March, 1998
Washington, DC

Present: U. Bhasker (NYPL), M. Burlingham (Texas), D. Gilmartin (NC State for Tony Stewart), F. Go (Michigan), A. Grosenheider (Washington), D. Johnson (Minnesota, recorder), I. Joshi (Washington), V. Kayastha (Cornell), K. Khera (Toronto), C. Lee (UCLA), R. Lum (Harvard), D. Magier (Columbia), A. Maheshwary (Duke), P. McEldowney (Virginia), S. McMahon (Cal-Berkeley), C. Mitchell (Wisconsin), D. Nelson (Penn), J. Nye (Chicago, Chair), M. Rudeen (CRL), G. Singh (Syracuse), M. Thatcher (Genealogical Society of Utah), A. Thrasher (LC), L. Wageman (Hawaii), M. Wolf (CRL).

The minutes of the 1997 meeting in Chicago were approved with corrections.

Administrative and Executive Committee Reports

• Marlys gave the financial report, and status of several ongoing projects.  She pointed out CRL is acquiring the films and records of the Presbyterian Church Foreign Missions Board over a three year period.  In the first phase, purchased this year, were the records for India.  During the year the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs dropped out of SAMP.  CRL is mounting several searchable databases, especially those for foreign newspapers.  The SAMP minutes will be mounted on the web page.  This will include information on purchases and the status of several projects.   However, the financial statements of costs will not be mounted.
• The text of the SAMP brochure is in place. The graphics and color of paper are still to be determined.
• Jim spoke of the status of officers in SAMP and voting for replacements.   Membership agreed with his suggested course of action.  Those elected to the executive board were James Gair and Krishan Khera.
• Jim pointed out several projects have been listed for several years with no work being done on them.  He suggested stopping such projects and using the funds for filming of the Kaiser-i Hind, the films of which will be used for exchanges with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences to get additional materials from India.  Don asked if the two libraries would want the Kaiser-i Hind.  Jim said that if they didn't we should consider cooperating with an Indian library, to purchase two copies of filmed titles, one of which would remain with the Indian library and the other would come to SAMP.  Namely that purchasing two copies at the local Indian price is cheaper than the foreign price charged by the two libraries (approximately $25 per roll local price, versus $90 per roll foreign price).   The Urdu Research Centre in Hyderabad could be the local Indian library.
• Bibliographic control issues: The India Office Library Panjabi tracts and Dastans project is now done and will be available.  The descriptive cataloging, done by advanced graduate students at Chicago, will soon be completed.
• Jim raised the issue of the purchase of a camera.  The University of Bombay now has space and is willing to undertake filming and will provide staff for such work.   The Library of Congress office has agreed to provide training.  The cost would be $3,000.  Action was approved.
• Marlys and Jim spoke of the Area Studies Council at CRL.  It is becoming a good forum to discuss common issues and concerns.  Its minutes will be mounted on the CRL web page.
• Jim discussed the status of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies grant.   $10,000 has been given in principle.  The hold-up has been in getting cameras to undertake the work.  The LC office in Islamabad has not yet completely defined its space and workflow so there has been no work on incorporating a camera into its operations.  David Magier asked how dependent we are on the Library of Congress for this project.  Jim replied, very dependent.
• Last year the question was raised about dues.  Previously CDOs were concerned that they be informed before any increase in dues were effected for CRL microform projects.   Procedures for dues increases  were discussed at the joint Area Studies Council/Collection Development Advisory Panel meeting last year.  A proposal must be submitted to CDOs and bibliographers.  The subcommittee appointed last year (Ray, Merry, and Jim) will meet to discuss an increase in SAMP dues and report to the membership.

Reports on current and pending projects

• Marlys spoke about the Kaiser-i Hind.  It needs to be collated and filmed quickly as the paper quality is very bad.  CRL has filmed the missing 10 years of the Economic and Political Weekly.  Commercial filming is now available for the rest of the set.  SAMP needs to work out procedures for royalty payments to EPW.  Marlys will contact them and ask their fees/price.
• Microfilming of Indian Publications:  Jim spoke for Lygia Ballantyne, who was unable to attend the meeting.  The second extension of funding has been given by the Government of India for continuning this project.  12,800 titles have been filmed and there still is film available to do more.  The original United States India Fund money has been spent but the Government of India has committed 3 crore rupees.  The tie-up is the reluctance of the government staff to release the funds.  The project will be governed by a bi-national committee.  Don asked about the ability of CRL to provide circulation data for these works which could be used in future proposals for funding from the Government of India.  David Magier noted that often the records of works are in the database before the filming has been done.
• Gadar Party collection:  Suzanne mentioned that this is included in the RLG global immigration microfilm project. The copy CRL will get is thus sufficient and SAMP does not need an additional film copy.
• Bene Israel: Irene noted there is a library in Israel which has some holdings.   Ray mentioned that Harvard may have filmed all of it.  Jim and Irene will check this.
• Fort William College project: There has been no action in several years, the project was declared moribund, and the funds re-directed to other projects.
• Dastan-i Amir Hamza: Jim reported LC has filmed the last volume.  However, some pages are missing from some filmed titles and we will need help filling these in.
• Kaifiats at the Andhra Pradesh State Archives: Jim reported the States Archives will undertake this work.  SAMP needs to send $1,000 for the project.  Approved.
• Selections from the Native Press, Madras: Jim noted that the film holdings in the U.S. are not complete. Chicago has a set that could be filmed.  Carol might purchase film since Wisconsin already holds most ot the title on film.  If Wisconsin is not able to afford having the balance of the title filmed, a SAMP mail ballot will be issued.
• Jamia Millia Islamia journals and newspapers: There is nothing to report on this project.

