Collections

The East Asian Library has over 172,023 volumes of books and bound serials, including 106,940 volumes in Chinese, 60,052 volumes in Japanese, and 5,031 volumes in Korean. The East Asian Library also houses 410 CD-ROMs, 3,350 microfiches, and 1,760 reels of microfilm materials, complemented by a broad range of electronic resources.

Monograph and serial holdings are consistent with emphases within graduate East Asian studies programs of instruction and faculty research interests. The collection is primarily divided into two major geographical areas—China and Japan—and into roughly two time periods—classical and contemporary. Special strengths are in the languages, literature, history, philosophy, religion, and art history fields. Currently, about 24,000 volumes of back runs of periodicals and other lower-use materials are shelved in the West Campus Library.

The East Asian Library’s Special Collections includes about 900 volumes of rare and special books, manuscripts, and other materials.

WashU Libraries also have extensive holdings about East Asia in English and other Western languages, mainly in the Olin Library.

Two online catalogs are available: the Classic Catalog and Quick Search. Records for Chinese/Japanese/Korean (CJK) materials are displayed in vernacular and transliterated forms.

The following three links are to romanization guides:

• Pinyin System for Chinese
• Modified Hepburn System for Japanese
• McCune-Reischauer System for Korean

The East Asian Library uses the Library of Congress classification system except for some materials acquired before 1969, which use the Harvard-Yenching classification system.

Collection Locations

Microform Collections at the East Asian Library

East Asian Floor Maps

Reading Room, Group Study Room, & Offices

• Reference collection
• Japanese pop literature
• Current newspapers and journals
• Big monographic sets (Call number A, DS, P-PL)
• Computers Printer/Copier and Scanners
• Offices
• Group Study Room
• Study area

Level 1

• Books, call numbers PL 700 – PL 5321
• Oversized books, call numbers N, PL
• Microfilms

Level 2

• Books, call numbers DS 721 – PL 700, PN-PZ
• Oversized books, call numbers A-M, PN, Q-V
• Special collections (ask staff for access)

Level 3

• Books, call numbers A – DS 721
• Journals, call numbers A-Z

Basement

• Books, call number Z
• Big monographic sets (B, DS)
• Iwanami Bunko 岩波文庫 collection (ask staff for assistance)