the asian collections at the library of congress · reference librarians to answer research...

Sharing the Asian Treasures

The Asian Collections at the Library of Congress

The Asian DivisionJune 2019

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Presentation Notes


Introduction

» Asian Reading Room Provides public access to aroud 4 million physical

items in over 197 Asian languages Covers East, Northeast, Southeast and South Asia Researchers can use collection materials in print,

microform, and digital formats and confer with reference librarians to answer research questions

» Asian Division is a custodial division managing Asian collections and Asian Reading Room services


Asian Reading Room

Thomas Jefferson Bldg.LJ-150

Monday – Friday8:30 – 5:00

www.loc.gov/rr/asian

Using the Asian Reading Room www.loc.gov/item/webcast-8696/

http://www.loc.gov/rr/asian

http://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-8696/


Using reading room

Rare book policy

Fellowship

Databases

Research Guides

Digital Collections

Ask a Librarian

www.loc.gov/rr/asian/



Need help finding materials? Have a question about the Asian collections?

Submit your questions to Ask-a-Librarian on the Asian Reading Room website:


https://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-asian.html


Asian Collections in Other Divisions» Asia-related materials in other formats are housed

other divisions in the Library in collaboration with the Asian Division. These divisions are: Main reading room Law Library Geography and Map Division (G&M) Prints and Photographs Division (P&P) Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Division (MBRS) Music Division Manuscript Division (MSS)


International Divisions»The Asian Division, founded in 1928,

is one of four international divisions at the Library of Congress: African and Middle Eastern Division Asian Division European Division Hispanic Division


Asian Division Organization in 2019

Dongfang ShaoChief, Asian Division

Administrative Services):

Chandell Butler (Admin. Officer)Tien Doan (Special

Assistant to the Chief/AutomationOffice Coordinator)

Scholarly Services SectionHead: Qi Qiu Collection Services Section

Head: Sabrina Hsu

Ref. Specialists:Eiichi Ito

Sonya LeeSusan Meinheit

Yuwu SongJeffrey Wang

Ref. Librarians:Charlotte GilesJoshua Kueh

Jonathan LoarCameron Penwell

Technicians:Sayaka BerkleySatish BindraRuijing ChenRann Chrouk

Juli HanSe Ling Lin

Jianjing Zhang


Asian Collections Chinese Japanese Korean

(South and North) Mongolian - Tibetan South Asian Southeast Asian

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The Mongolian and Tibetan collections are grouped together because the Mongolian and the Tibetan scripts are both based on the Sogdian, ancient Iranian, alphabet. This alphabet was used extensively in central Asia from 100 A.D. to 1,200 A.D.


The Beginning …

Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877)

Exchange of Publication Act, 1867.

LC Annual Report 1928, Appendix II, p. 271

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1865: The first Asian collection in the Library of Congress was the Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands collection acquired by Lt. Charles Wilkes in Singapore between 1838-42. It was given to the Library from the Smithsonian Institution.


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The accelerated growth of the library collections from South and Southeast Asia since the 1960s resulted from the establishment of the Library’s overseas offices in New Delhi, Jakarta, and Islamabad. In addition to these offices in Asia, LC’s Overseas Operations Division also operates offices in Cairo, Nairobi, and Rio de Janeiro.


Size of Asian CollectionsAD Collection at the end of FY2018

MonographVolumes

JournalsTitles

InactiveJournals

MicrofilmReels

MicroficheSheets

JournalsIssues

China 1,188,624 6,104 10,826 22,313 4,661 210,392

Japan 1,221,185 8,039 9,451 14,721 21,828 119,118

Korea 324,254 2,367 5,598 5,200 345 102,219

Mongolia 11,637 78 99 168 3,919 1,961

South Asia 345,219 1,601 2,120 19,407 337,704 109,909

Southeast Asia 269,814 2,736 8,462 14,669 187,778 100,026

Tibet 13,836 59 37 823 14,763 605

Total 3,374,569 20,984 36,593 77,301 570,998 644,230

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FY 2018 Acquisition by Collection

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NEW Digital Collections

Chinese Rare Book Digital Collectionwww.loc.gov/collections/chinese-rare-books/



Japanese Censorship Collectionwww.loc.gov/collections/japanese-censorship-collection/



North Korean Serials Indexhttp://memory.loc.gov/diglib/asian/html/nksip/nksip-home.html


NEW Digital Item

Gandhara birch bark scroll (approx. 1st century BCE)View the scroll at: www.loc.gov/item/2018305008

The ancient kingdom of Gandhara(today’s Afghanistan and Pakistan)is the source for the oldest SouthAsian manuscripts in the world, aswell as the world’s oldest Buddhistmanuscripts. Only several hundredare known to scholars.

Acquired in 2003, the Library’sGandhara scroll roughly datesbetween the first century BCE andfirst century CE. This date meansthat the scroll comes from theheyday of Gandhara as a majorcenter of Buddhist art, architectureand learning. Its language isGandhari, a derivative of Sanskritin the Indo-Aryan branch oflanguages, and the script isKharoshthi, which is read right toleft and has its origins in Aramaic.


