"Organization of the CSEAS Special Collections"

Speaker:

Prof. Salvacion Manuel-Arlante, Visiting Research Fellow (CSEAS)

Date&Time:

16:00-17:00, January 27 (Tue), 2004

Venue:

E207, East Building of CSEAS

Information sources have been acquired and developed by CSEAS to support its research and teaching functions. The holdings of the CSEAS Library have been enhanced by the acquisition of special collections such as materials on Philippine studies and its vernacular languages. The Special Collections are rare, unique, out of print, manuscripts in holograph form, published and unpublished ephemera or fugitive materials.

Previously acquired by CSEAS in another format of special collections from the holdings of the University of the Philippines are the microfilm reels of the Philippine Radical Papers, a collection of documents of militant student, political and religious organizations advocating political, economic and social changes during the Marcos administration specifically the martial law regime. They dwell on the Filipino people's fight against foreign dominion, the establishment, tyranny or oppression. These include street literature of revolutionary change and underground publications.

Notable in the special collections in print are those of two (2) Filipino historian writers namely Ambeth Ocampo and Marcelino Foronda, Jr. Both collections cover varied subject areas ranging from general works, history , the social sciences, languages, science, the arts, even legal materials, studies on Philippine literature, Philippine literature in English, in Spanish and in the vernaculars. There are also materials on religion which include doctrinal and pastoral theology, church history and the religious orders, devocionarios/novenas (prayers), such as triduos or septenas.

Organization entails bibliographic description, classification, cataloging and indexing in accordance with international standards. The materials in English that have been processed are already integrated in Kyoto University's OPAC. For the non-English materials, a finding tool or research guide that contains subjects or access points for literature searches, together with a database is the final product entitled NON-ENGLISH MATERIALS ON PHILIPPINE STUDIES: A GUIDE.. These non-English materials are also being integrated in the University's OPAC. On the whole, this project is geared towards rapid retrieval of information, which will redound to the promotion of scholarship and interest in Philippine and Southeast Asian culture.