Locations by Type of Material

• Atlases – Atlas case in reading room (Gowen floor 3)
• Books – Gowen floors 1, 1M, 2, 2M, and 3
• Folios (oversize books) – Gowen floor 1
• Maps – Please inquire at the Information Desk
• Microfilm – Suzzallo Library Basement Closed Stacks
• New books – New book shelves in the reading room (Gowen floor 3)
• Periodicals, current – Display shelves in the reading room (Gowen floor 3); for current issues of titles not in reading room, please inquire at the Information Desk
• Periodicals, back issues – Please inquire at the Information Desk for availability
• Reference works – Gowen floor 3 (reading room)
• Special collections – In closed stacks; please inquire at the Information Desk
• Taiwan Resource Center collection – Gowen floor 3 (reading room)
• Tibetan collection – Please inquire at the Information Desk

Location Codes in the Online Catalog

• Atlas – Atlas case in reading room (Gowen floor 3)
• Chiu – Please ask at the Information Desk
• Display – Please ask at the Information Desk
• Elephant Folio – Gowen floor 1
• Folio – Gowen floor 1
• General Stacks – Gowen floors 1, 1M, 2, and 3
• Lang Learning – Please ask at the Information Desk
• Maps – Please ask at the Information Desk
• Media: Please ask at the Information Desk
• Offices – Material is currently in an office; consult the area studies librarian as indicated in the catalog display
• Reference – Gowen floor 3 (reading room)
• Reserve – Ask at the Information Desk for materials placed on class reserve
• Serials Gowen – Select current titles are on the display shelves on Gowen floor 3 (reading room)
• Serials Smith – Please ask at the Information Desk
• Special Collections – In closed stacks; please ask at the Information Desk
• Special Collections Oversize – In closed stacks; please ask at the Information Desk
• Taiwan Resource Center – Gowen floor 3 (reading room)

Library of Congress classification

Library of Congress classification is for books and serials. Microforms, audio and video recordings, CDs and DVDs, and materials use different call number systems. Display periodicals are shelved alphabetically by title.

The main system in use is the Library of Congress classification system, which was implemented in 1969. Call numbers are alpha-numeric. The first line of each number is made up of one, two, or three letters of the alphabet followed by two or more lines of letters and numbers.

Materials cataloged in the Library of Congress classification are shelved in one continuous sequence regardless of language. In Gowen Stacks, this sequence begins on Floor 3 and continues down through Floor 1M, with the exception of certain large sets in the AC range, which are held on Floor 1. Folio books (over 30 cm. in height) are shelved on Floor 1.

Examples of a Library of Congress call number:

• DS
• 897
• .K578
• K56
• 1951

Chinese Romanization

Pinyin is now the accepted Romanization system for Chinese in libraries in the United States and Canada. It replaces the Wade-Giles system which was in use for almost 100 years. The two systems are different, as can be seen from the following example of the Romanization for “China” (中国):

• Pinyin: Zhongguo
• Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo

Online Catalog

Most records in the online catalog have been converted to pinyin. A limited number of older records are still in Wade-Giles and can only be found in UW Only Catalog searching. Please ask the Tateuchi East Asia Library Information Desk for help.

Card Catalog

Chinese entries in the card catalog are entirely in Wade-Giles and will not be changed to pinyin. The library will keep the card catalog as long as necessary as a backup to our online catalog.

Pinyin—Wade-Gile Conversion tables are available at various locations in the libraries and on the China Studies Reference, Dictionaries, and Encylopedias page of this web site.

Searching Tip: In Wade-Giles Romanization aspirated and unaspirated sounds are distinguished by a special diacritic mark resembling an apostrophe; for example: chi and ch’i (ji and qi in Pinyin). In the online catalog such “words” file together in one sequence, however in the card catalog they are filed in separate sequences. The words without an apostrophe come first, followed by the words with an apostrophe. This means that “Chi, Chen-huai” would be first in the filing sequence for chi. “Ch’i, Chao-nan” would be found in the ch’i sequence which begins after the last entry in the chi sequence (which is “chi yun yen chiu”).

Japanese Romanization

Modified Hepburn Romanization is used for Japanese. It is nearly identical to the Hepburn system employed in the Kenkyusha dictionaries.

Searching Tip: In 1983 the Library of Congress made a change in the Romanization rules for Japanese. Previously, the letter “m” was used before “b,” “m,” and “p.” After the spring of 1983, libraries began to use the letter “n” before “b,” “m,” and “p.” For example, “kempo” became “kenpo” and the surname “Homma” became “Honma.” In cases such as this, it is beneficial to search under both methods of Romanization for materials published prior to 1984.

Korean Romanization

Korean library records in the United States and Canada use the McCune–Reischauer romanization system as modified by the Library of Congress. This system differs from the Revised Romanization of Korean, the official romanization system developed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and adopted by the Republic of Korea on July 4, 2000. As a result, some keywords may appear in different romanized forms, which are reflected in the library catalog.