Due to the missing status of the library’s first accession file, specifying the exact start of the library’s collection of materials on China remains challenging. However, given Hawaii’s unique geographic location and large Asian population, it is likely that the library began acquiring Chinese materials very early on. The collection grew quickly with the establishment of the Chinese Department at the University of Hawai‘i in 1922. In 1925, the library established the Oriental Collection to gather Chinese and Japanese materials, and by 1930, a special room was designated for the expanding Oriental Collection, which was full by 1932. When the Oriental Institute was established in 1936, the library held approximately 650 English-language titles on Japan and China, 350 Chinese titles (1,500 volumes), and 600 Japanese titles (2,500 volumes).
In alignment with Director Sinclair’s vision of the library as ‘the chief source of strength,’ Prof. Shao-chang Lee, responsible for developing the Chinese-language collection of the Library, took a sabbatical in 1936 and acquired over 11,000 Chinese stitch-bound volumes, forming the core of the collection. By December 1937, Dr. Cheuk-Woon Taam of Lingnan University was appointed as the first librarian and curator of the Oriental Institute Library. Dr. Taam and his assistant significantly enhanced the collection by processing and cataloging numerous Chinese materials. The collection continued to grow with the addition of the Herbert A. Giles Chinese Library and acquisitions from trips by its director, librarian, and faculty. By May 1940, the collection included 27,669 stitched volumes (rebound to 7,428 volumes). Active faculty involvement and strong community support helped acquire many prominent titles, establishing the China Collection as a major research collection known for its size, comprehensiveness, and research value.
During World War II, arrangements were made to acquire books published in China, and the Oriental Institute was reabsorbed into the University Library, becoming the Oriental Library. After the war, despite slow progress in area studies at UH, the library maintained extensive collections of Chinese and Japanese works. Driven by Hawaii’s economic boom, the University experienced significant growth in its academic programs, including a resurgence in Asian studies. By June 1957, the Chinese language collection had expanded to over 50,000 stitched volumes.
In 1962, with the University’s agreement, the East-West Center absorbed the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean books (about 80,000 volumes) from the Oriental Collection, creating the Research Collections. The China Collection then broadened its scope to cover all subject areas, with a focus on modern and contemporary China. By June 30, 1970, the Library housed 81,224 volumes of Chinese-language materials, ranking fifteenth among the fifty-seven East Asian collections in American libraries.
In 1970, the East-West Center library collections, including the China Collection, were relocated to Hamilton Library and designated as the Asia Collection Department, a name that remains today. This transition reflects our ongoing commitment to support China-related curricular and research activities at UHM. Since then, the China Collection has continued to expand, supported by funding from public and private sources such as the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Betty Tseng Ecke Endowment. It also benefits from international support through exchange programs with prestigious institutions in mainland China and Taiwan.
Today, the China Collection is a medium-sized, comprehensive research collection encompassing materials on China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau in Chinese, English, and other languages. It covers all areas of the humanities and social sciences, with notable strengths in Chinese philosophy, history, language and literature, and arts, and a rapidly growing focus on Chinese economics and politics. This multidisciplinary approach foster interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty and students, enhancing their academic experiences. In addition to the extensive physical materials housed at UHM Library, we offer full-text access to over 20 electronic resources dedicated to China, providing invaluable digital resources for research and study.
Contact
Dongyun Ni
Chinese Studies Librarian
Email: dni@hawaii.edu
Phone: 808-956-2312
