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Asian Collections: Library of Congress, An Illustrated Guide

HOME  Preface  Introduction  The World of Asian Books  Chinese Beginnings  Tales from the Yunnan Woods
The Diplomat and the Dalai Lama  From the Steppes of Central Asia  The Japanese World  Korean Classics
Homer on the Ganges  White Whales and Bugis Book  Barangays, Friars, and "The Mild Sway of Justice"
The Theravada Tradition  The Southern Mandarins  Modern Asia  East Asia  Inner Asia  South Asia
Southeast Asia and the Pacific  Epilog  Publications on the Asian Collections

Epilog

The history and holdings of the Library's Asian collections mirror the growth of American diplomatic involvement, academic interest, and public attention on Asia from the midnineteenth century to today. The need for more knowledge of Asia can only increase in the future, and the Library of Congress will remain a central repository for all types of Asian publications that are not broadly available at other locations in the United States.

To meet the needs of the times, the Library is already taking advantage of the new technologies. The days of the lone adventurer or scholar seeking out rare books in remote corners of the world have yielded to more systematic procurement of publications through fleld offices and purchasing agents, thus taking full advantage of modern electronic communications. New technology is opening the Asian collections to a wider audience. With the Library's World Wide Web site open to Internet users, it is easy to browse through the holdings on line. And, as the Library's digital library develops, more and more rare texts will be accessible to the growing number of people with Internet connections. The Japan Documentation Center is a harbinger of future innovative programs to meet the need for rapid information on Asian developments.

Yet the new technologies do not diminish the accomplishments of a Caleb Cushing acquiring Chinese classics in 1844 or a Joseph Rock overseeing the loading of a mule caravan of Tibetan books in 1926. Their contributions and the efforts of so many others have made the Library of Congress's Asian collections a unique and invaluable resource that belongs to the American people.


HOME  Preface  Introduction  The World of Asian Books  Chinese Beginnings  Tales from the Yunnan Woods
The Diplomat and the Dalai Lama  From the Steppes of Central Asia  The Japanese World  Korean Classics
Homer on the Ganges  White Whales and Bugis Book  Barangays, Friars, and "The Mild Sway of Justice"
The Theravada Tradition  The Southern Mandarins  Modern Asia  East Asia  Inner Asia  South Asia
Southeast Asia and the Pacific  Epilog  Publications on the Asian Collections


The Library of Congress >> Asian Reading Room
( August 20, 2012 )
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