Textual Digitisation and Repatriation in South Asia – APIP 2022

Digitisation plays a significant role in the way that researchers and archivists interact with texts, but what does this mean for language and heritage communities? How can textual digitisation support co-creative partnerships and respond to issues of access and privilege?

The ANUBhasha Project Textual Digitisation and Repatriation explores what digitisation means across a range of South Asian textual traditions and asks what needs to be understood before respectful exchanges of knowledge can take place between researchers and communities. Through a series of conversations with researchers, archivists, curators, and practitioners, we forge connections between the needs of diverse South Asian heritage communities, the technologies and pressures involved in digital repatriation, and the contribution of scholars to an open sharing of knowledge. From podcast series to collaborative workshops, Textual Digitisation and Repatriation identifies scenarios and use-cases that demonstrate the potential impact of digital repatriation endeavours and establish a functional model for this work to be put into practice.

This project was made possible through the receipt of an Asia-Pacific Innovation Project Award (2021-2022) from the College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU. We thank our colleagues for their encouragement and gratefully acknowledge all participants in this project.