2025 | Columbus, Ohio
Theme: East Asian Studies and Libraries: Past, Present & Future
East Asian studies boasts a rich history spanning approximately 150 years in the U.S. and Canada. It began in 1877 at Yale, and by the 1930s, a few to a dozen universities offered programs in Oriental languages and cultures. From WWII through the Cold War, there was a significant expansion in scope, with broader regional coverage of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean studies. This expansion accelerated as East Asian studies spread to additional institutions, supported by the U.S. government through Title VI and FLAS programs in the 1960s. Support from prominent foundations further fostered the growth of East Asian studies in academic institutions across the nation in the 1970s.
The simultaneous development of East Asian collections, driven by the forces supporting these programs and the long history of collection development strengthened by public and private support, means that East Asian libraries in the U.S. and Canada hold extensive archival and special collections, as well as vast regular print collections. By 2023, these collections reached 23,294,370 items, making them the largest interdisciplinary resources for both undergraduate and graduate education.
Today, nearly all major American and Canadian research universities, along with top-tier liberal arts colleges, offer East Asian studies programs supported by East Asian or Asian libraries and collections. These resources cater to tens of thousands of students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and educational backgrounds.
Two plenary sessions will be featured in this conference, 1) Faculty session and 2) Librarian Roundtable Discussion. These to sessions aim to reflect on the origins, evolution, challenges, and opportunities that CEAL as a community has experienced, contemplating who we are, what we do the best, and envisioning the future—particularly in light of the significant impact of geopolitics and socioeconomic changes on academia and beyond.
Faculty Plenary Session: State of East Asian Studies
9:30am – 12:30pm
9:30am - 10:10am The Evolution of American Contemporary China Studies: Coming Full Circle?
Dr. David Shambaugh (Gaston Sigur Professor of Asian Studies, Political Science & International Affairs, Director of the China Policy Program, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University; Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University)
10:10am - 10:20am Break
10:20 - 11:00am Japanese Studies by the Numbers: Data-driven Approaches to the Future of the Field
Dr. Paula R. Curtis (historian of medieval Japan based at UCLA, Operations Leader for Japan Past & Present (JPP), UCLA, Coordinator for Digital Humanities Japanese Coordinator for collection and visualization of job market data in East Asian Studies)
11:00am - 11:40am Korean Studies in the United States: Its Origin, Present, & Future Outlook
Professor Emeritus John Duncan (Former Director of Center for Korean Studies, UCLA)
11:40am - 12:10pm Discussion (20 min) & Q&A (10 min)
Dr. Peter Zhou, Discussant (Assistant University Librarian, Director of C.V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California Berkeley)
12:30pm – 1:30pm Intersession
1:30pm - 3:00pm Librarian Plenary Roundtable Discussion: Filling the Service Gaps
Dr. Chengzhi Wang (Chinese Studies Librarian, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University)
Primary Source Literacy in East Asian Studies: A Call for Guidelines and Best Practice
Xiuying Zou (Head of Asia Library, The Claremont Colleges Libraries)
Filling the Service Gap in Teaching as a Subject Librarian and a Curator
Kana Jenkins (East Asian Studies librarian/Curator of Prange Collection, University of Maryland, College Park)
Modernization of North Korean Resources
Sanghun Cho (Korean Studies librarian, Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, UCLA)
Discussion (20 min) & Q&A (10 min)
Adam Lisbon, Discussant (Associate Professor, Japanese & Korean Studies Librarian, University of Colorado Boulder)
East Asian Studies and Libraries: Past, Present & Future
Presenters:
What Does the New Cataloging Guidelines for Chinese Rare Books (CGCRB) Mean to You?
Yuzhou Bai, Special Collections Librarian and Archivist, Harvard-Yenching Library
The Current State of Cross-Municipal Regulation Search Systems in Japan: Development and Operation of Jorei-Web
Takashi Harada, Professor, Doshisha University, Japan
Tomomi Miyazawa, Jorei-Web Project, Japan
Takanori Kawashima, National Diet Library, Japan
Price Trends of Secondhand Books on Amazon Japan
Adam H. Lisbon, Japanese & Korean Studies Librarian, University of Colorado Boulder
Korean Special Collection Digitizing Project in University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library, Collaborated with National Institute of Korean History
Min, Yeajin, Visiting Librarian, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library
Kim, Ellie, Korean Studies Librarian, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library
Kim, Minjae, Korea Foundation Intern, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library
Meet Me at the Eide: The Largest Private Asian Studies Library in the Western Hemisphere on a Unique Coastal Preserve
Yulia Mylnikova, PhD, Director, The Eide Library, Elling Eide Center
How will ADA Title II affect East Asian electronic resources?
