Present:

Andrea Singer, Chair (Indiana University), Deepa Banerjee (Washington), Bindu Bhatt (Columbia), Bronwen Bledsoe (Cornell), Merry Burlingham (Texas), Fehl Cannon (Library of Congress), Rajwant Chilana (Illinois), Judy Eckoff (CRL), James Gentner (Library of Congress), Michael Grossman (Harvard), Lauren Hartley (Columbia), Donald Clay Johnson (Minnesota), Zbigniew Kantorosinski (Library of Congress), Aruna P. Magier (BAS), David Magier (Columbia), Avinash Maheshwary (Duke), Adnan Malik (UC Berkeley), Philip McEldowney (Virginia), Carol Mitchell (Library of Congress, Islamabad), Laila Mulgaokar (Library of Congress, New Delhi), David Nelson (Pennsylvania), James Nye (Chicago), Liladhar R. Pendse (UCLA), Mary Rader (Wisconsin), James Simon (CRL), Gurnek Singh (Syracuse), Mel Thatcher (Genealogical Society of Utah), Allen Thrasher (Library of Congress), Sunita Vaze (New York Public Library)

A. Introductions & Approval of Minutes

Introductions were made. The minutes from the SAMP meeting in April 2006 were approved.

B. Administrative and Executive Committee Reports

1) Report from the Chair (Singer)
Singer recognized that SAMP has been in existence for forty years and thanked CRL for support.

2) Financial Report and SAMP update (Eckoff)
Eckoff reported on SAMP budget. SAMP began Fiscal Year 2006 with $51,077.47 and ended the year with $51,630.34. The latest data available for FY 2007(as of January 2007) anticipate that SAMP will have $7,543.29 in available funds at the close of the fiscal year.

3) CRL/GRN Report (Simon)
Simon encouraged SAMP members to review the most recent CCDO Report, which highlights CRL’s recent accomplishments and strategic planning. CRL plans to focus on its key strengths in the future, including newspapers and other primary sources in the social sciences and humanities.

Currently, CRL is focusing on digitizing primarily public domain materials. Scanning on demand will assist CRL’s delivery of requested materials. CRL is also exploring large-scale digitization projects, especially for newspapers, and will be soliciting external funding in order to pay for this project. Another aspect of CRL’s digitization strategy is “planned scanning,” or selecting sets of material for conversion in consultation with focus groups or in anticipation of scholarly demand. This may be an opportunity for SAMP to recommend specific sets of material from their collection. As part of the pilot testing CRL’s infrastructure and workflows for scanning, some of SAMP’s holdings of the India Land Settlement reports have been put up online and linked to catalog records. Nye suggested that CRL consult the SAMP Executive Board when SAMP materials are considered for testing. At the CRL Annual Council meeting in late April, ideas will be presented to prioritize digitization projects. The pre-demand and scanning on demand programs will be paid for out of CRL funds.

As part of an emphasis on cross-regional subject collecting, the GRN will sponsor a conference on human rights at Columbia University in October.

C. Executive Committee election results

Retiring Committee members Rajwant Chilana and Valerie Ritter were thanked for their service. As had been announced previously by email, Ritu Birla will be the new Faculty Representative, and Deepa Banerjee will be the new Librarian Representative. Other candidates Bindu Bhatt and Charles Hallisey were also thanked for their willingness to stand for election.

D. Discussion of New/Developing Proposals

1) Maru’i (Bhatt)
This Sindhi literary journal has not been microfilmed previously and the original filming proposal aims to preserve this title. It has probably ceased publication, and conditions of some holdings are poor.

2) Nepali Newspapers V (Eckoff)
This proposal to duplicate another block of newspapers preserved by the MPP was presented. SAMP committee members asked whether the proposal could be funded with or without the digitization component.

3) Extracts from the Native Press (Adcock)
Proposal for digitization of this SAMP-acquired material. Some members raised questions about ability to post material purchased from other sources (British Library, Adam Matthew). Simon commented on the uncertain costs and the possibility of doing in-house rather than with another organization. Members recommended continuing to explore this proposal, possibly as a suggestion for CRL conversion. Simon will suggest a sample be scanned for review.

4) Jugantar Patrika (Eckoff)
The proposal submitted by the CSSSC to film this newspaper in India was presented. SAMP was informed that LC-New Delhi will fund filming (and other titles), so this proposal is no longer necessary. Fills gaps of currently held titles. Should SAMP acquire copies? Possible suggestion for CRL purchase proposal.

5) Amir Khusraw materials (Nye)
Proposal to film pre-1935 imprints of this important cultural figure. $1300 approximate total cost. Filming to be done at Aligarh Muslim University (add one film copy for Aligarh). Should we instead encourage these resources to be published in print? SAMP should move ahead with preservation microfilm regardless of publishing possibilities.

