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Endangered Archives Programme (EAP)

To establish a grants programme that funds projects to digitise neglected, vulnerable or inaccessible archives from across the world. The digitised materials are available for free online.

The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) facilitates the digitisation of archives around the world that are in danger of destruction, neglect or physical deterioration. Thanks to generous funding from Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, we have provided grants to more than 400 projects in 90 countries worldwide, in over 100 languages and scripts.

Archive types digitised so far include rare printed sources, manuscripts, visual materials, audio recordings. This continually expanding online collection is available freely through the British Library website and local archival partners, for research, inspiration and enjoyment.

Summaries of individual projects funded by EAP can also be found on the Culture in Crisis portal. These summaries were created from EAP project proposals and final reports. They have been edited for consistency but retain the original language of the applicants and project leads.

Funder Website

Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) Projects

EAP1023c

Digitising Rare Medieval Sanskrit Manuscripts scattered in Newār Settlements in Rural Kathmandu and Hill Areas in Nepal.

Nepal has a rich tradition of manuscript production, especially from the Nepalese Middle Ages (12th to 18th century). These are mostly kept in private collections, where the c…

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Eap 1020

Preserving and Digitising The Endangered Manuscript in Kampar, Riau Province, Indonesia

The manuscripts in Kampar hold the knowledge of the ancient city, central to the trade between Indonesia and the rest of Asia. By preserving the manuscripts, the history of th…

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Eap 1017

Manuscripts and Archival Documents of Russian Old Believers Skrytniks (Escapists) in the Russian Academy of Sciences Library

The Skrytniks were a social group of Old Believers in opposition to the Russian government. This community was rarely in contact with the outside world, and little was known a…

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EAP1016 6 1 2 image 4

Lama Mani: the texts and narrative thangkas of India’s exiled Tibetan storytellers

The Lama Mani performers allowed the population to learn about central Buddhist principles. However, the practice is almost extinct. Locating and digitising the Lama Mani text…

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EAP1014 resized 1

Preservation and digitization of Zoroastrian historical documents and Avestan manuscripts

After a major migration to India, the Zoroastrian community is a minority in Iran. Documents of the community are spread and sometimes forgotten in private collections. After …

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EAP1013 1 4 SEGMENT

Digitisation of Wills, Deed Books and Powers of Attorney for St Vincent, 1785-1865

In the 18th and 19th Century, the islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines produced large amounts of coffee and sugar, which enriched British imperial coffers. The digitisatio…

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Eap 1005

Continuing the Digitisation of the Endangered Cham Manuscripts in Vietnam

The Champa kingdom lasted from the 7th Century to 1832, when it became part of Vietnam. Today, there are only 160,000 Cham people. Although their unique culture can still be s…

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EAP0993 Project photo 0

Preserving Endangered Manuscript Libraries in Djerba, Tunisia: the al-Basi Family Library Project

The El Basi mosque housed a collection of 200 bound volumes, used by students and scholars since the late 18th century. After the mosque was shut down in the early 20th Centur…

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Eap 990

Complex archeographic research of old believers communities in Kostroma region: search, digitization and archiving of early Cyrillic books and manuscripts

The Cyrillic books and manuscripts of Old Believers in the Kostroma region capture tradition and spiritual culture of the Russian Middle Ages and Modern Time. The digitisation…

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