Housed in the libraries of some 2,800 Buddhist monasteries (wats) scattered all over Laos are priceless collections of palm leaf manuscripts, some of which date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. These manuscripts comprise not only religious texts but also a range of other popular, learned and literary writings including works on history, traditional law and customs, astrology, magic, mythology and rituals, traditional medicine and healing, grammar and lexicography, as well as poetry and a very large number of epic stories and folk tales. Many of these works are not known outside Laos and still await systematic study by the scientific community. Only a very few have been edited properly or translated into a western language. In addition to works written in Lao, there are also many important manuscripts written in Pali, the sacred language of Therevada Buddhism. Handed down through continuous copying and traditionally stored in wooden caskets, tens of thousands of invaluable manuscripts have run into danger of destruction over the last few decades. The Preservation of Lao Manuscripts Programme (PLMP) was launched in 1992 as a Lao-German co-operation project with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its objectives were: (i) through the use of traditional and modern techniques to help the Lao government to physically preserve its national literary heritage, which has been handed down through the centuries in the form of palm leaf and sa paper manuscripts kept at monastic, public and private libraries; (ii) to revitalise public awareness about the value of traditional literature and provide the know-how to maintain and safeguard these manuscripts; and (iii) to guide and assist in the creation of scientific and technical tools such as databases, study materials, text books and specialised computer software, as well as developing the academic and human resources needed to utilise the manuscripts for teaching and research purposes in the field of traditional Lao language and literature at institutions of higher learning. Project activities have focused on the task of preserving manuscripts. Since the inception of the project, the manuscript holdings of some 830 selected Buddhist monasteries in 12 out of 18 provinces - a total of around 480,000 palm leaf fascicles (phuuk), including some 8,000 sa paper manuscripts - have been cleaned and reassembled on site by a four-member mobile preservation team supported by locally-recruited volunteers; bibliographical data is also collected for inputting into a computerised database. Damaged documents are restored and repaired where necessary and feasible and then stored in an appropriate way, ie safe from termites, rodents and mould. PLMP responds directly to local needs; though considered sacred by Lao Buddhists and generally highly revered, innumerable palm leaf manuscripts have been lost due to a combination of unfavourable circumstances during decades of constant war, economic hardship and internal insecurity. Joining in the task of safeguarding endangered scriptures can thus be seen as tantamount to prolonging the life of the Buddhist religion, a highly meritorious act. Consequently acceptance of the project and active participation of local people in the preservation work has been very high. Before starting the preservation work, ‘Orientation Workshops’ are held in order to demonstrate the importance of traditional literature and its relevance for the present and the future. Recognising and enhancing the role of the Buddhist monasteries and communities as active guardians of the Lao literary heritage and traditional knowledge, the project is devised as a multiplying agent by providing for self-help; while participating in preservation work, local people are instructed and trained in basic methodology for preserving manuscripts so that they in turn can advise and help other wats not covered by PLMP to preserve their manuscript holdings. Linked up to a centralised computer database, Buddhist monasteries are becoming part of a nationwide network of important libraries, thus helping to bridge the gap between traditional and modern educational institutions. Of the 480,000 palm leaf fascicles restored through this project, some 54,018 rare and unique ones were selected and microfilmed on the spot. Some 1,006 rolls of microfilm have now been produced, and these are now stored at the National Library; many of the texts have been published in the National Library's annual Lao Literature Series and thrice-yearly project bulletin Khao Bailan. Subject to budget there are plans to produce romanised texts of rare palm leaf manuscripts. The project has contributed significantly to the reintroduction of Buddhist Studies, as well as to the study of the Pali language and traditional Lao literature in the curriculum of monks’ education; Buddhist institutions of higher learning in nine provinces have improved their teaching efficiency in the subjects of Buddhism, Lao and Pali language through financial assistance provided by the project. And international academic co-operation has been deepened and expanded through support provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Toyota Foundation. To date PLMP has achieved excellent results in all aspects of its work, however the Lao government recognises that its ultimate goal of effectively safeguarding traditional Lao literature for future generations can be achieved only if certain conditions are fulfilled. These include (i) institutionalisation of manuscript preservation and conservation within Lao governmental administration; (ii) continuous follow-up activities for manuscript holdings and microfilm storage and further enhancement of the use of copying of traditional manuscripts; and (iii) long term academic co-operation in order to help develop human resources in the field of Lao language, history and culture in Lao institutions of higher learning, including the education of Buddhist monks. These all continue to be important aspects of the project, now that it has been extended with government support.