In 2006 as Mr. Usman Rizvi sat in his small book shop outside the shrine of Ali al-Hujwiri (d. 1077) (also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh), a scholar from Harvard University, Shahab Ahmed (1966-2015) approached him for help finding research materials. What began as a small collaborative effort to collect rare and at-risk books to support Dr. Ahmed's research soon grew into a collection of 20,000 books in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Punjabi, and Saraiki from the late colonial period. After the untimely passing of Dr. Ahmed in 2015, Mr. Rizvi sought ways to share the collection with scholars worldwide and create a lasting tribute to his mentor, scholar, and friend.

After participating in a metadata creation workshop sponsored by AIPS (American Institute of Pakistan Studies) in 2017, Mr. Rizvi began facilitating the training of a team of local Pakistanis who worked with library staff at universities in the U.S. to help ensure that metadata creation and digitization would be at the highest level. 

Kālāpan, meaning darkness/blackness, highlights the precariousness of much of the Global South's literary, religious, cultural, and historical heritage. We preserve, digitize, and provide access to these at-risk and often hidden collections to institutions and scholars around the world. The name "Kālāpan" honors the company's origins outside the shrine of al-Hujwiri, whose renowned Persian work Kashf al-Maḥjūb translates to "The Unveiling of the Veiled". In this spirit, Kālāpan is dedicated to unveiling and making these invaluable collections accessible to the global community.

The vision of Kālāpan is not only to preserve endangered materials and make hidden knowledge accessible to researchers throughout the world, but to create a model for collection development where local custodians continue to play the leading role in providing access to their collections.

Upon completing the digitization and metadata work for our initial collection, the team at Kālāpan is now releasing our first web module focused on Islamic Studies. On behalf of the entire team at Kālāpan, we are pleased to launch the first of many planned modules to provide researchers reliable access to some of the rarest materials from South Asia and beyond.

The Kālāpan Digital Library is the result of the unwavering dedication and expertise of a passionate team of scholars, librarians, and technologists. Our Pakistan-based team is led by Mr. Usman Rizvi in Lahore, Pakistan, and our US operations are led by Ms. Fateemah Faiq and her California-based team.

Kālāpan uplifts local Pakistani artisans in the book industry and gives them the opportunity to participate in our mission. From bookbinders to developers, Kālāpan is supported by a wide range of local talent.