South Asian Studies 

South Asian Collection

The University of Washington Libraries has a nationally important collection of materials relating to South Asia, including monographs, serials, newspapers, microforms, maps, and sound and video recordings. The Libraries has been a participant in the cooperative acquisitions programs administered by the Library of Congress since 1962.

The collection emphasizes the geographical areas of India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. States of special interest within India are: Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The langauges emphasized are English, Hindi, Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Tamil and Urdu. However, materials on Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan are also included and all South Asian languages are represented. Materials in European, Slavic, and other Asian languages are included as appropriate.

Strengths of the collection are anthropology, classical Sanskrit literature, economic history, economics, history, linguistics, philosophy, political science and Hindi and Tamil literature. The collection also includes material on architecture, art history, literature and religion.

The Microform and Newspaper Collections includes the Indian census from 1881 to 1951, newspapers dating from 1819 to the present, legislative debates from 1854, development plans and serial titles. [Click here for more information on South Asian newspapers held by the University of Washington. And, for a paper, "South Asian Newspapers", on the history and geographic distribution of South Asian newspapers; the current situation in preservation and access and suggest some considerations and directions for future activities written by Irene Joshi. Also prepared by Irene Joshi and available via the Digital South Asia Library is an International Union List of South Asian Newspapers and Gazettes]

Special Collections contains a non-circulating collection of early travels in South Asia dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The Nepali Manuscript Collection is also kept there.

The East Asia Library has a collection of Tibetan language materials.

The Map Collection houses over 2,000 maps of South Asia.

The Music Listening Center has a collection of commercial recordings representative of the folk and classical traditions of South Asian music.

Interlibrary Borrowing Services are provided for faculty and students at all three University of Washington campus sites.

Access to the circulating collections of the Libraries is provided through the Resource Sharing Service. (206) 543-1878. librss@u.washington.edu