Collection Development Statement
East Asian Studies in Vernacular Languages
May 16, 1995
Revised: October 15, 1995
Written by:
Nelson Chou, Librarian, East Asian Library
Paul Schalow, co-chair, East Asian Library Advisory Committee
Richard V. Simmons, co-chair, East Asian Library Advisory Committee
A. SYSTEMWIDE SUBJECT OVERVIEW
A.1. Type and Level of Program Supported
New Brunswick:
PhD, MA in Comparative Literature
Graduate Certificate in Asian Studies
BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures
A.2. Selectors
Chinese: Nelson Chou (with faculty input)
Japanese: Ryoko Toyama (with faculty input)
Korean: at faculty request
A.3. Purpose:
Collection development is designed to support research and instruction in East Asian languages and literatures; primarily research and instruction in the interdisciplinary East Asian Languages and Cultures program, as well as research and instruction related to East Asia in the fields of Art History, History, Comparative Literature, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religion.
The Rutgers East Asian Library is committed to developing a collection supporting research and instruction in the traditional and modern canons of East Asian literature and history, especially China and Japan, and including both primary and major or significant secondary materials in the East Asian vernaculars. The collection development policy is informed both by research and instruction at the university as well as by the developing national and international standards of research in East Asian vernacular materials.
The East Asian Languages and Cultures Program offers undergraduate majors in Chinese and East Asian Languages and Area Studies, and undergraduate minors in Chinese and Japanese languages. These all require extensive instruction in Chinese and Japanese allowing students to develop in-depth mastery of the languages and an extensive knowledge of East Asian Culture. In addition, students are required to take courses related to East Asia in a broad spectrum of the humanities, including anthropology, art, economics. geography, history, literature, philosophy, political science, sociology, and religion. As much as possible, students are encouraged to utilize vernacular language materials in their work for these courses, although in fact the vast majority of their needs are satisfied by English language material.
As Rutgers is located in a major metropolitan area, many students who take these courses are of East Asian ethnic background and often have strong language capabilities. These students frequently avail themselves of vernacular language materials for their course work, such as senior research and term papers. In addition, there are graduate students who undertake dissertation research related to East Asia which may require the use of vernacular language materials.
In 1994, 11 majors graduated in East Asian studies; 3 students obtained a graduate certificate in Asian Studies in 1993.
The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures has a faculty of eight tenure-track members, five in Chinese and three in Japanese. Of these eight faculty members, five are already tenured. In addition, the Committee on Asian Studies numbers 39 faculty members, 27 of whom teach and do research pertaining to East Asia. Of these 27 faculty, 16 do research and instruction relating to China, and 10 do research relating to Japan, one does research in both languages. In addition, there are two instructors in Korean. These scholars and their students are the primary users of the East Asian Library.
A.4. Resource Sharing Arrangements or Limitations
No special arrangements, except through RLIN, at this time. The rich collections in the East Asian Libraries at Princeton and Columbia are readily available to students and faculty at Rutgers. Furthermore, negotiations to coordinate collection policy with Columbia and Princeton's East Asian Libraries are proposed for the future.
A.5. History
In New Brunswick, Chinese language and literature courses were introduced in 1966, though courses related to East Asia, for example Asian History and Politics, had already existed before that. Japanese language courses were initiated in 1978, and courses on Japanese literature were introduced in 1980. Korean language instruction was begun in 1992.
A.6. Location of Materials
Chinese, Japanese and other East Asian vernacular materials are housed in the East Asian Library, located on the second floor of the New Wing of Alexander Library in New Brunswick. The most recent count (June 1994) gives a total of 104,716 volumes (roughly 35,806 titles). There are 259 current serial subscriptions. The distribution by language is as follows: Chinese, 99,260 volumes; Japanese, 4,494; and Korean 926. Microfilm holdings are as follows: Chinese, 4,175 reels; Japanese, 820 reels, and Korean, 93 reels.
