CHENNAI: Researchers will soon be able to access online precious and rare records available with the Tamil Nadu Archives. The Archives has a treasure trove of records dating back to even 1670. With an aim to preserve these records and improve web access, the Tamil Nadu Archives has digitized a major chunk of the rare records and have created special software on which they are uploading the same, said officials.
The authorities have plans to inaugurate the website soon. Once launched, researchers and other public can access the records online and will not have to visit the Archive office at Egmore. But before making the records accessible for the public, measures will be taken to chalk out a concrete strategy to ensure safety and security of the priceless possessions, Commissioner of the Archives, Apoorva told Express.
“Detailed modalities will be set up, as to who can access the records and how they can do it, because our top priority is to ensure the safety of the records. The records are very important and we will have to ensure that they will not be misused by anyone,” said Apoorva. She further said that soon a meeting will be convened with different stakeholders to discuss the issues and resolve them.
Another major concern of the officials is to decide as to which rare records should be made public. “The Archive has lakhs of old records, which may contain confidential information. We are digitizing the records for their better upkeep and preservation but we have to be very sure as to which records should be made accessible to the public,” said a senior official of the Archives.
The Tamil Nadu e-governance Agency has developed the special software for implementing the digitization and uploading of the records. Officials in the Archive said the digitization work is in its last leg and 14 terabyte of data has been uploaded on the special software.The authorities are planning to link the software with the website of the Tamil Nadu Archives so that researchers can get access to it.
So far, pre-mutiny era records from 1670 to 1857, have been digitized and uploaded on the software. Even the documents and government orders(GO) of 1920s have been digitized.