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In addition to the Asian Reading Room, the Library of Congress has over 20 research centers that provide both guidance and a physical space for users to interact with collection items based on subject (e.g., law) and format (e.g., maps, photographs). Links to titles of publications and collection items on this page will retrieve fuller bibliographic information from the Library of Congress Online Catalog. For specific questions or assistance using the Library’s resources, use our Ask a Librarian service to contact a reference librarian.
The American Folklife Center (View map showing location, LJ-G53) is one of the largest archives of ethnographic materials from the United States and around the world, including Southeast Asia. The AFC hosts for materials pertaining to oral histories, folk songs, regional musical traditions, and more. Finding aids specific to Southeast Asia are available for each of the following countries or areas: Borneo, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Erich von Hornbostel demonstration collectionFahnestock South Sea collection, 1939-1994Hmong Community Folklife and Documentation Project collection, 1981-1986Kamol Kedusiri recordings of Thai musicLaura Boulton Collection, part 23 : Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, etcLinguistic survey of Burma recordingsMajor A Buenaventura recordings from the PhilippinesMusée de l'homme collection of Laotian musicMusic of Black Hmong collectionThe Geography & Map Reading Room (View map showing location, LM-B01) contains the world's largest cartographic collection. This reading room has custody of historical and contemporary atlases and different kinds of maps (e.g., political, relief, topographical, guide) of both Southeast Asian countries and the region. Please contact Geography and Map reference staff to inquire about specific materials.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. Besides that, the Geography and Map Division also maintains a list of 24 historic maps of the Philippines. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Borneo : shewing the lands ceded by the sultans of Brunei & Sulu to the British North Borneo Company.Burmese wooden altar showing Sages to HeavenCambodia, South Vietnam : 4-70Carta plana de la navegación del Estrecho de Banca a Ysla Timon ultimamte. corregida pr. exacts. obserbs. echas en esta navegn. de las embarcs. españolas de el Rey.Carta plana que contiene la navegacn. de Pulo Aor a Pulo Zapata con los fondos que se hallan en ella y nuevos descubrimtos. de las Anambas en el año 1771Carte des royaumes de Siam, de Tunquin, Pegu, Ava Aracan, &c.Adam Hérold Collection of Materials Relating to the Sino-French War in TonkinPlan de Pnom-Penh.Plan of Ternate : [Dutch East Indies].[Taiping Fu jing quan tu].
The Hispanic Reading Room (View map showing location, LJ-240) maintains bibliographies relating to the 1898 Spanish-American War. These include bibliographies on the contemporary writings of Philippine nationalists and Americans in the Philippines. It also includes the Roswell Randall Hoes collection, which is a major collection of books and pamphlets from the Spanish-American War.
The Law Library (View map showing location, LM-242) is the world's largest legal collection. It holds 2.8 million legal volumes in both Western and Southeast Asian languages. All materials with call numbers beginning with a "K" are held in the Law Library collections.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Bahawa ini kitab undang-undang qanun yang dipakai dalam Negeri Johor by Khamphī Phrathammasāt Būrān : kotmāi kao khō̜ng Lāo by 
The Main Reading Room (View map showing location, LJ-100) is the principal point for gaining access to the Library’s general collections of bound books and bound periodicals. European-language publications about Southeast Asia are part of the Library’s general collections and accessible in the Main Reading Room. Bilingual publications in a European language and a Southeast Asia one—such as English and Malay, for example—are also likely to be found in the Main Reading Room.
When browsing the Library of Congress Online Catalog, see “Item Availability” at the bottom of a bibliographic record. Publications accessible in the Main Reading Room are identified by the location “Jefferson and Adams Building Reading Rooms.”
The Manuscript Reading Room (View map showing location, LM-101) provides access to more than twelve thousand separate collections. Several collections have papers of organizations or individuals relating to Southeast Asia. There is substantial material on the Philippines and Vietnam. The Philippine material mainly covers the period of American rule, but there are also manuscripts related to the period of Spanish rule. Material on Vietnam is primarily related to the Vietnam War. Most items related to Southeast Asia are in English, but there are a few manuscripts in Burmese, French, Spanish, Lao and Tagalog.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following collection titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content, including finding aids for the collections, are included when available.
