Nehru Memorial Museum and Library’s Digitization Project

March 22, 2023

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) is embarking on a significant project to digitize its research materials. The project aims to convert the entire India House Collection, including books, reports, periodicals, archival documents, microfilms, and microfiches, into digital form. This article discusses the significance of the project and its expected outcomes.

Preserving the history of the Indian independence movement

The NMML is a museum and library dedicated to preserving the history of the Indian independence movement. It is home to a vast collection of resources, including the bulk of Mahatma Gandhi’s writings, private papers of prominent Indian leaders, and publications on modern and contemporary Indian history. The NMML has been a valuable resource for scholars and historians for many years, and the digitization project aims to make these resources more accessible to a wider audience.

Implementing the project

The project will be implemented with the help of three outsourced agencies who will work on digitizing the India House Collection, archival papers, and microfilms and microfiches. The project staff is working in collaboration with these agencies to ensure the safety and authentication of scanned images. The NMML staff will also develop necessary skills for digitization, allowing for future in-house work. The cost of the project is approximately 7 crore rupees, and it is expected to be completed in around 12 months.

Accessing digitized materials through the Open Digital Library and Archives

Once the project is complete, all the digitized materials will be accessible through the Open Digital Library and Archives (ODLA), a state-of-the-art digital platform. The ODLA will allow researchers on modern and contemporary India to search for documents relevant to their research, preview them, and download them after paying service charges. The platform will be developed by Tata Consultancy Services in collaboration with NMML and is expected to become operational within the next six months.

Facilitating academic research and knowledge dissemination

The digitization of the NMML’s resources will greatly facilitate academic research and the dissemination of knowledge about modern and contemporary India. It will mainly assist scholars who depend on archival sources, newspapers, and journals, of which the NMML is the largest repository in India. The project will also ensure the preservation of these important resources for future generations.

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