Over years, former and current Research Librarians for Asian Studies have actively collected many autographed books, through mail requests or onsite solicitations, from well-known politicians, artists and novelists. Displayed in this case are some highlights.
The expansion of the UCI Libraries East Asian Collection depends on support from UCI’s East Asian studies faculty. Exemplar ambassador faculty of the Libraries, including but not limited to Professor Martin Huang for Chinese materials, Professor Susan Klein for Japanese materials and Professor Kyung Hyun Kim for Korean materials, provide recommendations for acquisition. Displayed in this case are just a few highlights.
“Books are for use” is the first law of the Five Laws of Library Science, which were proposed by S.R. Ranganathan, a mathematician and librarian from India. This section showcases scholarly publications by UCI East Asian studies faculty, as well as the UCI Libraries East Asian Collection materials that were used by scholars for their publications.
In addition to one-time gifts and grants from individuals and organizations, the East Asian Collection also benefits greatly from long-term partnerships with libraries, institutions and agencies from China, Japan and Korea.
The East Asian Collection has grown to its current size and diversity with the generous grants and gifts from foundations, corporations and individuals.
The year 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of UCI Libraries’ East Asian Collection - the largest collection of items related to China, Japan and Korea in Orange County. In East Asian culture, the thirty-year milestone denotes maturity and strength. From I-Ching to Manga: UCI’s East Asian Collection Celebrating 30 Years showcases the East Asian Collection’s evolution, vitality and expansion.
The growth of the UCI Libraries East Asian Collection expanded to include a range of formats, subjects, geographic areas and time periods. Over the years, with continued generous support from the UCI Libraries administration and UCI faculty and community partners, the collection acquired rich resources in modern East Asian literature and history and Chinese classics, including rare items for scholars around the world to use.
Established in 1990, the UC Irvine Libraries’ East Asian Collection serves the needs of the East Asian research and teaching community on campus. This includes faculty and students from the Departments of History, Art History, East Asian Studies, Comparative Literature, Film and Media Studies, Drama, Sociology, Political Science and Anthropology. The UCI Libraries East Asian Collection also serves affiliates of several academic centers, including the Center for Asian Studies, Long US-China Institute and Center for Critical Korean Studies.
