Korean Studies Research Guide Original: Korean Rare Books and Special Collections

This guide provides valuable information to support students and faculty members at Columbia University as well as scholars conducting research on topics related to Korea.

Rare Books and Special Collections

The library houses a collection of Korean rare books and special materials, including the Yi Sŏng-ŭi Collection, Sin sosŏl, and Conant Collection which are valuable resources for Korean Studies. These non-circulating materials located in ReCap and are accessible by appointment in our Special Collections Reading Room to CU students, faculty, and staff, as well as non-affiliates. For more details, please refer to the Korean Rare Book and Special Collection section and contact the Korean Studies Librarian.

Conant Collection

This collection consists of materials related to Korea, donated by Theodore Richards Conant in 2008. Mr. Conant was dispatched to Korea as a member of the United Nations Korea Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA) in 1952. During his nine-year stay in Korea, he collaborated with Hyŏng P’yo Lee and other Korean producers to create newsreels, documentary films, and propaganda for the United Nations, broadcasting companies, and the US Army. Additionally, he produced independent documentary films.

Mr. Conant donated his entire collection on Korea, which includes 132 film reels, over 200 audio and music reels, over 1,300 photographs, and other printed materials such as scenarios, correspondence, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings. These materials primarily focus on the Korean War, Korean films, and art. Since 2010, the library has collaborated on digitization projects with the Korean Film Archive (KFA) and Korea University. As a result, 108 film reels, over 150 audio reels, and 1,300 photos have been digitized. The digitized films and audio reels are now accessible via the Digital Library Collection portal at CUL and the photos (both original and digital versions) can be accessed only in the Special Collections Reading Room at the East Asian library.

Sin Sosŏl

Sin Sosŏl is a collection of 155 exceptionally rare early twentieth-century traditional-style Korean popular novels. These novels were published in Korean script during the Japanese occupation and printed in thin booklets. Some of these novels are unique, as no other copies are known to exist. These materials were previously microfilmed by the International Data Corporation and subsequently digitized by Brill International Publisher, making them accessible through the "Colonial Period Korea" database.

Yi Song-ŭi Collection of Rare Books

The Yi Song-ŭi Collection, acquired in the late 1960s, comprises 517 titles across 1,857 volumes. Yi Song-ŭi, an antiquarian book dealer in Seoul, was renowned as the foremost authority on old moveable type in Korea. This collection includes 459 movable type fonts (including both wood and metal types), 46 woodblock-printed titles, and 12 manuscripts. Hosed in over 700 cases, these materials are printed on Korean paper crafted from mulberry tree fiber. Notably, the collection contains two volumes of early printed version of "Yongbi Ŏchonga" (volumes 9 and 10), published in the late 15th century. 37 titles across 94 volumes from this collection were digitized through a collaborative digital project with the National Library of Korea, and the full-text of the digitized titles is now freely accessible through CLIO and KORCIS.

Korean Studies Librarian

C.V. Starr East Asian Library