Southeast Asian Studies

The surest way to find books is to search the online catalogs listed in the side box. Here are some other tips for locating and evaluating books:

Tips for General Book Searching

When searching for books, there are a few useful starting strategies to keep in mind:

• Searching a library catalog is different from searching Google or full text databases. The data provided is usually quite basic, including title, author, subject, and sometimes table of contents. You may need to broaden your search or try alternate keywords before finding books on a particular topic.
• Most library catalogs do not contain articles or article indexing. Instead, they will tell you if the library has a subscription to a specific journal or magazine, and if this includes any electronic access. Use an article database to find specific journal articles.
• If you already have a relevant book or article in hand, use its bibliography to find other sources on the same topic.
• Do a subject word (not just a keyword) search in a catalog. The Research Library has print copies of Library of Congress subject headings available, and advanced researchers may also want to consult the LC Authorities catalog to locate subject headings on different topics.
• Due to major space restrictions in the Library, note that some materials may be located at the Southern Regional Library Facility, or SRLF. These can usually be requested via the UCLA Library Catalog, and are usually available for pickup within 48 hours at one of the UCLA Libraries.

Here are a few recent publications on Southeast Asia.  They can be accessed online.

When searching for books, there are a few useful starting strategies to keep in mind:

• Searching a library catalog is different from searching Google or full text databases. The data provided is usually quite basic and includes title, author, subject, and sometimes table of contents. You may need to broaden your search or try alternate keywords (e.g., synonyms or related terms) before finding books on a particular topic.
• Some library catalogs DO NOT contain articles or article indexing. Instead, they will tell you if the library has a subscription to a specific journal or magazine and if this includes any electronic access. Use an article database to find specific journal articles.
• If you already have a relevant book or article in hand, use its bibliography to find other sources on the same topic.
• If you find a relevant book in the catalog, look at the subject headings (under Subject(s)). Most books are assigned subject headings, and if you click on a heading, it will lead you to a list of books on that same topic.
• If you have the call number of a relevant book, you can also look in the stacks and browse through nearby books. As books are given call numbers by subject, the books near it are often on the same topic.
• Do a subject word (not just a keyword) search in a catalog. Search for "Southeast Asia," as well as for more specific terms, such as "Indochina," "Vietnam," "Filipino," etc.

Note: Due to major space restrictions in the Library, some materials may be located at the Southern Regional Library Facility, or SRLF. These can usually be requested via UC Library Search and are usually available for pickup within 48 hours at one of the UCLA Libraries. If the Library does not own a book, it can usually be requested through interlibrary loan.

Is there a book that you think the library should have? You can suggest a book purchase here.