Aditya Ankur, Tezpur: Tezpur University’s Dr. Pallavi Jha from the Department of English and Dr. Subhadeepta Ray from the Department of Sociology, alongwith Abhijit Bhattacharya, Documentation Officer, from the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSS), Kolkata, have been awarded the prestigious Modern Endangered Archive Program (MEAP) project grant by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Library. The two-year grant, titled 'Archiving Childhood: Assamese Periodicals for Children (1980-2020)', will facilitate the creation of a crucial online digital archive of popular Assamese children's periodicals published between 1980 and 2020. This initiative marks a significant milestone as it is the first time any university or institution in the northeast region of India has secured this highly competitive grant. The project aims to preserve a vital part of cultural and literary heritage by digitizing these periodicals, making them accessible to researchers, educators, and the public including the Assamese diaspora worldwide. Congratulating the team, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Shambhu Nath Singh, said that the funding is instrumental in safeguarding the rich legacy of Assamese children's periodicals. “Creating this digital archive will not only preserve these invaluable historical documents but also open up new avenues for interdisciplinary research into childhood studies, regional literature, and cultural history”, Prof Singh added. The online repository will provide a comprehensive and easily searchable platform, serving as a critical resource for understanding the cultural nuances, educational trends, and social narratives embedded within these publications. The Modern Endangered Archive Program (MEAP) is a UCLA Library initiative dedicated to preserving and making accessible endangered records of cultural heritage from around the world. The program supports projects that digitize vulnerable collections, ensuring their long-term survival and availability for scholarly use.
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