Urdu Wikisource Launched: Free Digital Library of Urdu Texts
Why in the news
A new online library for Urdu literature was opened by the Punjabi Wikimedians User Group. It aims to protect South Asian literary heritage and give the public worldwide access to rare Urdu writing.
Key facts
- Urdu Wikisource is a Wikimedia Foundation sub-project that serves as a library of free-content texts.
- It is community-driven: users can digitise, proofread and categorise material.
- International partnerships jump-started the content.
| Partner | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Rekhta Foundation | 10 rare Urdu texts |
| The British Library | 7 rare historical texts from the “Two Centuries of Indian Print” project |
Background
- Wikipedia is an encyclopedia that summarises (secondary source); Wikisource stores the original books and documents (primary source).
- Two Centuries of Indian Print: international effort (2016-2022) to digitise rare South Asian printed books held by the British Library, covering 1713 to 1914.
- Open access keeps literature free of paywalls so researchers and students can download, search and quote it.
Exam angle
- Launcher: Punjabi Wikimedians User Group; umbrella body: Wikimedia Foundation.
- Partners: Rekhta Foundation (10 texts), British Library (7 texts).
- Useful for heritage and digital initiative questions in UPSC, state PSC and SSC.