Roja Muthiah Research Library: Preserving history, one page at a time

As I step into the sprawling campus with decades-old research centres, weathered buildings (some preserved, others left to age) and towering trees that have stood which have witnessed the passage of decades. I was welcomed with a mix of apology and optimism. “This is a temporary set-up, we’ll be moving to a larger, permanent facility within a year,” says M Manikanda Subbu, assistant director, as he guides me to the fourth floor of the Integrated Workshop Building on the CIT campus.

I am led to the Roja Muthiah Research Library (RMRL)’s director Dr G Sundar, who has been with the RMRL since its inception in 1994. He shares with me how an encounter with the renowned epigraphist Iravatha Mahadevan was “a very special one.”

Mahadevan asked Dr Sundar if RMRL could catalogue his collection, including his jottings that deciphered Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions. Dr Sundar shares, “When our team began work, Iravatha Mahadevan expressed surprise at our thoroughness, saying, ‘I only wanted a catalogue. You’re researching every book of mine.’ Coming from someone of his stature, this was deeply gratifying.”

But it didn’t end there. Mahadevan, who had previously promised his collection to another institution, had his entire collection transferred to a research institute in Kerala. Later, Mahadevan felt it would serve a better purpose if the books were here. RMRL’s reputation is built on the foundation of such legends.

The foundation
The library began with a private collection of approximately 100,000 items collected by Roja Muthiah Chettiar, a signboard artist who had an eye for all things related to Tamil culture, from periodicals to books. With his demise, the University of Chicago led the effort to buy the collection and establish the Roja Muthiah Research Library in Chennai.

In 2004, a group of dedicated individuals formed a trust to continue the mission, eventually inking an MoU with the University of Chicago. “Initially, it was established as a reference library, but we recognised its potential to grow into something more significant,” says Dr Sundar. “We expanded beyond reference services, cataloguing and preservation into research, which transformed the institution’s scope and ambition.”

A hub for intellectual discourse
The growth has been remarkable. The collection has grown fivefold in less than three decades, and today, the library houses 5,00,000 items.

Dr Sundar says, “We began collecting palm leaves, audio records, and video records. While Roja Muthiah’s original collection contained few palm leaves, we actively expanded this area.”

Pivotal to its growth as an institution were towering figures like Mahadevan, who suggested establishing an Indus Research Centre. The team acted swiftly. A second research centre, the Centre for Study in Public Sphere, was set up to explore modernity. The result of this pursuit has culminated in RMRL having literature from ancient, medieval, and modern writings.

“Our galleries demonstrate how the language progressed through time,” adds Dr Sundar. That’s when it struck him that RMRL cannot just function as a library. Soon, it started organising lectures, seminars, and thematic exhibitions for public viewing.

The library has transformed into a hub for intellectual discourse where scholars and the general public meet to exchange ideas.

Now, the upcoming Tamil Knowledge Campus will include the library, two research centres, a permanent museum of print culture, conservation and preservation labs. The project is being built on the land provided by the Tamil Nadu Government, and the funds are raised from philanthropists, corporates, diaspora, including the Tamil Nadu government. It is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

How are books acquired?
The acquisition process often relies on scholars and collectors. Scholars know where important collections exist. When people age and wonder what to do with their collections, we identify them, engage in conversation, and persuade them to donate. “They consider this a safe place for their books,” Dr Sundar explains.

Some scholars even leave their collections in their wills to RMRL. Notable donations include collections from Mu Arunachalam, Raj Gautaman, Iravatham Mahadevan, and AK Ramanujan.

One of the major challenges involves addressing historical gaps in documentation. “We cannot know what we have lost because no comprehensive list exists. If anything, our catalogue is the most comprehensive historical record available, containing information about all printed items,” he explains.

Preserving the history
The preservation methods at the library have evolved with technology. “We originally preserved materials through microfilms. When technology advanced, we immediately adopted digitisation and acquired state-of-the-art equipment,” explains Dr Sundar. “We apply international standards to everything we do, whether cataloguing, microfilming, or digitisation.”

Each microfilm reel can store approximately 1,500 to 2,000 pages and is preserved in a temperature-controlled environment (maintained at 18°C) with a relative humidity of 35%.

Until 2001, RMRL primarily relied on microfilming. Now it has high-end imaging equipment such as i2S CopiBook and BookEye.

Despite this transition in technology, Sathyamurthy, senior technical assistant, Reprographics, who has been with the library for over 18 years, remains a staunch advocate of microfilming, stating, “This method ensures the highest quality of document imaging, as it allows precise control over resolution (DPI) and other quality parameters.” He also notes how microfilm can remain intact for over 500 years, as it relies on the simple technology of lenses and reels; there are no software updates and migration of data required.

However, storing documents on microfilm has its own set of challenges. A single reel can cost around INR 5,000, and the specialised infrastructure required to store it incurs additional costs. The decline of Kodak, Fujifilm and Agfa, who are suppliers of microfilm in India and related technologies, has contributed to the rising costs and complexity of maintaining this method.

Currently, i2S CopiBook and BookEye are leading the overhead scanners. Both these scanners can scan a page in as little as one to three seconds. A book is placed on the scanner, where a highly sensitive camera mounted above captures high-resolution images and the page profile. CopiBook requires minimal manual intervention. It features automatic height-adjustable book cradles that are especially helpful when imaging hardbound books that cannot be fully opened without damage.

Speaking of their conservative approach when it comes to preservation, Dr Sundar says, “We believe in preserving the original material, not just its content. We preserve the original while safeguarding the content through microfilming and digitisation. We make digital collections available in multiple locations to ensure that if one copy is lost, others remain safe.”

With better infrastructure, larger server spaces, bigger hard disks, and better RAM, the process is ever-expanding. He also expressed optimism that AI will play a big role, but cautioned that human curators will always be needed to interpret information.

What’s ahead
For the next few years, their goals are clear. “We aim to establish the Tamil Knowledge Campus and expand our collections. With our historical catalogue, people need not catalogue entire materials, they can simply copy information from our records unless they are dealing with newly published materials.”

Meanwhile, it is all about encountering the doyens of India. Dr Sundar says, “When Mahadevan was at the centre, he used an interesting phrase, he wanted the books transferred ‘on permanent loan.’ It’s an oxymoron that I particularly appreciate.” After all, RMRL received the materials, and now the entire collection resides here, on permanent loan,” he concludes with a chuckle.

With the construction of the Tamil Knowledge Campus, Roja Muthiah Institute aims to serve as a one-point permanent reference for Tamil culture.