Korean Studies Research Guide Original: Find Books
This guide serves as a starting point to provide useful information for students and faculty at Columbia University as well as for scholars conducting research on Korea-related topics.
Books
The complete collection of Korean books held by Columbia University Libraries is accessible through the library's online catalog, CLIO (Columbia Libraries Information Online). Using the Quicksearch feature in CLIO, you can explore not only books but also articles, academic commons, the libraries' website, and GeoData. An Advanced search option is also available, allowing users to construct more complex queries by combining specific search fields with Boolean operators and filters such as material type, language, and more.
When searching in CLIO, you may use either McCune-Reischauer Romanization or Korean scripts (Hangul and Hanmun) for your queries. However, please note that searches using Korean scripts may not always yield the most accurate or comprehensive results.
If a book is not available in CLIO, you can try Borrow Direct, which typically delivers materials within 3-5 business days. If the item is not available through Borrow Direct, you may consult other catalogs such as WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch) and place a request via Interlibrary Loan (ILL), which usually takes 2-3 weeks for delivery.
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McCune-Reischauer Romanization SystemA Korean romanization system based on standard Korean pronunciation, revised by the Library of Congress in 2009 is used for cataloging Korean materials.
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CLIO : library web : Columbia University Libraries online catalog. This link opens in a new windowContains catalog records for books, serials, newspapers, music scores, sound recordings, microforms, maps, computer files, archives and manuscripts, videorecordings, and other visual materials added to the Columbia University Libraries since 1981, including some material acquired before that date. Also contains records for the U.S. Government Documents collection in Lehman Library.
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Borrow Direct. This link opens in a new windowAn interlibrary loan service among partner institutions, including Columbia, Harvard, Yale, MIT, and others. It allows students, faculty, and staff to request books directly from member libraries, with delivery in 3–5 business days.
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OCLC FirstSearch : list all databases. This link opens in a new windowA union catalog comprising over 48 million records from libraries worldwide. This extensive catalog includes a diverse range of materials such as books, serials, manuscript collections, audiovisual materials, computer files, and other media. These materials can be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
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CRL catalog : Center for Research LibrariesMaintained by a consortium of North American universities, colleges, and independent research libraries, CRL focuses on acquiring and preserving books and electronic resources for advanced research and teaching. Columbia affiliates can access CRL’s extensive holdings—particularly strong in newspapers, foreign dissertations, and international materials—through ILL and document delivery. CRL supports scholarship across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences by providing access to rare and primary source materials.
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KORCIS Korean Old and Rare Collection Information SystemA union catalog comprising records of Korean old books and manuscripts, including 4.5 million books and 1 million types of old and rare Korean literary works. Users can search by title, keyword, author, and publisher. KORCIS is a valuable resource for scholars and researchers in Korean studies.
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National Digital Library of KoreaA union catalog that includes cataloging records from the National Library of Korea (NLK), government agencies, and public libraries in Korea. It provides broad access to Korean materials across multiple collections.
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RISS international This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive academic resource, similar to OCLC FirstSearch. It offers access to catalog records, full-text journals, theses, dissertations, and more through a single search gateway.
Books in the Korean Collection are located on levels 250 through 100 of the library stacks, with additional materials stored offsite in New Jersey. In the stacks, Korean books are shelved alongside Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan and Western-language materials, organized by subject using the Library of Congress Classification system. The library also provides access to e-books listed below, some of which are exclusively to CU affiliates.
English E-books
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Cambridge books online This link opens in a new windowCambridge Books Online offers access to eBooks from our world-renowned publishing programme, covering subjects from all disciplines across science, technology and medicine, as well as humanities and social sciences.
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Oxford scholarship online. Palliative care This link opens in a new windowCross-searchable database containing the full text and abstracts of classic and newly published Oxford books in the areas of palliative care. Topics covered include: Paediatric palliative medicine, Pain management and palliative pharmacology, Palliative medicine research, Palliative medicine and older people; Patient care and end-of-life decision making.
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SpringerLink This link opens in a new windowProvides online, full-text access to Springer's journal titles as well as journals from other publishers. Subjects include: life sciences, chemical sciences, environmental sciences, geosciences, computer science, mathematics, medicine, physics & astronomy, engineering and economics.
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Taylor & Francis eBooks This link opens in a new windowContains e-book collections in the subject areas of: Area Studies; Arts; Behavioral Sciences; Bioscience; Built Environment; Communication Studies; Computer Science; Development Studies; Earth Sciences; Economics, Finance, Business & Industry; Education; Engineering & Technology; Environment & Agriculture, Environment and Sustainability; Food Science & Technology; Geography; Health and Social Care; Humanities; Information Science; Language & Literature; Law; Mathematics & Statistics; Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health; Museum and Heritage Studies; Physical Sciences; Politics & International Relations; Reference & Information Science; Social Sciences; Sports & Leisure; Tourism, Hospitality and Events; Urban Studies.
Korean E-books
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CNC Haksul Chongbo (CNC 학술정보)A full-text databases containing various resources from humanities and social sciences to technology. Major textbooks and course materials are also included. It is categorized into the sub-databases: Language and Literature, History, Geography, Natural Science, Technology Science, Cultural Arts, Medicine, and Culinary Arts. Full-texts and images are searchable with cross-searching capability across all categorized databases, as well as individually searchable within each category. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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Hanguk ui chisik kontenchu = Korean database. This link opens in a new windowA collection of full-text databases that provide access to a wide range of primary sources related to Korean studies. These databases are divided into 8 distinct categories, and each offering full-text content and image files. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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Hathi Trust : a shared digital repository. This link opens in a new windowA global digital repository with over 10 million digitized books and journals. Columbia University, among 60+ research libraries, helps preserve and provide access to these cultural records. The user-friendly interface offers various viewing options and PDF downloads. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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Zininzin Yoksa Munhwa Siriju (진인진 역사문화시리즈)A multimedia database focused on Korean history and culture, covering various subjects, such as archaeology, Korean history, and art history. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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KoreaA2Z This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive collection of full-text databases covering various subjects on Korean studies. These databases are divided into 7 distinct categories and contain numerous classical works, dictionaries, and other valuable resources. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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Korean History & Culture Research DatabaseA full-text database containing excavation reports, offering access to full-text articles from 4,550 volumes published by various organizations since 1940. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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LAWnB (Legal Information Service)A legal information portal service that provides access to South Korean legal materials, including law, judicial precedents, lawyer and law firm details, and more. (Restricted to CU affiliates only)
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Colonial-period Korea This link opens in a new window"Here is a unique collection of rare documents relating to the Japanese occupation of Korea, from the late nineteenth century up to 1945, representing a highly significant period in Korean history, and vital for a true understanding of many reflexes in the Koreas today. In 1876, Japan "opened" Korea to outside contact for the first time. What followed, was a period of sparring with the Chinese over the right of influence in Korea, a rivalry which culminated in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95. Following victory, Japan steadily increased its presence and interference in Korean matters until the outright annexation of the country in 1910. Korea would remain a Japanese colony until the end of the Pacific War in 1945. Drawn from the holdings of the C.V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University, New York, the collection includes more than 62,000 pages in Japanese language, 18,000 pages of Western (in most cases English) early impressions of Korea, and Korean texts (16,000 pages)."