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Brown University Library Collections

Language & Literature, Non-Western Collections

Bing Ling's Gift Books
The Bing Ling's Gift Books & Chinese Writers' Signature Collection includes approx.1,000 volumes of Chinese books donated by Bing Ling (Mr. Weimin Jiang), Chairman of the Association for Chinese Writers in the US and other Chinese writers in China, United States and Europe. The collection contains books donated from Bing Ling's personal library and more than 100 other Chinese writers. These authors with their signatures on the books includes a number of most prominent Chinese writers. These gift books are a valuable special collection in Chinese literature for Brown's library resources. ...more information
East Asian
The East Asian Collection was developed from the "Gardner Collection," a special collection of approx. 30,000 volumes of Chinese books donated by the noted Harvard Sinologist, Charles Sidney Gardner in the 1960s. As of June 30, 2010, the Collection holds 119,131 volumes in Chinese, 23,067 volumes in Japanese, and 6,200 volumes in Korean, in addition to 282 current serials, electronic resources and other formats. The total C-J-K book holdings are 148,398 volumes in East Asian languages. Besides, there are also a good number of Western language materials on East Asian studies. It has been one the most distinguished mid-sized East Asian collections in North America. ...more information
Gardner
Brown Library's East Asian Collection grew out of the Gardner Collection when the noted Harvard Sinologist, Charles Sidney Gardner donated to Brown University approximately 30,000 volumes, the majority in Chinese in 1961. The original Gardner gift was especially rich in works on Chinese history and literature, especially Qing dynasty history which was Professor Gardner's specialty. Most of the works from his library were published in the 1880s, with some dating as early as the beginning eighteenth century and others as late as the 1930s. The holdings cover the areas of language, literature, history, philosophy, religion, art, archaeology, and social sciences. The essential part of the Gardner Collection is located on the third floor of the Rockefeller Library. There are Chinese traditional styled bookcases built in 1969 surrounding three sides of the wall of the Gardner Room. About 93 titles of Chinese rare books (mostly published between 17th and 19th centuries), are stored in eight Cabinets. These titles are all traditionally bound and in very good conditions. The bookcases are designed perfectly match the size and style of volumes inside, which becomes one of valuable treasures of Brown University Library. It is a unique book room with special bookcases in North America. ...more information
Palm Leaf Manuscripts

The Rev. Dr. Josiah Nelson Cushing, Class of 1862, was a missionary to the Shan people of British-occupied Burma and a noted linguist who translated the Bible into the Shan dialect and compiled a Shan-English dictionary. In 1881 he presented a complete set of the Tipitaka, the canonical text of Buddhism and many manuscripts written on painted and lacquered palm leaves. ...more information
Persian Miniature Paintings
Miniature paintings from the estate of Mrs. Adrienne Minassian. The paintings often include text from Persian and Indian tales. ...more information
Pingree (David E.)
The late David E. Pingree chaired the Department of History of Mathematics at Brown, and acquired a scholarly reputation of international renown from his own research into the history of mathematics and the exact sciences. In the course of his research, he compiled a research collection of books, pamphlets and manuscripts (many in photocopy format) in a variety of languages, some exceedingly rare and others found nowhere else in North America. The collection comprises more than 22,000 items, and is a remarkable resource for the study of mathematics in the ancient world. Its special focus on India and the relationship of Eastern mathematics to the development of mathematics and related disciplines in the West makes it of unique and particular importance for the study of the history of science. The majority of the collection is housed at the Rockefeller Library and are available to borrow. The rare titles are housed at the John Hay Library and are available for research in the Special Collections Reading Room by appointment. ...more information
Scott Library
A collection of 1,000 volumes in Icelandic, Pali, and Sanskrit formerly belonging to Dr. Adrian Scott, Class of 1872, was presented to the Library in 1914 by his classmates. ...more information
Wheaton International Law

The Wheaton Collection on International Law, established and developed by William V. Kellen, Class of 1872 and George Grafton Wilson, a faculty member at Brown. The collection, named in honor of Henry Wheaton, Class of 1802, a major figure in the field of international law, and author of Elements of International law. The collection, now including over 4,000 volumes holds many important books, particularly early editions of Grotius and Pufendorf. It also includes an unusually complete collection of general treatises on international law in English and foreign languages; fairly complete documentations for international arbitrations, the League of Nations, and the Permanent Court of International Justice; complete files of the more important international law periodicals for the 19th and early 20th centuries; a large collection of diplomatic pamphlets, and many volumes of diplomatic law and diplomatic correspondence.

At the time of creation, this collection was shelved together in the John Hay Library. The collection was interfiled with other books on the topic of law within Special Collections in 1970. The Library does not have a list of which books comprised the Wheaton Collection on International Law.
...more information

Image Source: The Kammavaca. Painted and lacquered manuscript palm leaves written in the Pali language using Burmese script. 18th century. Rare Book Collection. Gift of Rev. Dr. J. N. Cushing, Class of 1862.

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