Shuqi Ye, East Asian Studies Librarian, University of Minnesota
Lucy Zhejia Li, China & Taiwan Studies Librarian, University of Washington
Updates from CEAL Membership Committee
CEAL Membership Forum: Dialog with Former CEAL Presidents
The theme for the CEAL 2025 Annual Meeting is "East Asian Studies and Libraries: Past, Present & Future." In alignment with this theme, the CEAL Membership Committee has invited former CEAL presidents to participate in the CEAL Membership Forum. They will discuss topics of interest chosen from a list contributed by CEAL members during their registration for the CEAL Membership Online Program held in November 2024.
In each concurrently hosted forum, former CEAL presidents will share their insights, strategies, and practices related to the designated topic. Their talk will be followed by an interactive discussion with CEAL members. We expect that participants will acquire invaluable knowledge and advice from these sessions, further enhancing their expertise in East Asian librarianship.
Concurrent Forum 1.
Title: Library Management and Leadership Skill Development
Peter Zhou, Director and Assistant University Librarian, CV Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley (Former CEAL President, 2012-2014) (Moderator: Xi Chen)
Description: In this session, we will explore four key areas of library management and leadership skill development as an East Asian librarian, including: (1) Leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship, (2) Team building and conflict resolution, (3) Advocacy and cooperation, (4) Work, research and life balance.
Concurrent Forum 2.
Title: Collection Development, Existential Perspectives for East Asian Librarianship
Jim Cheng, Director, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University (Former CEAL President, 2016-2018) (Moderator: Veronica Fu)
Description: This session will discuss (1) Collection is the King? discussion on the changing and evolving landscapes of EA Librarianship, (2) Bridging teaching and research interests with faculty, (3) Diversifying Collection Development Plan with various models, (4) Finding your niches for special collection development: Community building, Fundraising, Collaborative Partnership.
Concurrent Forum 3.
Title: Strategies and Tools for Library Fundraising: East Asian Libraries and Collections
Zhijia Shen, Director, Global Engagement, University of Washington Libraries (Former CEAL President, 2018-2020) (Moderator: Kumiko Reichert)
Description: This session will discuss tools and explore strategies for successful fundraising, focusing on East Asian libraries and collections. The session will address planning and strategy for fundraising; donor relationship and cultivation; grant writing and resources; fundraising tools and best practices.
Concurrent Forum 4.
Title: Collaborate to Strengthen: Approaches to Meaningful Partnerships in East Asian Studies
Hana Kim, Director, the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, University of Toronto (Former CEAL President, 2020-2022) (Moderator: Ellie Kim)
Description: This session will explore strategies for building and sustaining meaningful partnerships in East Asian Studies by engaging faculty, students, the broader community, and institutions. We will discuss effective collaboration strategies, tackle common challenges, and consider opportunities for fostering impactful and sustainable partnerships.
Concurrent Forum 5
Title: Break the boundary: Career development in East Asian librarianship
Hong Cheng, Chinese Studies Librarian, Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, University of California, Los Angeles (Former CEAL President, 2022-2024) (Moderator: Jian Lee)
Description: Extending from the daily responsibilities of an East Asian librarian, this session focuses on career development related to professional engagement and research/publication. Through introducing activities with ALA, AAS, ARL, ACRL and other academic/professional organizations, we will discuss learning opportunities and committee services such as library publishing committee, MLIS accreditation panel and international relations committee. The session will also explore professional development involving academic research and publications.
ERMB Panel Discussion: CJK Electronic Resources: Metadata and Discovery Environments
The emergence of e-resources has changed the way libraries create, use, manage, and share library metadata. The objective of the 2025 ERMB panel discussion is to learn more about how library discovery environments manage e-resources metadata to expand and diversify search results. We would like to invite speakers from OCLC, Alma users, and Folio users to talk about issues related to East Asian e-resources metadata and visions for our collective future.
Presentations:
Hank Sway, the product manager for WorldShare Collection Manager (OCLC)
Title: Emerging Trends in the Management of East Asian E-Resources
Charlene Chou, Head of Knowledge Access (New York University)
Title: Enhance the Discovery of East Asian Databases by Adding Title-level Metadata
Charles Fosselman, Access & Digital Information Services Librarian (Stanford University)
Title: Into the Unknown: Migrating CJK Metadata and E-Resources to FOLIO
Theme: Korean Studies Collections: Past, Present & Future
The CKM session examines the evolving landscape of Korean Studies resources. Attendees will explore how these collections have developed from their origins to the digital age, including the challenges and innovations impacting their future (Hana Kim). The session also highlights a librarian-led initiative to create an online database of English translations of Korean literature, a valuable tool for both research and teaching (Hyokyoung Yi). Finally, attendees will gain insights from the European Network of Korean Resources Specialists (ENKRS) who are improving access to Korean materials across Europe through collaboration and unique projects (Nadia Kreeft-Mishkovskyi).
Presenters:
Korean Studies Collections in Flux: Past, Presents, and Future by Hana Kim, Director, Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, University of Toronto
Translation Database of Korean Literature by Hyokyoung Yi, Director, Tatauchi East Asian Library, University of Washington
Unexpected Journeys, Shared Destinations: The European Network of Korean Resources Specialists by Nadia Kreeft-Mishkovskyi, Subject Librarian and Curator of Japanese & Korean Materials, Leiden University, Chair of ENKRS
Special Session: Information session on Korean vendors and services (7:30pm - 9:30pm, March 12, 2025)
Program Description: This 2-hour special session features four presentations from participating vendors, providing attendees with information on the services offered by Korean vendors of both print and electronic resources. The program is designed for those seeking new vendors and services, as well as for members of the CEAL community unfamiliar with available Korean vendors. Presentations will cover various topics, including traditional book acquisition services and e-resources. This year's session features a vendor providing databases on North Korea.
Participating vendors and presentations
Media Korean Studies (print books, databases, MKS E-book library)
Kong & Park (Kyobo e-books, KNPA website, ProQuest E-book Central)
Korea Risk Group (NK News, NK Pro, Korea Pro)
Building Unique and Distinct Collections for Japanese Studies: Challenges and Opportunities
In the past, academic libraries focused heavily on collecting and preserving rare and special collections, including archival materials. However, with digitization now a common and practical way to provide access, the emphasis has shifted toward not only making these materials accessible but also ensuring they are easily discoverable amidst the vast amount of similar content available online across borders. Some types of materials, such as pre-modern works or publications from the Meiji and Taisho periods (which are in the public domain in the U.S.), are relatively straightforward to make freely accessible. However, other materials present more challenges.
In recent years, libraries have increasingly acquired non-traditional collections, which introduce unprecedented difficulties related to copyright, preservation, diverse formats, limited in-house expertise, and institutional barriers. The CJM 2025 program will feature three presentations on the theme of “Building Unique and Distinct Collections for Japanese Studies” which will offer insights into building such collections. Each presenter will share the challenges and opportunities they encountered while developing specific non-traditional collections, as outlined below:
Presenters:
University of Hawai’i’s Satsuma Collection
Mitsutaka Nakamura, Japan Studies Librarian, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Princeton University’s Umeda Noriko Archives
Setsuko Noguchi, Japanese Studies Librarian, Princeton University
Dr. Shoji Yamada, Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies
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CJM & NCC Informal Business Meeting (8:00 PM-10:00 PM, March 13)
• Presentations by National Diet Library (NDL) librarians, Aya Ishizawa and Daisuke Hirasawa on:
• Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Libraries (DCTL)
• Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Individuals (DCTI)
• Remote Photoduplication Service (PDF file download)
*Handouts for the Presentation are available here.
Theme: Latest Library Support for the Evolving Field of Chinese Studies
This session showcased the latest developments in library resources supporting Chinese Studies, providing a platform to share new initiatives and creative approaches with our community.