Ray asked if a short list of the projects could appear on the web page.  Don suggested the list include projects completed in the last 3-5 years.

New Project Proposals

• Sri Lankan newspapers:  Irene mentioned that CRL has purchased the Colombo Overland Observer as part of its foreign newspaper project.  The recommendation was that SAMP purchase Colombo Journal (1832-1833) and Ceylonese (1913-1917) from the British Library for approximately $2,500.  Additionally, SAMP should make new newspaper purchase proposals to the CRL membership for the Times of Ceylon and its antecedent Ceylon Times to add earlier holdings to existing runs at CRL.  These are available from the British Library for approximately $20,000.
• Filming Bengali manuscripts:  Rebecca Manring (Indiana) has proposed that SAMP spend $1,000 to film the manuscripts of the late Prof. Sukumar Sen.   This project would be our first effort away from filming printed texts.  David Magier asked if there would be synergies with the work of David Pingree.  Pingree has been contacted about this.  Jim mentioned that Tony Stewart said this is an important collection.  Mel wondered if the Indira Gandhi Centre might do it.  Jim expressed caution about preserving the films at IGNCA.  David Nelson said he was reluctant to launching into filming manuscripts.  Carol asked if this is such a radical departure if we are doing it to support scholarly work.  David Magier indicated willingness to support the work.  Avinash indicated that there is a collection in Gwalior which might also be considered.  Gurnek gave a high endorsement of Sen's scholarship and status.  Approved the $1,000 request.
• New newspaper purchases:  the $10,000 annual expenditure for the purchase of newspapers from the British Library, the Nehru Library, and the Center for the Study of the Social Sciences need to be rescinded and diverted to filming the Kaiser-i Hind.  Motion carried.

New Business

• David Magier noted that Columbia, California-Berkeley, and Duke have pamphlet files of political party activities.  Should a project be launched to provide both a union list of holdings as well as filming them?  Jim recommended doing some samples of holdings to see how unique the holdings are at each university.
• Avinash said that the Lok Sabha debates have been filmed.  Marlys will check to see how expensive the films are.
• The meeting adjourned at 9 p.m. so that members could attend the Unicode meeting.

Submitted by Donald C. Johnson

SAMP - Received
Since March 1998

MF.
THE CIVIL & MILITARY GAZETTE [MICROFORM].
Lahore : E.A. Smedley,
Center has:
MF-10915 SAMP (36 reels) 1929-1932.
36654365.
RECORD # = b1467936x.

MF.
THE MOFUSSILITE [MICROFORM].
Calcutta : P.S. D'Rozario for J. Lang, [1845-
Center has:
1858-May 24, 1876.
36654264.
RECORD # = b14679474.

MF Neg. MF.
PEACE REVIEW [MICROFORM].
New Delhi : S. Kaul,
Center has:
MF-11143 SAMP (1 reel) v. 1, no. 5-9, 11-12 (Jan.-May, July-Aug. 1954);
v. 2, no. 2-4 (Oct.-Dec. 1954).
Neg. MF-at lab.
37543345.
RECORD # = b14765251.

SAMP EARLY 20TH-CENTURY INDIAN BOOKS PROJECT.
New Delhi : Library of Congress Office, 1995-
Center has:
MF-10225 (200 reels) Marathi Reels 1-81, 83-91, 93, 95, 97-117, 119-125, 136-137 received 12/01/97; reels 127-133, 138-148, 176, 178 received 01/02/98.
MF-10759 (100 reels) Marathi Reels 1-2, 4, 6-14, 18-21, 23, 26-28, 36, 51-52, 62, 66-68, 82, 91-93, 96 received 01/02/98.
MF-9956 (199 reels) Marathi Reels 81-140 received 8/25/97; reels 19-29, 31-38, 40-79, 141-152, 154, 156-185, 187-199 received 12/01/97.
MF-11230 (1 reel) Marathi Received 12/01/97.
NEGS.
RECORD # = b14552966.

Library of Congress.
SOUTH ASIA PUBLICATIONS ON MICROFICHE.
New Delhi : Library of Congress, 19-
TOTAL 03-01-97 to 03-11-98 $9,372.23 7720 f.
RECORD # = b1401161x.  

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