Bibliographic / Information Management

Collection Bibliographic Preservation Special Collections Resources Online Resources Friends of the Reading Room


BIBLIOGRAPHIC


For over a decade, the Library/Reading Room has made significant progress in research/information management with the help of new electronic technology. Since it entered the digital age in 1988, the RR/L has been able to more easily access and manage the prolific growth of the literature and the field of Asian American Studies.

While costly and always a few steps behind necessary upgrades, electronic interfaces at the RR/L, the presence of new electronic interfaces and adding an excellent IT specialist to the Center's staff have enabled the RR/L to identify and navigate through the bibliographic universe of Asian Pacific America with greater efficiency and accessibility


In the last decade, some specialized topical bibliographies were developed to facilitate research and establish greater academic significance to new and burgeoning interdisciplinary areas within Asian American Studies. They include:


Emergence of the Vietnamese American Communities


Japanese Americans during World War II


Pilipino America at the Crossroads--100 Years of United States-Philippines Relations


Prism lives/Emerging Voices of Multiracial Asians


In addition to developing its own customized library on-line RRMAC catalog, the RR/L recently begun retrospective conversion of its library collection in order to integrate its library records into UCLA's online library catalog. Currently, all UCLA campus and its affiliates are now able to access and view the RR/L's books and monographs collection from a computer link to UCLA's Library Catalog, VOYAGER, or MELVYL. For access to both, log onto: http://www2.library.ucla.edu


The indexing and citation control of periodicals and serial monographs have also facilitated significant academic presence to the new and emerging areas within the field of Asian American Studies. In addition to the Center's own Amerasia Journal (1977-2004), the RR/L has developed a cumulative bibliographic database, indexing over 60 Asian and Pacific Island serials, such as Chinese America: history and perspectives (1987-2004), Koream Journal (1990-1994), and Journal of Asian American Studies (1998-2003). To date, the RR/L's bibliographic database contains over 32,000 citations that are easily searchable and retrievable electronically.


PRESERVATION OF AA STUDIES & THE MOVEMENT


For over 30 years, Asian American Studies and the Movement have been "raising questions rooted in social reality." Documentation, preservation, and archiving of the field, the Movement, and their communities have been a critical task of the Library/Reading Room and its collection.

The RR/L maintains an extensive serials collection published by and targeted for the Asian and Pacific Island communities in America. Its vertical file collection of organizations represents over 600 Asian and Pacific Island community organizations across the United States and Canada. The RR/L also subscribes to and manages careful inventory/archival control of over 130 newspapers, 80 journals and 50 magazines. Spanning over the last 30+ years, this vast and rare collection, many are now out of print and unavailable.


Because of the physical deterioration of many rare and out-of-print Asian Pacific Island American newspapers, it has been vital for the RR/L to consider preservation through microfilm. With limited funds available, we have been able to microfilm a few for which we have a complete run, are in desperate need of preservation, and are in high demand for access:


Gidra (1969-1974)


Katipunan [formerly Ang Katipunan / Kalayaan International ] (1971-1991)


Korea Times-Los Angeles [English ed.] (1990-2001)


Pacific Ties (1978-2000)


The microfilm editions of these newspapers and other resources are available for purchase. [To find out more information, link to: "Asian American Newspapers & Resources Available on Microfilm"]


With the help of members of the community, we hope to complete the run of many other significant community newspapers published during the earlier decades and preserve them on microfilm for safe and expedient access. Pending available funds and obtaining missing issues, we are currently targeting the following for future microfilm preservation:


Asian Americans for Equality/Equality (New York, NY)


Balitaan (Los Angeles, CA)


Chinese Awareness (Los Angeles, CA)


Getting Together (San Francisco, CA)


New Dawn (San Francisco, CA)


New York Nichibei (New York, NY)


Rodan (San Francisco, CA)


San Francisco Journal (San Francisco, CA)


Wei Min (San Francisco, CA)