My friend John got his Master's in Library Technology. You would think that studying something like that would be boring and mundane, but he shared an article, or obituary, with me that was published in The Economist that was not only relevant to both our vested interest in Tibetans, but also an interesting perspective of Library Technology.
Gene Smith, librarian and Tibetologist dies on December 16th, Age 74
I had never heard of Gene Smith unfortunately until after his death. He was devoted to the Tibetan cause from the beginning. He traveled to India in search of rare and sacred Tibetan texts. In his endeavors, he found it a challenge to be successful. Tibetan libraries were destroyed and ransacked by the Chinese occupiers starting in 1959- even the carved wood blocks to print the books were destroyed. For more than 50 years, Gene Smith devoted himself to rebuilding Tibetan literature by not only reprinting the books monasteries coveted, but electronically organizing them. Because of him, you can see Tibetan Monks with flash drives around their necks opening the appropriate passages faster than ever.
Many people look down on introducing the modern world to ancient cultures like the Tibetan one. People have a certain idea of what Tibetan Buddhism is and what it should always be, when in reality, the Dalai Lama encourages entering the modern world. He practices what he preaches by being on Twitter and Facebook. Tibetan Buddhists have always struggled with entering the modern world and maintaining tradition. Many religions and cultures have struggled with this over the years, but some would say that the only way to grow and to survive is to keep up with the rest of the world.
What Smith really did was help Tibetans keep up with the times and allow them to access their texts more easily, giving them a more efficient means to promote and practice their sacred religion. To the outsider this seems so basic, but it makes the biggest difference for a group of people that have lost almost everything.
It's outsiders like Smith who make a difference in struggling people's lives- giving them the opportunity to communicate more easily with followers and even larger publics.
Gene Smith, librarian and Tibetologist dies on December 16th, Age 74
I had never heard of Gene Smith unfortunately until after his death. He was devoted to the Tibetan cause from the beginning. He traveled to India in search of rare and sacred Tibetan texts. In his endeavors, he found it a challenge to be successful. Tibetan libraries were destroyed and ransacked by the Chinese occupiers starting in 1959- even the carved wood blocks to print the books were destroyed. For more than 50 years, Gene Smith devoted himself to rebuilding Tibetan literature by not only reprinting the books monasteries coveted, but electronically organizing them. Because of him, you can see Tibetan Monks with flash drives around their necks opening the appropriate passages faster than ever.
Many people look down on introducing the modern world to ancient cultures like the Tibetan one. People have a certain idea of what Tibetan Buddhism is and what it should always be, when in reality, the Dalai Lama encourages entering the modern world. He practices what he preaches by being on Twitter and Facebook. Tibetan Buddhists have always struggled with entering the modern world and maintaining tradition. Many religions and cultures have struggled with this over the years, but some would say that the only way to grow and to survive is to keep up with the rest of the world.
What Smith really did was help Tibetans keep up with the times and allow them to access their texts more easily, giving them a more efficient means to promote and practice their sacred religion. To the outsider this seems so basic, but it makes the biggest difference for a group of people that have lost almost everything.
It's outsiders like Smith who make a difference in struggling people's lives- giving them the opportunity to communicate more easily with followers and even larger publics.
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