Collection and Preservation of Manuscripts: A Comparative Study on Saraswati Bhavan and Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library

Abstract

This study studied the collection and preservation practices of manuscripts at the Saraswati bhavan library of Sampurnanand Sanskrit university and the Sayajirao gaekward central library of banaras hindu university. In order to investigate the collecting and preservation of manuscripts and rare documents in both libraries in Varanasi, a well-structured questionnaire survey was conducted. The study reveals that both libraries have a large number of manuscripts, some of which are older and rarer than a decade. It also highlights the various techniques adopted by libraries for the preservation of manuscripts, and reveals that numerous important manuscripts are lying untouched and in a deteriorating state, which must be addressed to preserve it for future generations.