East Asian Studies Research Guide: Other Formats
While books and journal articles most likely will form the core of the information sources for your research projects, there are many other resources, e.g. audio-visual resources, dissertations, archives, art, artifacts, and ephemera, that will be helpful, and might be crucial to complete your information needs.
Finding Audio-visual resources
Our library has been collecting audio-visual materials in various formats for a long time. A substantial portion of these materials has been digitized, and is available to active Columbia affiliates through the Digital Library Collections (streaming these resources requires a CUID log-in). DVD's and Blu-ray formats, many of which are stored offsite, are accessible via the Butler circulation desk. Since we do not have viewing equipment in our library, we do not keep any AV material on site. The libraries also have subscriptions to several major streaming services. For detailed information about film studies check out the Film and Television research guide.
Finding Dissertations
Dissertations offer in-depth research into subjects about which not much information may be found in books and journal articles (yet).
- ProQuest dissertations & theses global This link opens in a new window
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Searchable and browsable database of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1743 to the present day. It also offers full text for graduate works added since 1997, along with selected full text for works written prior to 1997. It contains a significant amount of new international dissertations and theses both in citations and in full text. Designated as an official offsite repository for the U.S. Library of Congress, PQDT Global offers comprehensive historic and ongoing coverage for North American works and significant and growing international coverage from a multiyear program of expanding partnerships with international universities and national associations. - Academic Commons . This link opens in a new window
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Academic Commons collects, preserves, and makes accessible the scholarship and research of the faculty, staff, and students of Columbia University. - Theses Canada portal = Portail de theses Canada. This link opens in a new windowThis website provides a central access point for Canadian theses. It allows to search AMICUS, Canada's national online catalogue, for bibliographic records of all theses in the National Library of Canada theses collection, which was established in 1965, and access for free the full text electronic versions of Canadian theses and dissertations.
- OATD -- Open access theses and dissertations. This link opens in a new window"This is an index of over 1.5 million electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). To the extent possible, the index is limited to records of graduate-level theses that are freely available online."--About page.
- DART-Europe E-theses portal This link opens in a new windowProvides a single portal for the discovery of European Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs).
- CRL catalog : Center for Research Libraries. This link opens in a new windowSearch page of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) in Chicago, providing access to their online catalog, specialized collection databases, subject guides, and finding aids. CRL collects primary and rarely-held research materials not targeted by other North American research institutions. Collections are held at a centralized library facility, and available to Columbia affiliates via interlibrary loan and document delivery. CRL holdings are strong in newspapers, foreign dissertations, and international materials.
Finding Archives
Archives offer a wealth of primary source material that is by definition unique. CLIO contains records for personal papers, corporate archives, collections of prints and drawings, and oral history transcripts located in the Columbia University LIbraries. Select the "Archives" limit from either the Quick Limit menu or the Pre-set Limits Location menu and search be keyword. Note that CLIO does not include archival and manuscript records in the Law or Teachers College libraries. Please contact these libraries directly for information about their collections.
- Columbia Archival Collections PortalWhile still incomplete, this portal will eventually offer information about all archives held by the Columbia University Libraries.
- Archives unbound . This link opens in a new window
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Archives Unbound presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars and students at the college and university level. Collections in Archives Unbound cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to twentieth-century political history. Collections are chosen for Archives Unbound based on requests from scholars, archivists, and students. - Archives direct : sources from The National Archives, UK. This link opens in a new window
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A full-text searchable suite of collections sourced from the National Archives, Kew. Includes The Nixon years, Confidential print Africa, Confidential print Latin America, Confidential print, North America, Confidential print Middle East, Foreign Office Files China, amongst others.
Finding Special Collections
Libraries do not just collect books and other text-based materials. We also own substantial collections of materials in many other formats, many of them quite rare. In Starr Library's special collections you can find such things as woodblock prints and posters, but also such non-paper-based materials as Chinese oracle bones and Japanese fox sculptures. We are actively working on cataloging these collections for easier discovery.
To study these materials, as well as our rare books and archives, you will need to visit our Special Collections Reading Room (by appointment only). To find out more please refer to our Special Collections page.