Jain ELibrary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, focusing on the "Jain eLibrary" project:

The Jain eLibrary, launched by the Education Committee of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), is a non-commercial initiative aimed at preserving, protecting, and disseminating ancient and contemporary Jain literature. The project converts Jain literature into digital eBook (PDF) format and makes it accessible through a dedicated website, targeting individuals interested in the Jain religion and philosophy.

The inspiration for the eLibrary came from a comment by Professor Nalini Balbir in 1993, who suggested that easy access to Jain literature could foster greater interest and advanced study among Western students. The advent of the World Wide Web, Internet, and email made the realization of this project possible.

The process of creating the eLibrary involves identifying suitable books in consultation with academics and learned Jain monks from various sects. For copyrighted materials, permissions are obtained from authors and/or publishers. Books are then acquired from libraries, scanned at high resolution, processed into PDF files, uploaded to the website, and cataloged in a master database with quality control measures in place. The project has successfully established a system for a scanning company in India to obtain the necessary books, with cooperation from Jain monks, Acharyas, and community leaders. The non-commercial nature of the website has fostered trust and support from various institutions.

Launched in December 2008, the Jain eLibrary has received a very positive and encouraging response. Jain scholars and community leaders from different sects have expressed appreciation, and academic scholars have provided positive feedback and suggestions for future development. In its first month of operation (January 2009), the website saw 1,048 unique visitors and 1,348 total visits, with a significant portion of visitors spending considerable time on the site and downloading a substantial amount of data.

The future plans for the eLibrary include converting 5,000 to 7,000 ancient and contemporary Jain texts into eBooks over the next five years. They also intend to create a separate database for Jain articles published in journals but not yet in books. Furthermore, the project aims to enhance its search engine to improve accessibility for scholars and interested parties. The overarching goal is to provide free access to Jain literature for anyone seeking to study Jainism.

The project is spearheaded by Pravin K. Shah, Chair of the Education Committee for JAINA, a retired electrical engineer from IBM. Under his leadership, the Education Committee has also published 12 books for Jain Sunday Schools in North America, serving a growing student population. The eLibrary headquarters is housed at the author's residence, with over 4,000 books stored there.

The website is funded by contributions from the Jain community and others, and no commercial use of the material is permitted. The project prioritizes the spread of the Jain message of non-violence globally in a non-commercial manner. For any suggestions, comments, or concerns regarding copyrighted material, users are encouraged to contact the committee via email or phone.