Renovating the South Asian Collection

Brief Project Description


The South Asia Research Unit (SARU) at Curtin University of Technology, in partnership with La Trobe University, Monash University, Flinders University, the National Centre for South Asian Studies, the National Library of Australia, the University of New England and Sydney University have attracted funding from the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) to undertake a major two-part project designed to renovate the national South Asian collection. Collaborating partners met at Flinders University in Adelaide on the 15th and 16th December 1995 to make the final decisions and put in place the mechanisms necessary to run such an ambitiousproject.

The project, which consists of two stages, is already underway.

Stage 1: The Survey

The project aims to satisfy the needs of scholars, librarians and general users in the future. It plans to identify the unlisted South Asian materials in Australia and to ensure that they can be found by researchers anywhere in Australia or the world. It also wants to ensure that the work done has maximum compatibility with other systems, and is compatible with, and available on, National Library databases. A database, which will be setup and maintained at Curtin University, will be made available on the World Wide Web and will be easily accessible and searchable by scholars and others.

Stage 2: Acquisitions/Libraries

Alongside the survey, the project will initiate an acquisitions program in order to replenish and expand the National Collection. This program will be accelerated as the survey identifies those areas that are most in need of attention. In addition, the project will facilitate the development of a corps of librarians who are interested in and have a knowledge of South Asia. It will do this in the first instance by sending a number of librarians to the South Asian region where they will visit and establish links with libraries and librarians.

The South Asia Research Unit is keen to keep South Asianists around the world up-to-date with the progress of this project and will post regular bulletins on appropriate electronic bulletin boards. We also encourage anyone interested in the project, or who may wish to assist in any way, to contact SARU.

SARU can be contacted by mail:

Terry Richards
South Asia Research Unit
Curtin University of Technology
PO Box U1987
PERTH WA 6001
Telephone: +61 9 3513331
Facsimile: 61 9 3513166
E-mail: richards@spectrum.curtin.edu.au or T.Richards@spectrum.curtin.edu.au


Return to Renovating the South Asian Collection
Last updated 16 February 1996