Union Catalogue of Indonesian Manuscripts, Volume 4. National Library of Indonesia

This is the fourth volume of a union catalogue of Indonesian manuscripts, and describes holdings at the National Library of Indonesia. Earlier volumes in the series dealt with manuscripts at the Museum Sonobudoyo, Yogyakarta (volume 1); the Kraton Yogyakarta (volume 2) and the Faculty of Letters, University of Indonesia (volume 3). Volumes 5 and 6 will cover regional collections in West Java and South Sulawesi respectively.

The National Library of Indonesia was formally established in May 1980, bringing together several existing collections. The largest and most significant was that of the Central Museum (later National Museum), successor to the Batavian Society of the Arts and Sciences founded in 1778. Routine acquisition of manuscripts by the Society began in the mid-1840s, and over the following century a large collection was built up in many languages and scripts, and on materials as varied as bamboo, bark, palm leaf and paper. Some time after Indonesian independence the manuscripts became part of the Central Museum`s holdings. They were transferred to the new National Library of Indonesia building in 1989.

The National Library of Indonesia sought funding to preserve its collections, which had been subject to the effects of tropical humidity and insects. As a result between 1990 and 1996 a major microfilming project succeeded in having 4,621 or 47 per cent of the Library`s 9,870 manuscripts microfilmed, amounting to 70 per cent of the total number of pages.

This catalogue draws attention to the various important sub-collections of manuscripts at the National Library of Indonesia that have become less well known over time and to elucidate the collection as a whole including in particular the results of the microfilming project. While there are a number of earlier Dutch and Indonesian catalogues covering parts of the collection with varying degrees of comprehensiveness, there was seen to be a need for an overall guide for contemporary Indonesian and international use.

The catalogue provides details on each of the sub-collections. Some of these are based on language, for example the Arabic, Dutch, Javanese, Malay and Sundanese Collections. Others are the collections of individual scholars, including Brandes, Cohen Stuart and Pigeaud. While most of these sub-collections date from the colonial period, an interesting exception is the Abdurrhman Wahid Collection of Arabic script manuscripts presented to the National Library of Indonesia by the Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama in 1993. It is to be hoped that as President of Indonesia he will continue to show an active interest in the Library`s collections and services. Another exception is the New Manuscripts (Naskah Baru) Collection. Since the 1980s new acquisitions regardless of language and whether on paper, wood, palm leaf or other material have been placed in this collection.

After a brief description of each of the 17 sub-collections there is a listing of the manuscripts in each. This varies considerably in level of detail. Some entries are short, for example the Arabic Collection lists only an item number, transliterated title, number of pages and microfilm number. The reader is referred to the detailed catalogues of this collection published in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Almost half the entire manuscript collection is included in the Boxed Manuscripts category and these items generally have only very brief entries. For other sub-collections the description is more extensive covering such matters as language, script, size, material, and an analysis of the contents and peculiarities of the item. A number of previously listed manuscripts are now missing and this is indicated. For example 32 items from the main Javanese sub-collection are listed in this way. Several Arabic manuscripts are described as having been missing since the late nineteenth century!

Following the main descriptive section there are title indexes by language; a list of abbreviations and acronyms; a list of the Indonesian and overseas members of the project team which prepared the catalogue; a microfilm reel number index and a bibliography of other catalogues and related works. The indexes are accurate. However finding the appropriate description in the Boxed Manuscripts list is not always simple as it is not in strictly numerical order. For example Box 92 of Japanese maps on p. 386 follows Box 97, while Boxes 95-96 and 98 come after Box 101. While there are several interesting illustrations it is a pity that none are in colour apart from those on the covers.

This is an important work for scholars and librarians concerned with Indonesian manuscripts. As Dr Behrend points out further detailed guides to the sub-collections need to be produced. However the National Library of Indonesia and all involved deserve to be congratulated on this valuable single volume guide to the complexities of these rich manuscript holdings.                                                                                                                        

COPYRIGHT 2000 Cambridge University Press

Source: Journal of Southeast Asian Studies

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