Over 15L rare records to be mended using Japanese tech

CHENNAI: To preserve rare, historical documents, the Tamil Nadu Archives has decided to use an innovative Japanese tissue lamination method that is water and fade-resistant to mend and protect more than 15 lakh old documents.

The century-old Archives section, which functions under the Higher Education Department, has more than 40 crore records, of which 1.6 crore have been digitized already and more are under way. However, some of the very old records, including old settlement registers and Inam fair register, should be preserved in the physical form so that research scholars could access them in their original condition, said a senior official.

The old records deteriorate due to various factors, including microorganisms like fungi, and also insects. To arrest this and preserve the rare documents, it was decided to use the Japanese technology, he added.

Explaining the lamination process, the official said Japanese tissue lamination is a heated bonding process that helps make paper objects stronger as well as water and fade-resistant. The Japanese tissue is a thin, strong paper of varying thickness and colours made from vegetable fibres.

“The record objects that are in paper form will be sandwiched between two sheets of the tissue by the application of a paste. The tissue is used for a variety of mending tasks, including repairing tears, mending book hinges, and reinforcing the folds of signatures,” he said, adding that the tissue that closely matches the colour of the paper to be preserved would be chosen for this.

The State government has allocated Rs 10 crore to procure the lamination technology, and the work is expected to start in a couple of months once the equipment reached Tamil Nadu, the official said.