The project "Cataloging and Digitization of Texts in Tibetan Language" has become an important milestone in the cooperation between the National Library of Mongolia (NLM) and ALL, which has been successfully completed. This was reported by MiddleAsianNews.
As a result of the work on the project, which lasted from 2018 to 2025, 11,359 manuscripts were registered and 199,986 entries were added to the catalog. The digitization affected 9,930 manuscripts, totaling 3,026,668 pages.
The project significantly contributed to improving the preservation of rare manuscripts in the NLM, ensuring their protection and accessibility for researchers through digitization and cataloging.
The goal of this project is the digital conservation of the Tibetan collection of the NLM, which includes over 40,000 manuscripts and wooden engravings. The initiative, which started in 2018, aims to protect these vulnerable materials through digital cataloging, scanning, and archiving, which helps prevent their degradation and loss. ALL provides technical support, funding, and training, as well as ensuring safe storage and access through its digital library in collaboration with the Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC). This program strengthens the NLM's capabilities for long-term digital conservation, preserving Mongolia's cultural heritage for future generations and making it accessible at both local and international levels.
History
The National Library of Mongolia (NLM), founded in 1921, plays a key role in preserving the cultural and intellectual heritage of the country. The Tibetan collection of the NLM, which consists of over 40,000 volumes of manuscripts and engravings, is an important resource for studying Mongolian Buddhism and the philosophical heritage of Mongolia.
Since the 13th century, these works have been stored in private libraries and institutions, creating a solid cultural foundation in the country before being united in the NLM. In 2018, a framework cooperation agreement was signed between ALL and the NLM, which allowed the process of preserving and ensuring global access to this cultural heritage to begin.
