Conducting Preliminary Assessments: DREAMSEA is Preparing 12 Missions for Digitising Manuscripts

Manuscripts Collection, Padang

Jakarta, DREAMSEA- In July and August 2018, the Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia (DREAMSEA) is conducting preliminary assessments in various regions in Southeast Asia. This activity aims to determine the readiness of the manuscripts to be digitised in 2018.

In the first phase, the readiness for digitising of manuscript owners in several cities in Indonesia and Laos will be monitored. According to Nida, it is estimated that in both countries more than 24,000 manuscript pages in private collections are in need of help to be preserved.

“No less than 15 cities in Indonesia and Laos are being assessed for their readiness. The ownersof manuscript collections inhalf of them have already stated that they allow their collections to be digitised”, said Nida.

The assessments are primarily made to come up with a visiting schedule for the Dreamsea digitising team. The scheduling also aims to ensure that the Southeast Asian manuscript digitisation missions will be conducted accurately and measurable.

“In this year (2018), we are preparing 12 missions for digitising manuscripts in Southeast Asia. The first mission will start in August”, said Nida’. [LS]