Discovering Chinese Materials
Searching With Chinese Romanization
CLIO, the online library catalog, contains records for almost all Chinese-language materials, including books, periodicals, newspapers, microforms, special collections and databases. When searching CLIO, use the Library of Congress Pinyin romanization system, which is based on China's Pinyin system but has significant exceptions.
See Library of Congress New Chinese Romanization Guidelines for examples and exceptions, as well as a conversion table of Wade-Giles to Pinyin.
Searching With Traditional or Simplified Chinese Characters
You may also use Chinese characters for searching Chinese language materials in CLIO, but it is not recommended, as a Chinese character search may not yield the right or best results.
Most CLIO records (except for titles on order and those received but not cataloged yet) are also included in WorldCat. WorldCat can be searched by using either Library of Congress Pinyin or Chinese characters, traditional or simplified, to see the holding status at Columbia and elsewhere. Many researchers simply start by searching WorldCat, and then check CLIO to locate and request the item.
When searching Taiwanese databases, words should be traditional Chinese characters.
For mainland Chinese databases, though traditional Chinese characters may work, it is safe to use simplified Chinese characters all the time.
Starr East Asian Library's Chinese-language books can be found by searching CLIO and WorldCat. Print books are intershelved with the Japanese, Korean, Tibetan and English and other Western-language books by Library of Congress call number. Books located offsite may be requested for pickup at the library.
Most Chinese rare books and special collections may be requested for use onsite in the Rare Books and Special Collections Reading Room.
Chinese e-books can also be searched in CLIO. Many individual titles are findable in CLIO, but some e-resources such as dissertations and theses have only general database information in CLIO. Individual titles can be searched for directly in the individual databases.
Holding and location information for Chinese periodical titles is available in CLIO. To search for articles, see Journals of Chinese E-Resources listing journal article databases.
Most periodicals are available online in full-text or full-image through Columbia's subscription to journal article databases.
Current issues of print journals and newspapers are located in the main Starr Library Reading Room. Bound volumes of past issues may be shelved in the library stacks or may be requested through CLIO.
Journals in Books
Thousands of old Chinese journals, magazines, newspapers, and other continuous publications, especially those of Republican Period, have been reprinted into books, often into big book sets such as 204-volume 民國佛教期刊文獻集成, 83-volume 民國佛教期刊文献集成補編, 民国珍稀短刊断刊, and 民国画报汇编, etc.
One good way to find a needed periodical within a book set is to search WorldCat. WorldCat can be searched by using either Library of Congress Pinyin or Chinese characters, traditional or simplified, to see the holding status at Columbia and elsewhere. In addition to the index volume(s), the volume(s) of each journal title is independently cataloged and findable. Such journal volume(s) can be borrowed or interlibrary loaned because they are considered as regular books, not journal holdings.
Hundreds of new and old newspapers from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, etc. are accessible in newspaper databases, including access to full-text articles. Current issues of print newspapers are located in the main reading room of Starr Library. A number of newspapers are only received on microfilm on a yearly basis.
Reference materials including dictionaries, encyclopedias, catalogs, bibliographies and statistical yearbooks can be searched in CLIO. Please check the CLIO record for the location of print materials.
For more information about reference e-resources, please see the section of Chinese E-Resources listings.
The library's holdings also include collections of a great number of films and multimedia and rare books and special collections such as oracle bones, paper gods, and persona/organizational archives.
The library has become very strong in Chinese film studies ranging from film posters to independent films and documentaries. Other Columbia University Libraries also hold some Chinese-language materials. These materials may not be completely included in the library online catalog.
New Chinese-language materials, including books, journals and other types of materials can be searched in CLIO New Arrivals.
Recommend titles for purchase and gifts are welcome. Please submit your request through the online recommendation form, or contact the Chinese Studies Librarian.