B. COLLECTING GUIDELINES
B.1. Language Guidelines
Only materials in the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean vernaculars are collected.
B.2. Chronological Guidelines
No restrictions.
B.3. Geographical Guidelines
All areas where vernacular materials are published, primarily China, Japan, and Taiwan.
B.4. Treatment of Subject
Primary sources:
The East Asian Library seeks to be comprehensive in its collection of primary works in the traditional Chinese and Japanese canons in all appropriate published formats. There is selective acquisition of current creative works. Works likely to be acquired include those works of literature that have been favorably reviewed in important journals, that have won literary awards, that are published by reputable publishers, or that have been written by artists of established reputation. Acquisition of other primary sources, such as facsimile editions of early editions or manuscripts, will be determined with regard to their historical status, their importance within the traditional canon, or based upon faculty need.
Secondary sources:
The East Asian Library also seeks to be as comprehensive as the budget will permit in its acquisition of secondary works relating to East Asia in the fields of Anthropology, Art, History, Language, Literature, Philosophy, political Science, and Religion. Scholarly and critical studies in these fields, including primary and secondary bibliographies, literary histories, biographical dictionaries, historical studies, and other tools of scholarship will be emphasized as much as is feasible. Acquisition of research tools like concordances will be selective, emphasizing major writers and major texts. Faculty need will be a major guiding factor in the acquisition of all secondary materials.
Translations into East Asian languages from western languages and scientific and technological materials will be excluded from acquisition.
B.5. Types of Material
Acquisition of standard printed editions, hard- or soft-bound, will be emphasized. Also, scholarly and other significant editions will be selectively acquired.
B.6.Strengths and Weaknesses
The East Asian Library is strong in the areas of Chinese literature and history, particularly in primary and canonical works. But, because the acquisition of Japanese vernacular material was begun only recently--in the mid 1980's after the initiation of a program in Japanese in East Asian language and Cultures, the Japanese collection is still small.
C. COLLECTION RESPONSIBILITIES BY LANGUAGE AND SUBJECT SUBDIVISION
| Languages & Subjects | Existing | Current |
 | ||
| CHINESE: | ||
| Reference | 3 | 3 |
| Anthropology | 2 | 3 |
| Literature: | ||
| The Classics | 3 | 3 |
| Shih-ching/Ch'u-tz'u | 3 | 3 |
| Pre-Han Prose | 3 | 3 |
| Han/Liu-ch'ao verse | 3 | 3 |
| T'ang Poetry | 3 | 3 |
| T'ang-Sung prose | 3 | 3 |
| T'ang-Sung tz'u | 3 | 3 |
| Yuan & Ming drama | 3 | 3 |
| Sung-Ming fiction | 3 | 3 |
| Ming-Ch'ing novel | 3 | 3 |
| 20th c. fiction & prose3 | 3 | |
| History: | ||
| Pre-1912 | 3 | 3 |
| Contemporary | 3 | 3 |
| Religion: | ||
| Buddhism | 3 | 3 |
| Taoism & Other | 2 | 2 |
| Linguistics: | ||
| Chinese writing system2 | 3 | |
| Chinese hist. linguistics 2 | 3 | |
| Chinese dialect ology | 2 | 3 |
| Modern Chinese linguistics2 | 3 | |
| Philosophy: | ||
| Classical | 3 | 3 |
| Modern | 2 | 3 |
| Art History | 2 | 3 |
| Political Science | 2 | 3 |
| Library & Inf. | 3 | 3 |
| Economics | 3 | 3 |
| Education | 2 | 2 |
| Other Social Sci & Humanities2 | 2 | |
| ||
| JAPANESE: | ||
| Reference | 1 | 2 |
| Literature: | ||
| Classical | 1 | 2 |
| Early Modern | 1 | 2 |
| Modern | 1 | 2 |
| Linguistics | 1 | 2 |
| History | 1 | 2 |
| Economics | 1 | 1 |
| Religion | 1 | 1 |
| ||
| KOREAN: | ||
| Reference | 1 | 1 |