about project
“Digitization of manuscripts and printed books from the Asia and Pacific Museum’s collection” was a two-year project launched in 2019–2020 as part of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage’s “Digital Culture” programme. It was aimed at creating an open access digital library and making the unique book collection of the Andrzej Wawrzyniak Asia and Pacific Museum available to all.
This was a multistage project carried out by an interdisciplinary team consisting mainly of Oriental studies specialists and conservators.
The stages of digitization
In the first preliminary phase of digitization, books were worked on by Oriental studies academics specialising in Asian literature and writing systems. The language and content of the text were identified and the order of pages was verified.
The books were subsequently inspected by conservators who carried out the necessary procedures enabling safe digitization.
During the next stage, each page was photographed under a conservator’s supervision and metadata was recorded.
Photographs with metadata descriptions were then entered into the digital library.
The project also included educational activities, such as family workshops entitled “Asian Manuscripts” and ”School of Manuscripts” – a programme addressed at students of higher education institutions.
Team
Coordination
Dominika Kossowska-Janik, Asia and Pacific Museum
Jacek Tomaszewski, PhD, Asia and Pacific Museum
Photo digitization
Konrad Stasiuk
Conservation supervision
Magdalena Grenda-Kurmanow, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Internet app design
Paweł Borycki
Collection description
Andrea Acri, PhD, École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL Université
Agata Bareja-Starzyńska, PhD, DSc, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Warsaw University
Ilona Kędzia, Institute of Oriental Studies, Jagiellonian University
Jotika Khur-Yearn, PhD, Librarian for SE Asia and Arts & Humanities, SOAS University of London
Sirisarn Mueanphothong, PhD, Department of Oriental Language, Silpakorn University in Bangkok
Monika Nowakowska, PhD, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Warsaw University
Aleksandra Wąsowicz-Peinado, PhD, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Warsaw
Roberta Zollo, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, University of Hamburg
Consultants
Barbara Ewa Banasik, PhD, The Asia and Pacific Museum
Prof. Justin McDaniel, University of Pennsylvania
Ewa Paśnik-Tułowiecka, PhD, University of Warsaw
Renoo Wichasin, PhD, Chiang Mai University