Training the Trainers: Materiality of Ming Books and Manuscripts

Presented by UCLA Library, The Claremont Colleges Library(opens in a new tab) and Columbia University Libraries(opens in a new tab). This project was made possible in part by an award from the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation(opens in a new tab).

The Materiality of Ming Books and Manuscripts lecture series brings together 13 scholars from North America and China to explore the history and material culture of Ming books and manuscripts. Speakers will present both foundational and recent research, offering essential context for a broad audience, including librarians seeking to build expertise in primary source materials and Object-Based Learning (OBL) instruction.

The series is designed to enhance awareness, strengthen professional competencies and deepen understanding of East Asian cultural heritage. Online sessions will introduce Ming books and manuscripts, while a future in-person residency will offer hands-on engagement with primary sources for selected participants.

Programs will be delivered in either English or Chinese with live, simultaneous English translation.

The Ming dynasty (1368–1644) produced an extraordinary range of printed and manuscript works, reflecting innovations in papermaking, woodblock carving, ink production, multicolor printing and standardized calligraph style for printing. These physical qualities offer valuable insights into Ming social, cultural, technological and economic life. Today, many exemplary Ming materials survive and are preserved in East Asian collections across North America.

The UCLA Library’s Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library and UCLA Library Special Collections hold approximately 90 Ming-era books and manuscripts. The collection was assembled through both acquisitions and donations: most acquisitions were made between the 1950s and 1970s, while the majority of donations were received in the 1980s.

Su Chen, Director of Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, UCLA Library
Su Chen has served as Director of the Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) since 2011, following prior positions at McGill University Library and the University of Minnesota Library. In 2015, her position was endowed by an anonymous donor and designated as the Su Chen Endowed Head of the Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library. She holds a BA and an MA in Philosophy from Guizhou University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, and an MLIS from McGill University. Her research interests focus on China-related resources in North American libraries, and the history of East Asian libraries.

Xiuying Zou, Head of Asian Library, The Claremont Colleges Library
Xiuying Zou is the Head of Asian Library, The Claremont Colleges Library. She has over 24 years of experience as East Asian Studies Librarian at various research institutions, including SUNY-Binghamton, and University of Pittsburgh. She received a BA in English from Sichuan Normal University, an MA in English Literature from Sichuan International Studies University, and her MA degrees in Political Science Library Science were both from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests include Sino-western cultural and historical contact, and bibliographic and provenance studies of East Asian rare books in North America and Europe.

Chengzhi Wang, Chinese Studies Librarian, C.V, Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University
Chengzhi Wang serves as Chinese Studies Librarian of C.V. Starr East Asian Library and Research Scholar of Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University, and a member of Boston-based Board of Mary Elizabeth Wood Foundation. He obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include archival and historical studies of China-U.S. exchanges in libraries, education and culture.