Subject Librarian
Research Assistance
Research assistance in the social sciences and humanities is available at the Charles E. Young Research Library. See Reference and Research Help for complete reference service options.
- Off-Campus (VPN or Proxy Server) Access to Library eResourcesHow to access licensed online content from off-campus.
Researching Southeast Asia in the UCLA Library
The UCLA Library has an extensive collection of materials on Southeast Asia, including current and retrospective materials in both Western and vernacular languages. These resources cover Southeast Asia as a region, as well as individual countries. All eleven countries — Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — are represented.
This guide serves as a starting point for researchers and students interested in Southeast Asia. It contains information on selected resources from the UCLA collections, as well as provides links to materials that are freely accessible elsewhere. This guide provides information on both print and electronic resources, as well as materials in other formats. (Please note that off-campus access to licensed resources requires user authentication through the proxy server.) This guide mostly contains resources on Southeast Asia as a region, rather than individual countries.
Note: If you have any suggestions or recommendations for this guide, please email the subject librarian.
Library Quick Links
- UCLA LibraryUCLA Library home page. Access to the catalog, databases, research guides, and information about events and services.
- UC Library Search This link opens in a new windowUC Library Search is the unified discovery and borrowing system for all 10 UC campuses. Select UCLA Library Catalog from the drop-down menu to search for holdings of materials owned by the UCLA Library and other UCLA collections, whether online or in print. Please note that this catalog does not contain article citations. Select Articles, books and more from the drop-down menu to search for materials at all 10 UC campuses (formerly in the Melvyl catalog). More information can be found here.
- UCLA Asian American Studies Center Library/Reading RoomInformation and resources specifically on Asian- and Pacific Islander-Americans. Materials do not circulate. Hours are limited, so check the website for location/service information.
- Off-Campus (VPN or Proxy Server) Access to Library eResourcesHow to access licensed online content from off-campus.
Key UCLA Resources
- UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS)CSEAS promotes research and teaching about the cultures and languages of Southeast Asia.
- UCLA International Institute, Southeast Asian Studies MinorThe Southeast Asian Studies Minor is designed for students who wish to augment their major with concerted study of the history, culture, and society of Southeast Asia -which includes Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, and East Timor- from an interdisciplinary and modern perspective.
Accessing Remote Resources
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
A repository of scanned books contributed from academic institutions across the United States, including UCLA. Books still in copyright are scanned and searchable, but the full text scans will not become available online until their copyright expires. - Open Library (Internet Archive) This link opens in a new windowAn open, editable library catalog that offers lending of online books. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive, and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation. More information on use available online.
UCLA Links
- UCLA Asian American Studies Center Library/Reading RoomInformation and resources specifically on Asian- and Pacific Islander-Americans. Materials do not circulate. Hours are limited, so check the website for location/service information.
- UCLA Asian Languages and Cultures DepartmentThe Asian Languages and Cultures Department offers courses in the languages, literatures, linguistics, history, religion, and intellectual life of East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
- UCLA Department of Asian American StudiesThe Asian American Studies Department offers courses that contextualize the social, cultural, political, and economic experiences of Asians and Pacific Islanders who settled in the United States. Foci of inquiry include the legacies of colonialism and war, immigration, social marginalization, and institutionalized discrimination, as well as reinterpreted understandings of race, gender, and socioeconomic class. The department seeks to publicize research results using new media to increase the visibility of these remarkable hidden histories.
- UCLA Asian American Studies CenterFounded in 1969, the Asian American Studies Center has played a critical role in developing Southern California’s infrastructure of social service agencies, civil rights organizations, museums, historical societies, media and cultural groups, and business associations that serve and represent the Asian American and Pacific Islander population. The Center founded the UCLA Asian American Studies Department (the largest such department in the nation), established an outstanding research library, and published the country's leading research journal as well as hundreds of scholarly monographs.
- UCLA Asia Pacific CenterThe UCLA Asia Pacific Center promotes greater knowledge and understanding of Asia and the Pacific region on campus and in the community through innovative research, teaching, public programs, and local and international collaborations. It focuses on the inter-Asian and transpacific cultural and social connections from historical, contemporary, and comparative perspectives. It encourages interdisciplinary work on cross-border and supranational issues such as language and culture, population and environment, technology, politics, socioeconomic development, and sustainability in the ongoing processes of globalization.
- UCLA Center for Buddhist StudiesThe UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies was founded in 2000 to address the growing need for understanding of Asian Buddhist religion and culture, in all its diversity. The Center's mission is to educate American academics and the community at large about all facets of Buddhism--its beliefs, its history, and its importance in the contemporary world. This web site introduces UCLA’s faculty, describes four degree programs, and offers lists of public lectures, recent faculty publications, and important library resources.
- UCLA Education Abroad ProgramExplore the world while earning units toward graduation! UC's Education Abroad Program facilitates academic exchanges with top-ranked universities, institutes, and faculty in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and 32 other countries. As an added plus, these exchange programs are actually affordable. Start researching your adventure here, on the EAP web site.