Problem dostupnosti orijentalnih rukopisa u Sjevernoj Makedoniji: trenutno stanje i mogući pristupi njegovom rješavanju
Accessibility of Oriental Manuscripts in North Macedonia: Current State of Affairs and Possible Solutions to the Problem

Summary/Abstract: The Oriental manuscripts, which are an integral part of the holdings of many museums, libraries and archives, are subject of various types of research and, on a world level, represent a still insufficiently used source for the study of the rich Islamic heritage. Therefore, assuring their accessibility by means of a good quality catalog which enables adequate communication with the fund as well as by their transfer to another medium such as digital, is an important prerequisite for their unhindered study. The digitization of the manuscripts as a form of their protection but also as means of their remote access undoubtedly represents a significant characteristic of the modern management of the manuscript collections.The National and University Library “St. Clement of Ohrid” in Skopje holds the largest collection of the Oriental manuscripts in North Macedonia. It consists of aproximately 3800 manuscripts in Arabic, Ottoman Turkish and Persian languages. Smaller collections of the Oriental manuscripts can be found in various libraries, regional archives and museums. The paper aims to provide a brief overview of the current state of cataloging and digitization of the Oriental manuscripts in the National and University Library as well as in five archival and museology institutions which were subject of research in the past two years. It also touches on some of the results of the interinstitutional cooperation aimed at the Oriental manuscripts. The paper points to the main obstacle that stands in the way of a more efficient cataloging of the Oriental manuscripts and old books, and stresses the need for local and regional collaborative network of Orientalists and closer regional cooperation and coordination, especially when it comes to cataloguing of the Oriental materials in COBISS.

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