My GLAM Journey in Rajshahi Public Library, Bangladesh

Rajshahi Public Library, Bangladesh, established in 1884, is one of the oldest libraries in Bangladesh. Over more than a century, it has collected a wide range of books. When we opened the first old books in Rajshahi Public Library for GLAM project, it was clear that numerous books were at least a century old. That was when we realized this is the best place for GLAM.

The challenge was to preserve these works without harming the original books and to make their knowledge available beyond the walls of the library. This idea led to the Wikimedia GLAM Project at Rajshahi Public Library, where I joined as a Wikimedian in Residence. The project aims to identify public domain books, digitise them carefully, and make them available through Wikimedia projects, including Wikimedia Commons and Bengali Wikisource.

The possibility of starting a GLAM project at Rajshahi Public Library was explored on 29 April 2026, when members of the Wikimedia Bangladesh visited the library. The visiting delegation comprised Masum-Al-Hasan Rocky, Program Coordinator of GLAM in Bangladesh, Manik, Assistant Coordinator of the Rajshahi Wikimedia Community, and myself . We discussed the library’s collection, preservation needs, and the possibilities of digitising suitable books. On 30 April 2026, a meeting was held between representatives of the Wikimedia Bangladesh and the library’s authorities regarding the proposed collaboration. After reviewing the plan, the library authority provided permission to begin the GLAM project on 2 May 2026. The first scanning work started on 6 May 2026. Using a CZUR ET25 Pro scanner, I scan selected books and process the images using my personal laptop before preparing them for upload.

Each file requires careful attention to page order, image quality, metadata, and copyright information. The digitisation process requires much more than simply scanning pages. Before a book is selected, it must be examined carefully. We check whether the book is suitable for scanning and whether it can be confirmed as being in the public domain. Between 6 May and 31 July 2026, we scanned more than 20,000 pages from around 100 books. These books have been uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and are being prepared for proofreading on Wikisource.

Through Wikisource, volunteers can convert scanned pages into Unicode text, correct errors, and make the books readable.

The most difficult part of this work is not operating the scanner. It is deciding when a book should not be scanned. Many books in the library are very old and have suffered from years of deterioration. Some have been damaged by insects. Others have lost their first or last pages, which often contain important information such as the author’s name, publication year, and publisher. Without these details, confirming copyright status can become impossible. Some books are so fragile that turning the pages itself creates a risk of damage. In these situations, preservation must come before digitisation.

There are also books where previous repairs created new challenges. Some volumes were rebound in a way that covered parts of the printed text near the spine. Technically, removing the binding and scanning individual pages could solve the problem, but doing so could permanently damage already fragile books. For this reason, we follow a simple principle: a digitisation project should never harm the collection it is trying to preserve.

When scanning books, the airflow from a ceiling fan can sometimes cause the pages to move, resulting in blurred images. This is a significant challenge, especially in a tropical country like Bangladesh, where working without a fan during the hot season is extremely difficult. As a result, we have to scan books very carefully to ensure that the pages remain still and the images are not blurred.

The work at Rajshahi Public Library is still continuing. During the project, we have identified around 100 additional books that may be suitable for future digitisation. Our long-term goal is to preserve all eligible public domain books from the library’s collection and make them available through Wikimedia projects. However, the vision extends beyond a single institution. The experience gained from this project can help develop similar GLAM initiatives in other libraries across Bangladesh. Many libraries in the country hold rare collections that remain unknown to the wider world. By preserving these pages today, we help ensure that future generations can continue to read, learn, and discover the voices of the past.