Emilio Aguinaldo papers, 1899-1901American Medical Center for Burma records, 1945-1966Benito Asunción claim, 1898John Barrett papers, 1861-1943Calvin Benjamin papers, circa 1838-1882Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, papers, 1983Malcolm W. Browne papers, 1959-2013Coolidge-Pollard families papers, 1818-2015Miguel Covarrubias papers, 1871-1948Ferdinand Blumentritt correspondence, 1894-1909W. Cameron Forbes papers, 1904-1946Harry T. Friedman collection of Spanish American documents, circa 1500-1912Alexander Meigs Haig papers, 1962-1982Levi Hayden papers, 1838-1877The Lyndon B. Johnson national security files, 1963-1969. Vietnam. First supplement [microform] / project coordinator, Robert E. Lester.Charles Habib Malik papers, 1888-1994Margaret Mead papers and South Pacific Ethnographic Archives, 1838-1996Rhoda Métraux papers, 1837-1997Jeanne S Mintz papers, 1928-1993Robert R Nathan Associates records, 1950-1966Dudley Newcomb Carpenter journal, 1897-1901The Peers inquiry of the massacre at My Lai [microform] / editor, Robert E. LesterI.M Pei papers, 1920-2016Petition from the Moros, undatedPhilippine Insurrection collection, 1898-1899Grace A Rafaj papers, 1928-2008Sermons in Tagala, undatedEric Sevareid papers, 1909-1993Simons family papers, 1887-1982Samuel Francis Smith papers, 1834-1936Souvanna Phouma, Prince of Laos, papers, 1961 January 1-1970 December 31William Speiden, Jr, journals, 1852-1946Charles S Sperry papers, 1862-1912Malcolm Toon papers, 1946-1998Mary Vance Trent papers, 1849-1998Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund records, 1965-1994The war against JapanRounsevelle Wildman and Edwin Wildman papers, 1896-1923[Yeisạkyo hkontaw hpyathton] Pyatton. Edited by Saya Pwa.The Moving Image Research Center (View map showing location, LM-336), which is part of the Library’s Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS), provides access to one of the largest collections of motion pictures in the world, including productions from Southeast Asia. The Moving Image Research Center provides access to thousands of Southeast Asian films. There are significant numbers of holdings related to Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Some holdings of interest might be historic footage on the Philippine-American War, Indonesia from the 1920s-40s, Laos in the 1970s, the Vietnam War, and travelogues in Singapore and Thailand. Languages unique to Southeast Asia found at this reading room include Burmese, Iban, Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Malay, Tagalog, Tetum, Thai, and Vietnamese. Visit the center's website for further information and to inquire about particular films or other resources via Ask-a-Librarian.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
The Adventuring Johnsons--prologue / Martin Johnson African Expedition Corp. ; director, Martin Johnson.All-American news. [1945-05, no. 4] / All-American news ; [produced by] William Alexander, Emanuel Glucksman, Claude Barnett.ʻApsrā = Apsara / film de Norodom Sihanouk.Cambodia before the genocide / Productions Iadra Devi Fil ; a presentation of V. Bopha Vaddey and Eas Proeung ; scenario, Biv Chhay Lieng.Camera three. Borobudur, the magic of old BuddhismCamera three. Goddess dancers of Cambodia / directed and produced by Merrill Brockway.Capture of trenches at Candaba / Thomas A. Edison, Inc. ; producer, James H. White.Dalan ba dameDugaan negara / Malayan Film Unit mempersembahkan ; rakaman Ehsan Filem Negara Malaysia.The Dutch East Indies / Eastman Teaching Films.An East Indian island / Script-narration-photography by André De La Varre in association with Paul Devlin.Filipinos retreat from trenches / Thomas A. Edison, Inc. ; producer, James H. White.Fīm ʻēkasān dǣn ʻitsala : phư̄a lanuk kānpativat Lāo khophō̜p 25 pī = Land of freedom / bannathikan Phonphet. by Legong--dance of the virgins / Bennett Pictures Corp., a Henri de la Falaise production ; told by Henri de la Falaise and Gaston Glass ; titles, Hampton Del Ruth.Lucille Love, the girl of mystery. Series no. 3 / Universal Moving Pictures ; director, Francis Ford ; scenario by Grace Cunard.Những người dân quê tôi = Vietnamese propaganda / The Republic of South Vietnam, [Liberation Film Company] ; producer, Trần Văn Thủy ; [script by] Trần Văn Thủy, Triệu Phương.La rose de bokor = phkā kulāp nai Bhnaṃ Būko / fild de Norodom Sihanouk.Rubber / Eastman Teaching Films.Salœ̄msalō̜ng van sāt khophō̜p 1 pī by Thai dancing, embassy / [by] Mary Anglemyer.A town like Alice / J. Arthur Rank Film Productions, Ltd. ; a Vic Film production ; director, Jack Lee ; producer, Joseph Janni ; screenplay, W.P. Lipscomb, Richard Mason.Trance and dance in Bali / produced by Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead, with assistance from Committee for Research in Dementia Praecox ; written by Margaret Mead.Từ Saigon tới Điên Biên Phư / [My-Van Films] ; director, Lê Mộng Hoàng ; producer, Lưu Trạch Hưng ; co-producer-writer, Quốc Phong.Waiting for Cambodia / Ishi Films.The Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room (View map showing location, LM-133) provides access to European-language newspapers and periodicals from around the world, including the countries of Southeast Asia. For more information, please contact reference staff at the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Vientiane TimesL'indépendantThe KPL news bulletinThe NationBangkok PostIn principle, publications in languages originating in Southeast Asia on music-related subjects are accessible in the Asian Reading Room; however, users should visit the Performing Arts Reading Room, Madison Building (View map showing location, LM-113) to request works on Southeast Asian music-related topics in English, French, German, or other European languages. While the bulk of holdings in this reading room are in European languages, it should be noted that there are some items in languages that originate in Southeast Asia such as Burmese, Lao, Malay, and Thai. Most of the holdings in the Performing Arts Reading Room consist of musical scores, and books and periodicals on music-related subjects. There are also a few three-dimensional objects at this reading room; namely Thai musical instruments gifted by King Bhumibol on his visit to the Library in 1960. Please see further the Performing Arts Remote Research Guide [PDF].
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Ang himnario nḡ kapisanang Metodista Episcopal sa FilipinasApprenez le khène : essai d'une méthode moderne = Learn to play the khene : essai [sic] on a modern method / Kham-Ouane Ratanavong.Bhumibol Adulyadej (King of Thailand) collection 1946-1954Chansons Lao / Musique notée par le R. P. Cuisy.Context and style in the vocal music of the Muranao in Mindanao, Philippines / Usopay Hamdag CadarDân-ca Việt-Nam = Vietnamese folk songsFilipino musical instruments and airs of long ago. Lecture delivered at the Conservatory of Music, University of the Philippines on November 25th, 1931.Gamelan, dance, and wayang in Jogjakarta, by R. M. Wasisto Surjodiningrat.
Inventario de la musica y libros de canto y rezo del Convento de P.P. Recoletos de San Nicolás de Tolentino de Manila, 27 de Fevrio 1903.Japanese song series ...
Khlui û (bamboo flute with red-gold brocade cover)Ko-tai, a new form of Chinese urban street theatre in Malaysia / by Tan Sooi Beng.
Lagu-lagu patriotik 1989Mekar bunga Indonesia; Indonesian popular melodies & sightseeings.
Nổi trống lên, rừng núi ơi!Phlēng chut hōm rōng yen = Evening preludePrimary hymnal; for use in Methodist schools and Sunday schools in MalayaRheʺ ruiʺ Mranʻ mā panʻtyā = Classical Burmese music / ʾA tvanʻʺvanʻ Ūʺ Pho Latʻ krīʺ kratʻ r* Cha rā Mruinʻ e* canʻʺdarāʺ tīʺ kvakʻ ko ʾA shyanʻ Latʻcatacʻ ka sanʻketa pru saññʻ = prepared for piano by the Rev. Frederick W.A. Lustig, after the pThe "seditious" Tagalog playwrights: early American occupation. by Silent temples, songful hearts : traditional music of Cambodia / Sam-Ang Sam, Patricia Shehan Campbell; [illustrations by Yang Sam and Tho "Tony" Sangphet ; photographs by Bonnie Periale ... et al.].Ta sāʺ vaṃ ri tha phi / [bha ta pa phi ra lī la Kī kvī tai phā ka nnī bhya thaṃ ka ra mi pha] = Phlēng prasānsīang chabap rūap rūam / rūaprūam læ phalit dōi Khana Khrittačhak Karīang Bæptit Prathēt Thai.
