| BIBLIOGRAPHIC / INFORMATION MANAGEMENT |
For over a decade, the Reading Room/Library 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 Reading Room/Library 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)
The Center, in collaboration with UCLA's University Research Library, has established many rare and primary materials vital to the scholarly study and research in Asian American Studies. With the processing, preservation, and careful custodialship of the University, these generous gifts will provide students, researchers and community leaders with valuable primary materials to Asian Pacific America.
Located at UCLA's Young Research Library, the Special Collection Department also maintains rare archive collections conceived by the Asian American Studies Center in the 1970s and 1980s. In collaboration with the University Library, the Center established these special collections to preserve and provide access to rare, hard-to-find materials. Generously donated by members of the Asian Pacific community in Southern California, valuable materials have been incorporated into the following Collections developed and currently available to the community and future generations:
- Japanese American Research Project
- Chinese American Archives
- Korean American Research Project
For further information on these collections, contact Special Collections at 310.825.3796.
Recently, the Center has received generous donations of personal manuscripts, records, and other materials as gifts to the University of California. With the continued support and cooperation of the University Library, the RR/L is currently processing the following special collections gifted by and/or regarding:
- Anti-Martial Law Movement
- Asian American Literary Writers
- Aiko & Jack Herzig
- Yuri Kochiyama
- Fred T. Korematsu v. U.S . Litigation Files
- Chol Soo Lee
- Steve Louie
Upon completion of processing, physical stabilization, and indexing, they will be made available for public access through the Special Collection Department at the Young Research Library.
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