ROLE OF LIBRARIES IN PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS MATERIALS

Abstract [English]

Visual and performing arts materials, including manuscripts, musical scores, photographs, stage designs, costumes and audio visual recordings are crucial for preserving India’s cultural heritage but are highly vulnerable to physical decay technological obsolescence and loss of context. Effective library collection management in this field ensures the documentation, conservation and accessibility of these resources supporting research, education and creative practices. Institutions such as IGNCA, Sangeet Natak Akademi, NFAI Pune and NCPA Library, Mumbai implement preventive and remedial conservation, digitization, microfilming, and proper archival storage to safeguard rare and fragile materials. These initiatives not only preserve ephemeral art forms and tangible cultural artifacts but also promote wider access and inter-institutional collaboration.