Preparing this book from cover to cover was a fascinating involvement for me. Between the covers, the EBS database has been programmatically transformed into print-ready format together with indexes. The development of the database proved far more challenging, particularly because the primary objectives were not just to collect and repackage data but also to provide value-added information. Many friends and professional colleagues encouraged me and stood by me throughout. Their names are too many to mention here.
I am grateful to the authors of the source books I used for descriptive data, vide Introduction and Appendix, and also to the authorities of the host libraries for providing access to their holdings, and to CRL South Asia Digital Library authority for enabling me to identify many of the resources represented in EBS.
I would like to express my gratitude to Asim Mukhopadhyay, Svagata Das, Paramita Goswami, Dila Chattopadhyay, Mitali Chattopadhyay, Santanu Mukherjee, Abhijit Bhattacharya, and others who helped me explore their library resources. It was through Zari Banerjee that I was able to negotiate with some remote libraries. She also dedicated considerable time to validating data for EBS. Linda Burke and Supratik Mukherji guided me in locating some library resources in the UK and Australia, respectively.
Ramaprasad Datta, Arun Ghosh, and Kashinath Chattopadhyay helped me sort out quite a few disputed issues. Deborah Abraham shared with me her critical views about the project design. Professor Alok Ray and Professor Sailo Ghosh offered valuable suggestions about organization and presentation of data. M.P. Maity compiled a useful list of vernacular libraries. Rana Chattopadhyay, Sujay Sengupta, Sandip Pal, and Niladri Sengupta extended their ready assistance whenever needed.
Occasional discussions with my wife, Geeti, helped my work, and so did her welcome cup of tea during long hours. Pritha, my daughter, has been a constant source of inspiration.
My thanks go to every one of them, and to my publisher.
Early Bengali Serials (Ebs) Is A Print Version of The Electronic Database Of An International Union Catalogue That Has Been Under Development For The Last Two Years. The Database Includes Over One Thousand Journals and Newspapers That Appeared During the Period 1818-1950. Each Title, With A Few Exceptions, Is Annotated with Bibliographic Description, Indicative Notes, Subject Keywords, And The Whereabouts Of Available Issues Tracked Down In Some Heritage Libraries In West Bengal And Other Parts Of India, And In Overseas Institutions As Well.
The database has been designed to provide researchers and scholars with useful information on the primary sources of literature published in Bengali language in India under colonial rule. They reflect the thoughts and ideas of the people interacting with their social, religious, cultural, economic and political environment in a significant period of Indian history. Bengal during this phase perfected her language, moulded a script, and excelled in literature and science. This happened to be the time of the Bengal Renaissance, and the time of negotiation with forces working against the emergence of a modern society. It was the time of India's struggle for freedom and transfer of power, which ended with the beginning of independent India.
The Database Content.
So far, bibliographers and researchers have found evidence of nearly 2900 titles brought out in pre-independent India. EBS captured one-third of those. The database has been developed with input from varied types of secondary sources both on-line and off-line, covering printed library catalogues, union lists, bibliographies, historical reference materials, and on-line union catalogues and library databases. To enhance data reliability, every description was cross-checked before being entered into the database and verified against authentic bibliographies. In some cases, original copies were physically inspected. These must have minimized chances of errors, but never guaranteed an error-free status of the database. As for the Holdings Data, EBS accepts the postings in source Library Catalogues and Union Lists as final, unless some anomalies surfaced in respect to volume designations and publication years.
Descriptive Data Sources
Fortunately, two comprehensive sets of carefully researched bibliographies are available today to provide exposure to the wide variety of early Bengali periodicals and dailies with every bit of information that the authors could unearth. Brajendranath Bandyopadhyay, the revered authority in this field, did the pioneering work. The two volumes he published under the title Bangla Samayik Patra covered the period 1818-1900. Gita Chattopadhyay, in pursuance of Brajendranath's project, recently completed three volumes of her bibliography, entitled Bangla Samayik Patrapanji spanning the years 1900-1947. Both works are similar in form, but different in methodology. Brajendranath largely relied upon the contemporary press reviews announcements, and other published sources for his findings. He found, in his time, that the majority of the early titles had been destroyed, being weather-beaten and neglected for years. Gita Chattopadhyay handled relatively recent titles, and therefore could depend more on physical verification of the documents stored in libraries in Calcutta and the vicinity. She took pains to relate, wherever possible, the descriptions of the publications in detail, citing her sources at the end of each record. These two formidable works together served as the foundation for developing EBS, and will do so in future for all other investigative studies relating to the legacy of serials in the Bengali language.
There are, however, other secondary and tertiary sources. Many are cited by Gita Chattopadhyay in her book and by Pradip Choudhury in his bibliography on printing and publishing in Bengal during the last two centuries, contributed in Dui shataker bamla mudran o prakashan, edited by Chittaranjan Bandyopadhyay. The documentary sources found particularly useful in developing EBS have been enumerated under the heading 'Reference Sources'. See Appendix.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist