Harvard-Yenching Library

哈佛燕京圖書館 | ハーバード燕京図書館 | 하버드 옌칭 도서관 | Sưu tập tài liệu tiếng Việt
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Highlights

The most comprehensive East Asian collection of any American university. We hold Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Mongolian, & Western materials

  • Rare and ancient books
  • Digital photos and maps
  • Local Chinese gazetteers
  • Minority language materials
Open to Harvard ID holders. Visiting researchers can request access by contacting us.
Full access policy
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Contact

2 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
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Harvard-Yenching Library Travel Grant
Scholars from outside the Boston metro area can apply for funding to travel to Cambridge to use our collections in their research.
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Collections

As of 2018, the Harvard-Yenching Library's collections exceed 1.5 million volumes, including over 900,000 Chinese, 400,000 Japanese, over 200,000 Korean, 30,000 Vietnamese, 55,000 Western languages, 4,000 Tibetan, 3,500 Manchu, and 500 Mongolian.

Collection

Chinese Collection

Harvard-Yenching Library collects Chinese-language research materials in all formats, with a focus on the humanities and social sciences.
Collection

Japanese Collection

Harvard-Yenching Library's Japanese Collection focuses on humanities and social sciences in the field of Japanese studies in the Japanese language.
Collection

Korean Collection

Harvard-Yenching Library's Korean Collection covers everything from archaeology to contemporary economic development.

Special Collections

Featured Collections

Harvard-Yenching Library's Special Collections include rare books, archival materials, manuscripts, photos, scrolls, rubbings, and maps —  in many languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Naxi.  Our rare and special collections can be viewed in our reading room.

Digital Collection

Hedda Morrison Photographs of China

Photos taken by Hedda Morrison in China, 1933–1946.
Collection

Manchukuo Collection

View material related to the Pan-Asian state once located in northeastern China and controlled by imperial Japan.
Collection

Ming-Qing Women's Writings

A valuable resource for scholars studying women's roles in China from the 14th through the 20th centuries.

Many of our special collections have been digitized, and can be viewed in CURIOSity and HOLLIS Images.

Tool

CURIOSity, digital collections gallery

Curated views and specialized search options for Harvard's digital collections.
Tool

HOLLIS Images

A catalog and search tool for finding images from Harvard Library collections.

Using Special Collections

Request special collections items using the “Request to Scan or Visit” link in the HOLLIS record or through HOLLIS Special Request. Before your visit, schedule a Reading Room appointment. Please schedule your visit at least 24 hours in advance, as no walk-in or same-day appointments are available. Feel free to contact us to confirm availability ahead of your visit. 

We encourage instructors to schedule class or section visit to the Special Collections Reading Room for hands-on engagement with our materials. To learn more, contact us directly.

How To

Use Harvard Library's Special Collections and Archives

Open to all, these unique materials can take you to places you never expected.

Research Guides

Research Guide for Chinese StudiesResearch Guide for Japanese Studies Research Guide for Korean Studies
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Using the Library

Each semester, we host specialized research orientation sessions providing in-depth guidance on how to best access and utilize our wide variety of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean e-resources and databases. If you missed the group sessions, we invite you to schedule a research consultation. 

Harvard-Yenching Library welcomes all researchers regardless of academic affiliation to view our rare books, historical photographs, manuscripts, archival collections, and other treasured materials. Researchers not affiliated with Harvard must register with the Harvard Library Access & Borrowing Office prior to accessing the library.

Service

Research Services for East Asian Languages

Harvard-Yenching Library offers both virtual and in-person research orientation sessions for Chinese-, Japanese-, and Korean-language materials.
Service

Ask a Librarian

Get immediate help during our live chat hours, or submit a question.
Tool

FamilySearch

Access genealogical research records from computers in the Harvard-Yenching Library.

What's Happening

Exhibitions

Han Kang, Nobel Prize in Literature 2024

Through Friday, Jan 31, 2025

Threads Through Time

Japanese Fashions of the Past 150 Years
Through Friday, Jan 17, 2025

Righteous Learning: Muslims in China

A Harvard-Yenching Library exhibit on Muslims in China
Jun 4, 2024 through Aug 20, 2024

Recent News

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