity to conserve rare books
which does not presently exist in Tajikistan, the main goal
of this project is to preserve the books of national and world
heritage and to provide free access to this heritage to the
larger public.
By making the full range of this extraordinary rare collection
available via electronic means, the new catalogue will facilitate
public access and contribute to the broader understanding
of the Central Asia history and culture
During the first stage of the project we created:
• Rare Books and Special Collection Department was organized
as the result of this project; almost three thousand books
were moved from first floor of the library building to the
second floor in the special rooms with iron door and still
bars.
• Oldenburg Cabinet was opened for patrons, Memorial room
named after Academician S.Oldenburg, first Chairman of Tajikistan
Base of the Academy of Sciences and one of the founders of
the Academic Library in 1933 year, where concentrated rare
books from his personal collection.
• Special CD we are preparing with S. Oldenburg works. February
2004 marked seventy years since the death of S.Oldenburg.
Taking into account the outstanding achievements of Sergey
Oldenburg in the field of Oriental studies, and expressing
our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the distinguished
scientist, who has done so much for the development of science
in Tajikistan, the Academic library has prepared a CD with
works of S.Oldenburg that are kept in the library collection.
This publication is the first CD issued in the planned series
of electronic publications. The main goal of the series is
making available the contents of the Rare Book collection
of the Central Scientific library of the Academy of Sciences
of the Republic of Tajikistan.
• Digital Project Laboratory was established, where Library
Working Group (LWG) works under book scanning and creates
the Meta Data. During the current project period LWR prepared
scanning materials and Meta Data for CD and library Web site
and produces a range of online research tools. Library pays
special attention to the rare geographic maps of the region,
publications about Islamic Studies, traveler’s memoirs etc.
and prepared scanning these materials for CD.
• Exhibition of the Rare Books was opened, the Miniature books
and Dissertation about Tajikistan for public Access in the
special reading room. Through its exhibition the Library has
become well known for its exploration of historic and contemporary
humanities studies and provided the extensive archival collections.
• The unique example of rare books store in our collection
are first Russian- Tajik Languages, where first time in the
history the Tajik languages was indicated as Tajik. LWG made
digital copy and facsimile paper copies of this dictionary.
We are publishing this Dictionary on CD with opportunity for
patrons to print this book.
• In the frame of the project Library had opportunity to
purchase five computers with scanners and the net equipment,
the new technology equipment like thermal binding machine
and guillotine for paper, the special bindery equipment, the
digital camera and copy machine.
• Our project serves the conservation community through scientific
research, education, and training, model field projects, and
the dissemination of information. A unique aspect of this
project was the teaching component, which brought together
staff from Academic library and librarians of the US, Kazakhstan
and Russia ( American consultants involve in the project,
Tajikistan staff had the training in Almaty, seminar with
Russian consultant participation held in Dushanbe).
Director of the Academy Library
A. Aslitdinova
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