Collection Policies

ASIAN STUDIES  
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Subjects covered : The Asian Studies Program collection is designed to supplement the Asian studies curriculum by providing the materials necessary for students to understand and develop an appreciation for the cultural background that underpins the program's courses.  To that end collecting emphasis is placed on acquiring materials relating to customs, practices, philosophy, political structures, economic development, history, religion, and literature in English translation for India, China, Japan, and Korea in particular and Southeast Asia in general. The Asian Studies Program collection also includes reference materials, especially dictionaries and encyclopedias. 

Departments and users served : The Asian studies collection primarily serves students and faculty in the Asian Studies Program. Students and faculty in other humanities or social science programs may benefit as well from materials in the library's Asian Studies collections. Through direct patron borrowing the collection also serves students and faculty in schools affiliated with the OhioLINK system.

Quantitative information:

Faculty :  The faculty in the Asian Studies Program is drawn from a number of departments in the College of Arts and Science.  For details see http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/interdisciplinary-studies/asian-studies/fac-staff.html 

Degrees granted : The Asian Studies Program offers:

Major: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/interdisciplinary-studies/asian-studies/programs/major.html

Undergraduate Minor or Certificate: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/interdisciplinary-studies/asian-studies/programs/minor-cert.html

Certificate in Japanese Language and Culture: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/interdisciplinary-studies/asian-studies/programs/japanese-cert.html

Graduate Certificate in Asian Studies: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/interdisciplinary-studies/asian-studies/programs/grad-cert.html

Special programs and accreditation requirements : Asian studies majors are required to take10 credits "second year" Asian language sequence (ARAB, CHIN, JAPN 2001-2002.  Completion of a senior project is also required.

Grants and special funding : The Asian Studies Program's library collection receives its budget from University Libraries general funds.
 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location : The Asian studies collection is located in Langsam Library.  Older, little circulated material is placed in the Southwest Ohio Regional Depository (SWORD).

Other collections supporting the program :

Internal : The Asian Studies Program draws on library collections developed for English and comparative literatures, history, philosophy, political science, business, economics, anthropology, sociology, geography, and women's studies.  To a more limited degree the program also draws on the non-Western music collections in the College Conservatory of Music and the non-Western art collections in the College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning.

External : Students and faculty in the Asian Studies Program draw on the combined collections in OhioLINK affiliated institutions, including the Center for Research Libraries, and on the collections of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Collection history : Development of an Asian studies library collection was approved in late 1988.  The Asian Studies Program received its first library budget line in 1989.

General level of collecting : The Asian Studies Program's general level of library collecting is basic.  However, because the program draws heavily on collections developed by other disciplinary lines in the library's collection budget, the level of actual support for the Asian Studies Program ranges from basic through research level.  

SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE COLLECTION

Call numbers : As a discipline of study, the Asian Studies Program concerns itself with the culture, literature, philosophy, religion, political systems, economic systems, sociology, history, geography, and anthropology of Asia.  As practiced at the University of Cincinnati these call number sections from the Library of Congress classification code represent the areas of study most generally collected in developing the Asian Studies Program's library collection:
 B850-5739 Philosophy by region or country BL74-98 Religions of the world BL1100-1295 Hinduism BL1300-1380 Jainism BP1-610 Islam BQ1-9800 Buddhism DS1-937(selective) Asian history, especially ethnic groups GF500-900 Human geography. Anthropogeography by region or country GN803-890 Anthropology by region or country GR Folklore, folk literature, manners and customs HC94-1085(selective) Economic history and conditions by region or country HQ1-2039(selective) Women in Asia HT1501-1595(selective) Races JQ1-6651(selective) Asian politics and government LG21-961(selective) Education in Asia PL501-3207(selective) Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language and literature (in English translation) Z5051-7999 Subject bibliographies

Current and retrospective collecting : For the most part, collecting emphasis is placed on the acquisition of current materials.

Time period collected : All time periods are collected.

Level and treatment : Undergraduate material and reference materials are collected.  Some material supporting faculty research is collected.  Textbooks are generally excluded.

Language : Excepting dictionaries in the Asian languages, works in English or in English translation are collected.

Geographical area : Geographical concentration is on India, China, Japan, and Korea.  Material is also collected, but to a lesser degree, on countries in Southeast Asia.

Types of resources : The Asian Studies Program's library collection includes monographs, series, society publications, journals, indexes, abstracts, bibliographies, handbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, films, and web sites.

Resource formats : The Asian studies library collection includes print, microform, video, and digital formats.
 

ACQUISITION PROCESS

Approval process : The Asian studies collection participates in the approval plan supplied by Yankee Book Peddler.

Firm orders : Firm orders for Asian studies materials are selected from a variety of sources including vendor notification slips, direct mail brochures, publisher catalogs, and book reviewing publications.

Standing orders : Standing orders are maintained for journals and other serial publications.

Document suppliers : The Asian Studies Program's collection relies on direct patron access through OhioLINK, as well as the Interlibrary Loan Department, for access to items that are not in the University of Cincinnati collections, are in circulation, or are missing from the collection.

Special vendors : The Asian Studies Program's collection relies on the Acquisitions Department
to determine if a special vendor is needed to acquire requested materials.

Sally Moffitt
Asian Studies
July 2014