Three army tunes in manuscripts.Wayang : a history of Chinese opera in SingaporeZubir Said : his songs / sponsored by Berita harian.The Prints and Photographs Reading Room (View map showing location, LM-337) holds more than 16 million items including photographs, fine and popular prints and drawings, posters, and architectural and engineering drawings. The best way to search the Prints and Photographs Division holdings is to consult their online catalog. See below for a sample search by country. The Prints and Photographs Divisions contains numerous collections. Some of the most iconic Southeast Asian photographs held by the Library of Congress can be found in the Miscellaneous Items in High Demand collection. Sample searches are provided below.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. Digital images are included when available.
Album of exterior and interior views, 1932, of modern hospitals and clinics of Cambodia, Cochin-china, Laos, and Tonkin provincesMiscellaneous lot of small photographs of scenes and people in SE Asia[Nguyen Van Trung Collection of Photographs]Photochrom Prints by Siamese people, views, and events by The World's Transportation Commission Photograph Collection by The Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room (View map showing location, LJ-239) provides access to nearly 800,000 books, broadsides, engravings, pamphlets, theater playbills, title pages, prints, posters, photographs, and medieval and Renaissance manuscripts. In this rich collection, researchers will find hundreds of items related to Southeast Asia covering a range of topics such as linguistics, religion, mapping, fiction, ethnology, botany, church reports, and history. There are more than 40 titles in the catalog in languages from Southeast Asia, among them Burmese, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, and Waray. In addition, researchers will find that there are more than 160 titles in European languages—mainly Dutch, English, French, Latin, and Spanish.
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Arte y reglas de la lengua tagalaCathechismus pro ijs, qui volunt suscipere baptismum in octo dies diuisus by A comparative vocabulary of the Burma, Maláyn and T'hái languages by Conqvista de las islas Malvcas. Escrita por Bartolome Leonardo de Arensola.Diarivm navticvm itineris Batavorum in Indiam Orientalem ... His accedunt, narratio historica nationum, regionum, & civitatum, quas adnavigarunt; negotiationes, monetae species ... quibus adiungitur explicatio praecipuarum dictionum Iavanicarum by Dictionarivm malaico-latinvm et latino-malaicvm, cvm aliis qvam-plvrimis quæ quarta pagina edocebit. Opera & studio Davidis Haex. by Doctrina Christiana en lengua española y tagalaLetters of a Javanese princess, by Raden Adjeng Kartini; tr. from the original Dutch by Agnes Louise Symmers, with a foreword by Louis Couperus. by Relation de l'ambassade de Mr le chevalier de Chaumont à la cour du roy de Siam, avec ce qui est passé de plus remarquable durant son voyage.Svcesos De Las Islas Philipinas Dirigidos A Don Christoval Gomez De Sandoval Y Rojas Dvqve De Cea ... Por el Doctor Antonio de Morga Alcalde del Cri-men de la Real Avdiencia de la Nveva España Co-svltor del .S.to Officio de la Inqvisicion.The Recorded Sound Research Center (View map showing location, LM-113), which is part of the Library’s Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS), contains around 3.5 million audio recordings. The collection includes most musical genres as well as radio broadcasts. Library audio recordings from Southeast Asia include many genres such as popular music, rock, jazz, folk music, rap and protest songs. To search the Library's Record Sound holdings please use the Sound ONline Inventory Catalog (SONIC).
A selection of collection materials likely to be of interest to those conducting research on topics related to Southeast Asia is included below. The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Cambodian cassette archives Khmer folk and pop music. Vol. 1 by Hit's of the 1950's by Imported Javanese music instrumental, vocal, and orchestral by Jazz & hot dance in Thailand by Musik reformasi kampus UKI Cawang, 01 Juni 1998 : musik gelombang putih by The sound of Siam : leftfield luk thung, jazz & molam in Thailand 1964-1975Traditional music of Luang Prabang Khap thum Lūang PhabāngTulā thān 14 khon, 14 phlēng tō̜nghām
