"The old manuscripts are being digitized through the Wikisource Loves Manuscripts (Wilma) Program," Pramono, who is leading the team digitizing West Sumatra's old manuscripts, said here on Monday.
The collaborative effort to save and disseminate information about the old manuscripts among the public is also being backed by Andalas University's Research and Community Development Institute (LPPM) and two local organizations, he added.
The organizations are the Nusantara Manuscript Loving Community (Manassa) and Surau Intellectual Community for Conservation (SURI), Pramono said.
Currently, his team members are digitizing the old manuscripts of Syech Abdul Latif Syakur, a prominent Muslim scholar who directly studied about Islam from Syech Ahmad Khatib Al-Minangkabauwi, he informed.
Syakur (1882–1963) is famous for his intellectual giftedness, as evident from the bundles of his works. Interestingly, his manuscripts do not only cover religious matters, but also culinary topics.
During his life, Syakur was well-known as an ulema who loved cooking, Pramono said, adding that his team members are now digitizing 50 bundles of Syakur's manuscripts.
"They have set a target of finishing the digiziting of some 7 thousand pages of Syech Syakur's manuscripts by this month," he added.
For digitizing Syakur's manuscripts, the team members have been divided into two groups.
The first group is responsible for taking photographs of the digitized copies of manuscripts, while the second is tasked with uploading the metadata. During the working process, they have found many damaged manuscripts.
"To this end, we do need special efforts to restore the severely and moderately damaged manuscripts," he said, adding that the digitized copies of the old manuscripts will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, which provides free content to the public.
Before digitizing the old manuscripts in West Sumatra, those in charge of the Wilma Program carried out similar missions in the provinces of Bali and Yogyakarta, Pramono added.
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Translator: Miko E, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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