The University of Toronto Scarborough Library was awarded funding from Council on Library & Information Resources for a major digitization project. “Unlocking Tamil Historical Archives: Digital Access and Contextualization of the S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Fonds” project received over $264,000 in funding. This two-year project aims to digitize and describe/contextualize (in both Tamil and English) the S.J.V. Chelvanayakam fonds (and related fonds) held at the University of Toronto Scarborough Library.
“Digitization allows us to connect collections to a global diaspora, extending their reach far beyond the limits of the physical archive. When paired with multilingual metadata, we are not just describing materials—we are activating them for a broader community of users. This work complements our efforts to preserve precious originals while ensuring that high-quality, accessible information can shape how communities understand themselves, their histories, and their futures.” said Kirsta Stapelfeldt (Project Lead, Associate Librarian Research & Digital Initiatives).
The fonds contains rare documentary evidence of the disastrous effects of the Sinhala-only act, Ceylon Citizenship act, land colonization schemes, and police oppression in Sri Lanka over the 20th Century. It is an honour for U of T Scarborough Library to house these collections and for the library archives to be able to share with the community. With this funding, we can ensure these historic documents are available for years to come.
“The Chelvanayakam and A.J. Wilson fonds remain the most accessed and requested materials held at the UTSC archives, attracting visitors from around the world. Allowing this new level of digital access will only grow the reach and use of these materials by global scholars.” said John Yolkowski (Archivist).
Once the fonds are digitized, they’ll be accessible through the library’s digital collection, allowing for more people to learn and access these incredible pieces of history.