Preserve source, text, and evidence
Retain the original document and fonts as evidence. Create a Unicode transcription for discovery and reuse, and export a visual reference such as PDF when layout matters.
Record the source encoding, conversion date, tool version, reviewer, and known uncertainties alongside the files.
Validate with language-aware checks
Automated conversion should be followed by sampled comparison and, for important collections, review by a fluent Kannada reader. Search for expected names and phrases, inspect conjuncts, and compare document counts and paragraph boundaries.
Why open access matters
Kannada knowledge should remain available to students, researchers, publishers, and families without requiring obsolete software. Unicode conversion turns isolated files into searchable cultural material that modern systems can continue to carry.