Presenters:
Echoes of Eternity: The Guanhailou Collection and Its Legacy in Chinese Studies
Veronica Fu, East Asian Collections Librarian, University of Virginia
Classification-Based Evaluation of Chinese Academic Publishers
Le Wang, Associate University Librarian, Fudan University Library
Xiangyang Long, Senior Research Librarian, Fudan University Library
A Three-year Collaboration between UC San Diego Library and Cambridge University Library
Xi Chen, Sally T. Wong Avery Librarian of Chinese Studies and East Asian Collection Strategist, UC San Diego
Yan He, Head of Chinese Section, Cambridge University Library
Special Session: Resource Sharing and Collaboration
1. An ecosystem for the development of special collections
Esther Woo (Director of Library Services and Fung Ping Shan Librarian, Hong Kong University Library)
2. Survey results on Oriprobe services
Luo Zhou (Librarian for Chinese Studies & Coordinator for East Asian Collections Management, Duke University Libraries)
3. Enhancing Access to Chinese Rare Books: Insights from the Chinese Rare Books Project
Wei Zheng (Chinese Collections Cataloger, Columbia University Libraries)
Yuzhou Bai (Special Collections Librarian and Archivist, Harvard-Yenching Library)
4. ADA Title II and East Asian Digital Resource Accessibility
Lucy Li (China Studies Librarian, University of Washington Libraries)
Shuqi Ye (East Asian Studies Librarian, University of Minnesota Libraries)
5. The Chinese Dictionary Compendium: Bringing Together Key Sinological Reference Works
Roland Borsos (Roland Borsos Software Solutions & Consulting, Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe)
6. Empowering Global Libraries: The China E-Book Hub and CNPIEC's Content Solutions
Chen Li (Head of Publications Export Division, China National Publications Import & Export Group CO., LTD)
7. CNKI Updates on Resources, Software and Services
Joyce Zhang (Director CNKI North America)
Transforming Public Services of East Asian Libraries/Collections in an Era of Change
Presenters shared their recent public services projects, through which they were attempting to connect the library resources to users at their institutions, as well as to the general community.
Moderator: Dr. Jidong Yang, Librarian, Harvard-Yenching Library, Harvard Library
Presenters:
Leveraging Area Collection: Preserving the Legacy of Korean War Veterans through Community Engagement
Ellie Kim, Korean Studies Librarian, University of Hawaii Library
This presentation focuses on how the University of Hawaii Library’s Korean War Collection was developed through active engagement with the local community, including veterans, their families, and regional organizations. By building partnerships with these groups and international stakeholders such as the Korean Consulate, the library has ensured that the voices of soldiers from Hawaii are preserved through personal stories, photos, and artifacts. The initiative highlights how university libraries can serve as powerful agents of cultural preservation and community engagement, fostering sustainable projects that benefit both the academic world and the communities they serve.
Community Engagement in Collection Development
Jungeun Hong, Korean Heritage Library Liaison, East Asian Library, USC Libraries
This presentation highlights the transformation of a library's role in community engagement, focusing on evolving practices and collaborative programs. The purposes are twofold: 1.redefining the library’s role: to shift from serving as a repository of history to empowering the community to write its own history. 2 fostering collaboration and education: to co-create records through partnerships with organizations and providing students with research opportunities. The presenter will discuss these initiatives, including the preservation of historical documents, the promotion of intergenerational dialogue, and the strengthening of community ties.
“Islam in Asia”: A Multinational Book Display to Celebrate Shared Asian Culture and to Challenge Racism
Hye-jin Juhn, East Asian Studies & Political Science Liaison Librarian, McGill Libraries
This presentation is about the 2024 Asian Heritage Month book display, curated by an East Asian studies librarian, whose responsibilities also include non-East Asia-related subjects. The purposes were two-fold: 1. to educate the audience about the important, yet less known history and culture of greater Asia; 2. to inspire undergraduate students to undertake further research about Asia-related topics. The presenter will discuss the development and outcomes of the project.
TechAsia Expo: Digital Frontiers in East Asian Studies
Presenters:
Processing a Mongolian Books Collection Using MatchMarc and Annif
Erica Lu, Head, Global Studies Technical Services, University of Pennsylvania
Bridging Tradition and Innovation: Scanning and 3D Printing East Asian Woodblocks
Runxiao Zhu, Head, East Asian Library, University of Pittsburgh
MITRASearch: Building Information Retrieval Systems for Classical Asian Languages in the Age of AI
Sebastian Nehrdich, Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab (BAIR), University of California, Berkeley
Moderator:
Matthew Hayes, Librarian for Japanese Studies and Asian American Studies, Duke University