Find East Asian Materials
ONLINE CATALOG (Horizon)
All East Asian materials processed after 1984 are searchable through the Library’s online catalog. A great number of the pre-1984 East Asian materials could also be searched by the online catalog. However, there are still about 70,000 pre-1984 East Asian titles that are not included in the online catalog, and they must be retrieved by the card catalog. The Library continues to convert these card catalog records into its online catalog.
Search by Romanization: Both alphabetical and keyword searches can be done in romanization (or transliteration). We use the Pinyin system for Chinese, modified Hepburn for Japanese, and McCune-Reischauer for Korean. For romanization for the CJK languages, check the following schemes:
Pinyin
Wade-Giles to Pinyin conversion
Modified Hepburn
McCune-Reischauer
Search by East Asian Characters: This can be done with the keyword search only. The IME (Input Method Editor) is used for input. On the bottom line of the Horizon screen, you can find a square box containing 2 letters, usually EN. If you click on this, you can choose non-Roman scripts for input: Chinese (PRC) = simplified characters, Chinese (Taiwan) = traditional characters, Japanese, or Korean. Important note: For a comprehensive search for Chinese materials, you must do two searches; one using the simplified characters and the other using the traditional characters (search in the simplified characters retrieves only records in the simplified characters, and so does with the traditional characters). For step by step search instruction, go to http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/catalog/usingcjk.html. For instruction on setting up CJK input capability on your own computer, go to http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/catalog/inputoptions.html.
CARD CATALOG
It is located in the East Asia Reading Room, JRL 520. There are separate catalogs for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, plus the Classified Catalog and its Index to provide subject access. If you would like to retrieve materials processed before 1984, you are advised to search the card catalog, despite the fact that records for many pre-1984 materials are already converted into the online catalog.
For Chinese, the card catalog uses the older romanization, Wade-Giles, rather than Pinyin. View this table for converting Pinyin to Wade-Giles. For Japanese or Korean, the romanization is the same as what is used in Horizon (see above).
CARD CATALOG IN BOOK FORMAT
Our Chinese, Japanese, and classified card catalogs have been published as a 30-volume set by G.K Hall & Co. (1971, with Supplement 1981). This catalog is incomplete and no further supplements are planned. It was intended mainly for purchase by other East Asian Libraries, but a copy is available in the Electronic Resources Room of the East Asia Reading Room (in orange color). There you will also find printed catalogs for several other major East Asian Libraries.