Dear Patricia and Indologists,

The archives in Kathmandu are notoriously slow, especially post-COVID. I have had the most success when I physically visit the Archives myself (or have a friend do so on my behalf if I am outside of Nepal). However, the prices are still quite high for digital copies and the turnaround can take weeks or months.

It seems that many of my friends are not aware of this, but nearly the entire NGMPP/NGMCP collection is accessible through the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin -- and with faster turnaround and cheaper prices, no less! They even have some of the X series microfilms that are not available in Kathmandu. What's more, you can promptly order digital copies online without having to visit the library.

To request a digital copy of an NGMCP microfilm through the Berlin Library, follow this protocol: 
  1. Find the NGMCP microfilm number using the online catalogues here: https://catalogue.ngmcp.uni-hamburg.de//content/index.xml
  2. Visit the "Imaging and Duplication Services" page of the Berlin Library website and click "Ordering a Digital Copy": https://staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/en/service/imaging-and-duplication-services
  3. It will take you to this form, which you must fill out by clearly indicating that the text is an NGMCP microfilm and providing the microfilm number: https://webshop.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/english/sbb_enquiry/request/
          - For "Shelfmark" I usually write "NGMCP microfilm no. ------"
          - For "Sum of Pages" put the folio count provided in the catalogue
          - Be sure to set the "Fee Level" to "Scans of Microfilms"
  4. In a few days, a librarian will reach out to you with the official cost of the digital copy and will ask you to log into the library's online portal to pay the fee (once you create an account, the invoice will already be in your "Shopping Cart" so you just have to click "Checkout"). 
  5. Once the fee is paid, the librarians will promptly prepare a digital copy (usually within days; weeks at maximum)
  6. When your digital copy is ready you will get an email notification informing you that you can access and download the document by logging into the library's online portal (where you paid for the invoice)
Enjoy :)

Sincerely,

Westin Harris
Ph.D. Candidate
Study of Religion 
University of California, Davis
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies

Sarva Mangalam.


On Sun, Dec 29, 2024 at 5:48 AM Patricia SAUTHOFF <sauthoff@hkbu.edu.hk> wrote:
The Nepal archives uses W for Newari. I assume NGMCP uses the same format. 

On a related note, if anyone has any advice on accessing the archives in Kathmandu I would appreciate it. I’ve emailed them about 4 manuscripts in the collection which have been digitized but haven’t hear back about gaining access or digital copies. 

Patricia Sauthoff
司徒 雛菊 
Assistant Professor
Department of History
Hong Kong Baptist University
From: INDOLOGY <indology-bounces@list.indology.info> on behalf of Westin Harris via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info>
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2024 9:57 AM
To: Harry Spier <vasishtha.spier@gmail.com>
Cc: indology@list.indology.info <indology@list.indology.info>
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] Abbreviations in NGMCP catalogue entries.
 
CAUTION! EXTERNAL EMAIL (not being sent from @hkbu email system): Do not click links, open attachments, or respond to it unless you trust the email source/verify the identity of the sender by other means.


 
Dear Harry and Indologists,

If it is in the context of the "scripts" category, then W refers to "Newari" script. However, in a previous thread we already established that "Newari" (along with Nepalaksara, etc.) comprises a range of different scripts (Bhujimol, Pracalit, etc.). 

I had a cheat sheet for abbreviations somewhere. I'll look for it and post it here unless someone gets to it before me. 

Happy holidays.

Sincerely,

Westin Harris
Ph.D. Candidate
Study of Religion 
University of California, Davis
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies

Sarva Mangalam.


On Sat, Dec 28, 2024 at 9:54 AM Harry Spier via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Dear list members,
What script does "W" stand for in NGMCP catalogue entries.
Is there a link to a page that lists the abbreviations used in NGMCP catalogue entries.

Thanks,
Harry Spier

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