Roja Muthiah Research Library

Adopt a book

By Adopting a Book, you make a contribution that will help us digitise the book at high standards and physically conserve it using internationally accepted methods, namely de-acidification and strengthening using Japanese tissue paper. The book will also be placed in a non-acidic paper jacket.

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Preserving the Print Heritage of Tamil Nadu

Roja Muthiah Research Library

The Roja Muthiah Research Library (RMRL) was founded in 1994 to preserve, catalogue, and expand the collection of Roja Muthiah, a private collector who put together one of the world’s finest private libraries of Tamil publications during his lifetime. Located in Chennai, RMRL currently houses one of the most unique collections of Tamil imprints in South Asia. Some of the publications date from the latter part of the eighteenth century. With a collection of 4,00,000 items, RMRL provides research materials and facilities for research scholars of Tamil studies in a variety of fields spanning the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most of the publications date from the latter half of the nineteenth and the twentieth century.

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Collection

RMRL has a vast collection that reflects Tamil print heritage and culture. Spanning a period of 200 years, the collection of more than 3,00,000 items comprising of books, journals, newspapers, printed ephemera and audio records. The earliest title is a book ‘Akkiyanam’ (அக்கியானம்) published in 1713.

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Centre for Cataloguing and Preservation

Reference Services

The OPAC system in the A. K. Ramanujam Reading Room is available to scholars searching for information and also for printing. A nominal charge is levied for printing services.


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Documentation

RMRL has been documenting all available and accessible Tamil resources including the RMRL collection. MARC21 format is used for cataloguing.


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Preservation

A crucial element of RMRL’s vision is the preservation of its collection for posterity. One of the main aspects that RMRL concentrates on is preserving existing material in alternate formats.


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Indus Research Centre

A research hub facilitating scholars of Harappan studies with material and facilities which include concordance, text, sign list and tables

Centre for Study in Public Sphere

CSPS explores the contemporary aspects of culture and modernity that captures the key nodal moments in which Tamil Nadu took a turn for the better in order to retain its unique language, culture and civilizational norms.