Reading room and catalog
Cataloging public-domain books on Bengal, with notes on why each matters and on how to read colonial-era sources critically. Copies are hosted here or linked to the library that holds the scan.
Purpose
Why Waymark Project exists
Status. Waymark Project is an independent, volunteer-run project. Incorporation is in progress. It is not yet a registered nonprofit and has not applied for tax-exempt status. This page describes what the project does and how it is being set up. It is not a statement of tax status.
Purpose statement draft
Waymark Project is organized exclusively for educational purposes: to educate the public about the history, records and heritage of Bengal and Bangladesh by cataloging and freely sharing public-domain historical sources, and by publishing free guides that explain how to read and find them.
The final wording will be adopted in the articles of incorporation. This page will be updated to match it exactly.
Who benefits
Members of the public, students, researchers and families with roots in Bengal and Bangladesh. Everything the project offers is free to read, download and cite. There is no membership, login or fee.
Activities
What the project does
Each activity serves the educational purpose above and is open to the public.
Records guide and glossary
A free guide that explains what birth, ID and land records contain, which office holds them, and what old land and legal terms mean.
Explore
A district map, a short quiz that helps a reader find a family's district, and a timeline that gives historical context.
Family papers
A small part of the work: listing papers that families lend, and publishing only what the family approves, with a note on what the papers teach.
Scale and resources
- One volunteer runs the project. There are no paid staff.
- Time given: part-time volunteer effort. Hours will be recorded in the activity log from here on.
- Share of effort: all of the volunteer time goes to public education, meaning the reading room, catalog, guides and explore tools, and the care of family papers that families choose to share.
- Income: none. Hosting uses free services and a subdomain of the founder's own domain.
Governance
Organization and documents
Every item below is listed so a reviewer can see what exists and what does not. Nothing is shown as complete until it is.
ItemStatus
Legal nameto be set in the articles of incorporation
Working name and first programWaymark Project; Bengal Heritage Archive is its first program
State of incorporationMaryland (planned). Not yet filed
Date incorporatedNot yet
Employer identification number (EIN)Not yet obtained
Mailing addressto be added
Contactarchive@areebuzzaman.com
Founder and sole volunteerAreeb Uzzaman. See About
Board of directorsNot yet formed. The goal is at least three directors, most of them unrelated to the founder
Articles of incorporationIn preparation
BylawsIn preparation
Conflict-of-interest policyIn preparation. See the draft commitments below
IRS application for tax-exempt statusNot filed. Planned after the program has been running and the documents above are adopted
Annual filingsNone due yet
When a document is adopted, this table will link to a copy and show its date.
Commitments draft, to be adopted by the board
How the project will operate
No private benefit
No founder, director or volunteer will receive a personal financial benefit from the project's assets or activities. Any future pay would have to be reasonable for the work and approved by directors who have no stake in the decision.
Conflicts of interest
Directors and officers will disclose any personal interest in a decision and step out of it. The disclosures will be recorded in the minutes.
No political activity
The project does not support or oppose any candidate for public office and does not try to influence legislation.
Funding
The project has no income and does not ask for donations. It sells nothing. If it later accepts gifts, it will do so only after it is recognized as tax-exempt, and it will not describe any gift as tax-deductible before then.
Public disclosure
After tax-exempt recognition, the project will make its exemption application and its last three annual returns available on request and will post them here.
Privacy and takedown
No tracking, no cookies and no forms. Family papers are shared only with consent, and any item is removed on request. See Privacy and Standards.
Activity log
What has been done, with dates
One line is added each time the project publishes something for the public. Earlier dated fixes are in the corrections log.
- 24 Oct 2026. Site published at waymark.areebuzzaman.com with the catalog, reading room, explore tools, records guide and glossary.
- 24 Oct 2026. Forty public-domain books catalogued with notes, and hosted copies added for the catalog and the five Reading room works.
- 24 Oct 2026. Method, corrections log, standards and privacy note published.
- 24 Oct 2026. Records guide reframed to explain what family records contain and where official copies are held.