6) Sunday Observer (Nye)
Proposal to film this title, one of the most important English periodicals associated with the Self Respect Movement. No copies in US or UK (Madras edition). Some individuals in Chennai have copies for about twelve years and are willing to permit preservation microfilming. Filming to be done in India

7) Official Publications of India (Nye)
Holdings are now in Chennai. There may be additional duplicates offered to SAMP from Oxford. Jim Nye suggests setting aside $5000 for filming of priority titles, most likely Health and Sanitation Reports and Police Reports. Labor should also be considered. Institutions may have holdings and should report on their materials. Funds would also cover transfer of material from Oxford. SARAI (South Asia Resource Access on the Internet) would be interested in digitization of Punjab materials (for free?).

8) Jaminraitu (Mitchell, Lum, Nye, Rader)
This proposal from last year was reconsidered. Due to the inability to film the title off-site, SAMP explored the acquisition of a portable digital unit to scan. Unable to find one of sufficient quality, Harvard contributed funds for a processor for duplication. Would LC allow their portable microfilm camera to be used for this? Committee to continue looking into this project: Mary Rader and Jim Nye will follow up.

9) Pak Jamuliat (Bhatt)
Published in Bangladesh Columbia has holdings 1959-1972. Started as quarterly magazine, then as weekly newspaper. Developing proposal.

10) Urdu 19th Century materials (Nye)
Tokyo University is interested in the completion of filming of Urdu 19th century materials at British Library – possible funding sources available. British Library also interested in funding. 2/3 of the collection has already been filmed by SAMP. Nye suggested that scanning this corpus would show support to Tokyo University and BL’s project. Then we could purchase 1/3 to be completed by Tokyo and BL.

Proposals Approved:

Maru’i $1400.
Nepali Newspapers $2600 (conditional - filming only, no digitization)
Amir Khusraw $1281
Sunday Observer $2038
Official Publications of India $5000.

E. Updates on approved projects

1) Asiatic Society of Bombay (Eckoff)
1966/67-1997 (2 reels) received from filmer January 2007. Will begin compiling holdings from the other society publications.

2) Bengali Newspapers from Columbia University (Bhatt/Eckoff)
2 reels received from filmer January 2007.
• Saptahika Naya Duniya (July 1970-Jan. 1971)
• Ganabamla (Feb. 1971, Feb.-March 1972)
• Jayabamla (1972)
• Ajakera Samabaya (Oct. 1975-Sept. 1978)

3) Bombay Chamber of Commerce (Lum)
Approved project funds to be returned to SAMP budget, since this project is no longer viable.

4) CSSSC Duplication (Simon/Singer)
Duplication finished of the 330 BSP reels. The next stage is to duplicate the remaining 272 reels of non-BSP material. Simon asked for volunteers to review list. Bindu volunteered. Nye suggested Ritu. David Magier recommended value of treating this, and other proposals as collections, rather than debating the value of individual components of it. CSSSC has indicated that since the original proposal there are many more reels to consider for duplication.

5) Dastan-i Amir Hamza (Nye)
Simon suggested SAMP could scan this set, which would make easier the possibility of “splicing” in the pages missing from the film set. Columbia is acquiring a print copy of this resource.

6) Da’vat (Eckoff)
Jan. 1967-Aug. 1969; Jan.-Dec. 1970; May-Jul. 1971 (4 reels) sent to filmer Aug. 2006.

7) EPWAPDA Fortnightly Bulletin (Bhatt/Eckoff)
1962-1971 (1 reel) received from filmer September 2006.

8) India Land Settlement Reports (Eckoff)
Five reels ordered from British Library February 2007:

9) LC Fiche update (Simon)
SAMP continues to acquire LC fiche, but recently has learned that LC Photoduplication is not duplicating material from Delhi for other libraries. Members discussed news that the LC General Counsel advised LC Photoduplication Unit not to sell material for which publishers’ permission has not been secured. Simon will follow up and inform SAMP of the results.

10) MIPP II update (Mulgaokar)
Filming will begin when books arrive. ca. 226 books from LC-Washington to Delhi.

11) “Native Press” reports (Eckoff)
Five reels received from Adam Matthew September 2006:

12) Nepali Newspapers IV (Eckoff)
9 titles (20 reels) received January 2007.

13) Rahbar-i-Dakan (Simon)
1925-1946 (26 reels) received February 2007.

14) Young Pakistan Weekly (Eckoff)
1961-1971 (6 reels) received from filmer December 2006.

F. Other Items

1) Around the World in 2 Billion Pages
Please send suggested URLs for this project to CRL.

Meeting adjourned at 9 pm.

Minutes submitted by Judy Eckoff 3/30/07

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