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The Chinese Collections» LC started the Chinese collections in the 1860s» The collection has since then grown to over 1,100,000 volumes as of 2016. » Special Collections

Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties (960-1911) editions (4,000 + titles)• Rare books• Local gazetteers• Buddhist Sutras

Yongle Encyclopedia (1562-1567) (41 volumes, cataloged and being digitized)

South Manchurian Railway Company Collections Gamble Collection Pre-1958 Collections (40,000 + titles) now searchable through LC

online catalog


The Chinese Herbal and Materia Medica (A 1655

edition)Gamble Collection

Special Collections

Greetings of the Chinese to the Americans


Chinese Electronic Resources


Crosby Stuart Noyes Kanichi Asakawa Shiho Sakanishi

1875

The Japanese Collection

19c

20c

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In 1875, the exchange of government publications began between the two countries. In 1905, a significant gift of 658 illustrated books was received from Crosby Stuart Noyes. In 1907, Dr. Kan’ichi Asakawa of Yale University was commissioned to purchase 9,072 rare books. Since 1930 when Dr. Shiho Sakanishi arrived at the Library as the first official Japanese librarian, a systematic effort has been made to expand the Japanese collection.


Japanese digital collectionfor example …

• Illustrated Tale of Genji (1654) and Tale of Genji manuscript book (ca. 17c).

• Japanese four rare books in the Digital Nara Ehon collection (Shizuka, Shigure, Soga monogatari, and Homyodoji).

• 2,000 prints from the Ukiyo-e collection from the Prints and Photographs collection.

• The complete set of 207 large-scale maps of Japanmade by Inoh Tadataka (1816-1819).

https://lccn.loc.gov/2004551302






http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Ukiyo-e

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g7960m+gct00032))


Japanese Censorship CollectionDigitized materials in the Japanese Censorship Collection are currently available for viewing onsite, with the collection’s public domain materials also accessible from offsite. The collection contains over 1,000 marked-up copies of government censored monographs and galley proofs from Japan’s imperial period, mainly from the 1920s and 1930s.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/japanese-censorship-collection/about-this-collection/


The Korean Collection

The Library began to collect the Korean materials in 1950 when the Korean War broke out .

The collection is now one of the largest and most comprehensive collection outside of East Asia.

As of today, the Library has over 317,350 volumes in the Korean language , as well as about 21,000 Japanese and 10,000 English language books on Korea with over 7600 periodical titles and 250 newspapers dating from the 1920s to the present.

It includes 550 rare titles (3,500 volumes) of rare books, many of which were obtained in the 1927.


The North Korean Collection

Contains the biggest collection of North Korean serials that disappeared during the Korean War (1950-1953).

The North Korean materials have been vital to scholars and government officials trying to understand policies related to North Korea.

Provides users with greater access to old and new North Korean materials in the same place.

There is a high demand from readers for access the Library’s North Korean collection.


Special Collections at the Korean Collection

NK Children’s Books

NK Serials


The Mongolian Collection

» The Mongolian Collection also began with gifts from William W. Rockhill in 1899.

» It contains many original blockprints and manuscripts acquired in the early 20th c.

» In 1992 the Library renewed efforts to acquire current publications. Currently the collection contains nearly 10,000 monograph volumes and 4,000 microfiche sheets.


Selected Samples in the Mongolian CollectionThe Sutra of the Great Liberation, 18th c.

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Mongolian translation of the “Sutra of the Great Liberation.” This sutra was the first Mongolian book acquired in the Asian Division, and was a gift from Hon. William Rockhill. Mongolia, 18th or 19th c.


The Tibetan Collection» The first Tibetan books arrived at the Library in 1899

as gifts from William W. Rockhill.» The rare collection now has 3,600 volumes, including

several sets of the Kanjur and Tanjur. » The Library’s Office in New Delhi began acquiring

Tibetan books in the 1960’s and currently acquires them from Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal.

» The cataloged collection, famous worldwide, has about 17,000 Tibetan volumes in both traditional and Western format.


Selected Samples in the Tibetan CollectionVajrapani Thang-ka – A unique form of Tibetan art

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Thang-ka is a painted cloth scroll featuring objects of worship framed in brocade for use as a support for meditation. This Than-ka depicts Vajrapani, a Bodhisattva who represents the power of all the Buddhas and who conquers all negativity. Above the main figure are past lamas who practiced the teaching tradition related to Vajrapani.


Selected Samples in the Tibetan Collection The Tibetan Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom, 18th century

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This illuninated manuscript in Tibetan is one of 12 volumes of a major Mahayana Buddhist scripture known as the Prajnaparamita Sutra in 100,000 verses. Introduced into Tibet from India around 750 AD, the Prajnaparamita literature forms a central part of the Tibetan philosophical tradition. On this particularly ornate volume, probably dating to the 18th century, the exterior sides are painted with religious symbols.


