May 2025
In a world where cultural heritage is increasingly under threat, the Asian Classics Preservation Project continues to stand as a beacon of dedication to the safeguarding of ancient knowledge. Established decades ago with visionary intent, the project remains one of the foremost initiatives focused on preserving the classical literature of ancient Asia—particularly the vast Tibetan and Sanskrit traditions.
Back in its early stages, an agreement was forged with the Russian Academy of Sciences to create a joint catalog of the extensive Tibetan manuscript collection housed at the Oriental Library of St. Petersburg. A parallel partnership was established with the University of St. Petersburg. Under the joint leadership of Dr. Lev Savitsky and Michael Roach—with active support from the input team led by Ven. Thupten Pelgye—this effort laid the foundation for a lasting academic collaboration between East and West.
During the same period, the Chemical Bank of New York, then the second-largest financial institution in the United States, donated a significant number of desktop computers to support data entry centers operated by staff of the Asian Classics Institute in India. This act of generosity enabled large-scale digitization efforts in the region.
The project also attracted major institutional support. It became one of the rare research initiatives to receive funding from the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities, acknowledging its cultural importance. Additionally, the Institute for the Advanced Studies of World Religions provided one of the project’s earliest grants, affirming the value of preserving ancient texts.
The vision for the project originated at Pyne Hall, within the Department of Classics at Princeton University. There, the idea was nurtured by then-chairman Professor Samuel D. Atkins (1911–2002), a noted expert in Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. He joined the advisory board, as did Professor William LaFleur (1936–2010) of UCLA, both bringing academic authority and support to the endeavor.
Among the most influential figures behind the project was the extraordinary scholar and teacher, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin (1921–2004). His spiritual guidance and literary expertise became central to the project’s mission and execution.
The founding team came together with a blend of academic, technical, and administrative skill: Michael Roach, a Princeton graduate and the project’s director; Dr. Robert Taylor from the U.S. Department of Transportation, serving as Assistant Director; John Malpas, the developer of early Tibetan input software; Steve Bruzgulis, inventor of the first Tibetan word processor; and Ven. Thupten Pelgye, managing overseas input centers. Technical expert Robert Chilton played a crucial role, particularly during the development of Unicode as a global standard for digital text representation.
Thanks to a grant from the Hewlett-Packard Foundation, the project established its first major data entry facility in the South Indian town of Bylakuppe—home to a large Tibetan refugee community and several monastic institutions.
Another milestone was achieved when the project secured licensing rights to the Tibetan and Sanskrit records of the U.S. Library of Congress. These records were transformed into a publicly accessible, searchable catalog. Project staff were even consulted on future acquisitions of Tibetan-language materials by the Library, contributing to the production of a curated list of 1,100 key titles for preservation.
Now, in 2025, the achievements of the Asian Classics Preservation Project remain deeply relevant. Its efforts not only preserved irreplaceable wisdom for future generations but also created a sustainable model of East-West collaboration in the digital age.
The vision conceived in university halls, supported by global partners, and executed with dedication across continents, continues to inspire the ongoing protection of the world’s literary and spiritual heritage.
Official Website – https://asianlegacylibrary.org/
