Dear Friends,
I am wondering what is the point of the IGNCA, at least concerning their collecting copies of manuscripts of which they don't give copies without the permission of the libraries owning the originals. Why do I ask this provocative question ? Because I am looking, for months now, to solve the following problem : how can I get copies of manuscripts kept in the Varanasi Saraswati Bhawan Library without going on the spot (which, by the way, could be completely useless, as I learned from my own experience and from testimonies of others) ? That is the reason why I wrote to the IGNCA and received kind answers, specifying that they have copies of many of the manuscripts I am looking for. But, adding that I must obtain permission from the authorities of the VSBL, without giving me an address where to write. And there is the problem : the IGNCA doesn't have that information, hence my initial provocative question. Shouldn't the IGNCA - to be useful - also give the addresses where to write, or the alternative : shouldn't the IGNCA provide the copies without asking the owners' approval ?
Of course, I have tried before to write to the VSBL, with the help of a member of this list - I thank him warmly - with no avail. Nobody answers. Does anybody know how to get in touch with the VSBL, and obtain permission to get copies of the manuscripts they entrusted to the IGNCA ? After all, it is, for the VSBL, not such hard work. I think an answer by Email will be sufficient for the IGNCA.
Kind regards,
Jean Michel Delire