Felicity Shaw, Centre of Asian Studies The University of Hong Kong (fmshaw@hkucc.hku.hk)
• Bhutan’s first 5 year development plan launched in 1961 with support from India • National Library established in 1967 as part of a program to preserve & promote Bhutan’s cultural heritage in the face of the modernisation process Core collection of around 120 religious texts • written in Choekey (classical Tibetan) first kept in a temple in the central tower of Trashichhodzong, the seat of government • National Library moved to purpose-built premises in 1984; Stack Building holding the books consecrated as a temple to provide appropriate environment for housing of religious texts • By the 1990s a large collection of literary treasures had been amassed & the principal works microfilmed; the Foreign Books collection (mainly works written in English) had grown a lot, too
Long-term twinning project between the National Library & the Royal Library, Denmark funded by Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) Proje roject ct activities ivities to inc nclude lude Legal Deposit Act (1999) passed compilation of online database • National Library now had depository status as scripture documentation survey • National Library & Archives of Bhutan research & translation projects • conservation & restoration workshops • • study tours & staff training programs • setting up a library network Archives Project coming soon . . .
National Archives are the identity of a country & must be made as comprehensive as possible to benefit the researchers and historians of future generations An Another Da Danida ida-funded projec ject New building formally commissioned with impleme im lemented by th the Royal L l Libr ibrary, , to to a consecration ceremony in June, 2005 • construct & fit out an Archives building to meet international standards for storage of library & archival materials • provide nominated staff with study tours & professional & on-the-job training in archives management & related conservation activities Stock transfer began only in March 2006, so as to allow time for the interior of the building to dry out & reach the humidity & temperature levels recommended for archival storage
Rare printing blocks moved to compact shelving Collection of letters of historical value begins 2006 Microfilm collection transferred 2006- 2007 (337 rolls comprising 1,250 rare works filmed since 1980s) Choekey Collection reviewed & rarest works transferred Legal Deposit materials received daily (backlog 1999-2005 transferred in 2007)
• Archivist surveyed the entire contents of the Choekey Collection & transferred all very old &/or rare works to the Archives • Some items were digitized too, including 14 serdrim (gold-letter manuscripts) dating from 12 th to 20 th century
Time line Mid-2006: Archivist began drafting the Act; several reviews Literary heritage conservation • & revisions since then Late-2010: Drafting completed; text now undergoing fine- • Symbolising the verbal body tuning & final review Late-2011: Goal is to present National Archives Bill to the • of the Buddha, the sacred second Parliamentary session of 2011 texts are very much treasured in their local Mapping survey after Act passed communities • Nationwide archival survey of all record-creating agencies & repositories, including monasteries & temples Archives policy Appraisal exercise to decide what records should be • collected up (or copied) for the Archives • Religious works to remain in their respective monasteries, temples & private collections Looking to the future • Archives staff to train caretakers in simple • Records Officers appointed in each division / ministry conservation measures Archives staff train Records Officers to file & take care of • • Valuable works to be digitized on site for Archives the records • Works brought to Archives for conservation are to • Guidelines drawn up concerning what kinds of records be returned to their owners afterwards should be retained for Archives once record is closed • Valuable works to be transferred to Archives for • At later stages in development of the National Archives, permanent safekeeping only if local conditions the majority of items will be secular in nature are clearly inadequate & no better arrangement can be made Long term aim is to maintain district archival centres • Any transfers to Archives to be made only with countrywide as foci for material to be collected up consent of the local people for the National Archives
Four conservation workshops 2000-2009 under auspices of Danida Project • Major workshops held 2005, 2007 & 2009 at the NLAB Conservation Building, in 1st floor conservation studio fitted out with Project funding – 15-20 attended each workshop • Participants mainly from NLAB but also included staff from other culture-related institutions, conservators from Dept of 2007 workshop participants (photo Jonas Palm) Culture & several monks from monastic institutions As a result of the workshops, a core group has now gained • Assistant conservator has had specialised training good insight into problems of preservation in general & also specifically for conditions in Bhutan • Repair & conservation of archival materials (one month, 2007) in Conservation Section, National Archives of India • Paper preservation (one month, 2009) in Department of Workshop facilitators suggested national Preservation, the Royal Library, Denmark preservation centre be established which would also be responsible for education in conservation & preservation in Bhutan
Transfer of old land records in 2010 Registers transferred from Home Ministry to Archives then digitized for both Home & the NLAB: 2 series: Marthram: survey of 1965-68, traditional plot size measurements Aethram: survey in 1970s-80s, plot size Marthram records measured with a rope Digitizing was physically tiring & took a long time Records will be stored in a closed access section of the library server Public will have limited access to the library’s digital records, with permission from Home on case-by-case basis
Gold-lettered 352-leaf manuscript copy of Gyetongpa, Restoration of Lhuentse serdrim (‘The 8,000 verses of transcendental wisdom ’) the short version of Prajnaparamita sutra • Archivist initiated restoration of serdrim from Kilung Lhakhang, eastern Bhutan; book digitized before conservation began • Afterwards, library • Damaged parts of leaves were scraped away & replaced with carver made upper & Bhutanese handmade paper which was later painted to match lower boards for the the original colour; this work took about two months book, which had lacked the traditional protective covers • Then the book was wrapped up & tied between the new wooden boards • The book was returned to its lhakhang with advice for the caretaker on conditions required for proper storage Repaired leaf, to be painted later
Pema Lingpa wood-blocks conservation project I In In 1488 Bhutan’s patro ron saint, t, Pema Lingpa pa fo founded d the monastic hermitag tage of Kunzang Drak Gompa, high gh on a cliffsi side de abov ove the village e of his s birth in the Tang g va valley y of centra ral Bhut utan Printing g blocks s fo for his autobi biogra graph phy, , believed d to have been carve ved d by by Pema Lingpa pa himse self, f, are preserved there re, , togeth ther r with ot other r sacred d relics (Photos Ariana Maki, National Museum of Bhutan)
Pema Lingpa wood-blocks conservation project II Archivist went to Tang to check the condition of the 641 wood-blocks On returning to Thimphu, NLAB is now carving its he arranged for the wood- own blocks, using a copy blocks to be brought in made from the Pema Lingpa set some years for conservation ago as template Wood-blocks fumigated The work will take years & digitized at NLAB then to complete sent to conservation laboratory at Dept of Finally, a new block-print Culture in Sept 2010 edition on hand-made paper will be offered for Condition of most blocks sale to the public is good; main problem is woodworm; conservation to take about 12 months Blocks will be returned to Kunzang Drak afterwards & the caretaker advised on their proper storage
National Archives team • Digitize items & make them electronically available for public reference • Microfilm records of all monasteries Assistant conservator • Archive Bhutan’s intangible culture, Archivist’s wish list Bumpa Dorje especially the mask dances Air conditioning technician IT & digitizing assistant ***** Fixed digital camera setup for work at NLAB Portable digital-cum- Assistant archivist microfilm camera for work on Tshering Choki site Duplex scanner for processing less fragile loose- leaf material More archival storage boxes for wood-blocks Digitizing/microfilming Fumigation chamber upgrade Nima Gyeltshen Chief Archivist, Kunzang Delek
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