05-22-2007, 01:55 PM
Google to digitise 800,000 books at Mysore varsity
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Search engine Google to digitise 800,000 books at Mysore varsity
IANS
Sunday, May 20, 2007Â 15:16 IST
NEW DELHI: <b>At least 800,000 books and manuscripts, including India's first political treatise the 'Arthasastra' written in the 4th century BC by Kautilya, that are lying in Mysore University in Karnataka, will be digitised by Google, the world's leading Internet search engine.</b>
"Written in both papers and palm leaves, there are around 100,000 manuscripts in our library, some dating back to the eighth century. The effort is to restore and preserve this cultural heritage for effective dissemination of knowledge," said J. Shashidhara Prasad, vice chancellor of the university.
"<b>Many manuscripts on ayurveda, mathematics, medicine, science, astrology and economy including 'Arthasastra' and several paper manuscripts of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore will be digitised first," </b>Prasad, who was recently in Delhi, said.
Written either in Sanskrit or Kannada, these resources of knowledge would be patented and printed after the digitisation work is over, Prasad said.
"Depending upon the exclusivity of the materials, we will patent them before making them available on public domain," he said, adding that Google has offered them free service.
<b>"Google has offered to digitise theses manuscripts as well as 700,000 other books free of cost. Google India chief (Eric Schmidt) had already interacted with us and is ready to provide us expertise, software and even manpower," </b>Prasad said, adding that they have also received some financial assistance from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the digitisation work.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He means copyright when he says patenting.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Search engine Google to digitise 800,000 books at Mysore varsity
IANS
Sunday, May 20, 2007Â 15:16 IST
NEW DELHI: <b>At least 800,000 books and manuscripts, including India's first political treatise the 'Arthasastra' written in the 4th century BC by Kautilya, that are lying in Mysore University in Karnataka, will be digitised by Google, the world's leading Internet search engine.</b>
"Written in both papers and palm leaves, there are around 100,000 manuscripts in our library, some dating back to the eighth century. The effort is to restore and preserve this cultural heritage for effective dissemination of knowledge," said J. Shashidhara Prasad, vice chancellor of the university.
"<b>Many manuscripts on ayurveda, mathematics, medicine, science, astrology and economy including 'Arthasastra' and several paper manuscripts of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore will be digitised first," </b>Prasad, who was recently in Delhi, said.
Written either in Sanskrit or Kannada, these resources of knowledge would be patented and printed after the digitisation work is over, Prasad said.
"Depending upon the exclusivity of the materials, we will patent them before making them available on public domain," he said, adding that Google has offered them free service.
<b>"Google has offered to digitise theses manuscripts as well as 700,000 other books free of cost. Google India chief (Eric Schmidt) had already interacted with us and is ready to provide us expertise, software and even manpower," </b>Prasad said, adding that they have also received some financial assistance from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the digitisation work.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He means copyright when he says patenting.