Tibetan Oral History and Archive Project (TOHAP)

» A digital archive of oral history interviews documenting the social and political history of modern Tibet

» Gift from Dr. Melvyn C. Goldstein » https://www.loc.gov/collections/tibe

tan-oral-history-project/about-this-collection/

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The archive consists of interview tapes in Tibetan, with English language transcripts.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/tibetan-oral-history-project/about-this-collection/


Naxi Manuscript Collection

3,342 manuscripts collected by Joseph Rock, Quentin Roosevelt II, and Virginia Harrison

Pictographic language of the Naxi people of Yunnan Acquired between 1920’s and 1940’s. 185 digitized at

http://international.loc.gov/intldl/naxihtml/naxihome.html


The South Asian Collection» 1904 = Start of collection with purchase of German

Indologist Albrecht Weber’s library

» Establishment of overseas offices in India (1962) and Pakistan (1965)

» Materials from 7 countries in 100+ languages As of 2016, approx. 309,000 monographic vols. 15% Hindi, 14% Urdu, 9% Bengali, 7% Tamil


Strengths of South Asia at LC

» Material in classical languages: Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit Manuscripts in South Asia rare books collection

» Vernacular language material, viz. books, journals, newspapers (after 1962) See research guide: www.loc.gov/rr/asian/saguide.html

» South Asia Literary Recordings Project See website: www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp/

» Databases and e-resources

http://www.loc.gov/rr/asian/saguide.html

http://www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp


South Asian rare book collection


Southeast Asia Collection• U.S. Naval Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842

Top five collections by size:• 1865: Books from the Malay world

became part of the first Asian collection in LC.

Indonesian52%

Thai20%

Vietnamese15%

Malaysian7%

Burmese6%• Establishment of Jakarta office:

Materials collected from mainland and insular SEA, via vendors, sub-offices in Bangkok, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur, and acquisition trips.

• At the end of FY2018• 269,814 monograph volumes• 2,736 serial titles

• Number of languages represented in the Southeast Asia Collection: 41 (11 countries)

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GENERAL STATEMENT: Representing a wide range of diverse cultures, religions and languages, modern Southeast Asia includes the nations of Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and East Timor. The Division’s holdings in the languages of the region include modern publications as well as rare, historical materials.


Mainland Southeast AsiaNumber of monographs(volumes)

Pre-1975 Vietnamese collection Burmese WW2 collectionThai manuscripts

Special collections: 0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

Thailand Vietnam Myanmar Laos Cambodia

Mainland

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WORLD WAR II RECORDS FROM BURMA: This unique collection consists of papers from the Burmese government during the country’s involvement in World War II. The records include public and private correspondence, financial/legal records and correspondences of police and military officials, newspaper clippings, and documents once held by the Burma Corporation Ltd. The collection also contains a large number of documents regarding the Indian Independence League (IIL)/ Indian National Army (INA), including a census and volunteer roles for the IIL. The documents are predominantly in English and Burmese but there are also documents in Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Japanese. A finding aid is available. Pre-1975 Vietnamese collection: The Southeast Asia Collection has over 1200 monograph and serial titles in Vietnamese that were published in Vietnam before the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. These titles cover many subject areas, including history and politics, which are now out-of-print or banned in Vietnam. This collection can be useful to researchers who want to learn about scholarship in Vietnam during the war. Thai manuscripts: We also have a collection of Thai manuscripts in book, palm-leaf and accordion forms. Shown is the typescript rebuttal to the story of The King and I, which portrayed the beloved King Mongkut as weak and easily manipulated. The typescript was written in 1948 by well-known Thai intellectuals Seni and Kukrit Pramoj, who gave it to the American politician and diplomat Abbot Low Moffat, who in turn donated it to the Library of Congress in 1961.


Insular Southeast AsiaNumber of monographs(volumes)

Inscribed bamboo Balinese lontars Farquhar Letters

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Brunei Timor Leste

Insular

Special collections:

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INSCRIBED BAMBOO FROM THE PHILIPPINES: These specimens of Filipino writing in old Indic script, which are similar to ancient scripts used in neighboring Indonesia, were acquired on the island of Mindoro around 1938. The collection has 55 bamboo tubes in prose and 22 in verse and they provide a glimpse into Mangyan and Tagbanua society. Many of the manuscript reflect indigenous traditions that remained with the Mangyan because of their relative isolation. The Tagbanua manuscripts are cylindrical, while the Mangyan are often semicylindrical. BALINESE LONTARS: The Balinese lontar collection was acquired by the Library of Congress in 2001. The total collection received by the Library was approximately 544 items and the subject matter varies widely, including poetry, medicine, and stories, such as the image above which is the story of Arabian Nights. The collection also included artifacts such as masks, wood carvings, daggers, etc… FARQUHAR CORRESPONDENCE COLLECTION: One of the crown jewels of the Southeast Asia Rare Collection is a collection of correspondence between rulers of the Malacca, Penang, Selangor, and Trengganu states and the First British Resident-Commandant of Singapore, Major-General William Farquhar in the early 19th century Singapore Settlement. Though one might expect these letters to only be concerned with diplomacy and economic relations; other topics such as friendship abound (i.e. the rulers and Farquhar had cultivated an amicable relationship between 1819-1823 when Farquhar assisted in the transformation of Singapore from a small fishing village to the wealthiest trading post in all of Southeast Asia).

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