Chinese Studies *: Digital Projects @ USC

This Scalar project is organized by Li-Ping Chen (Postdoctoral Scholar and Teaching Fellow, East Asian Studies Center, USC) and Tang Li (Acting Head and Chinese Studies Librarian, USC's East Asian Library) in association with an on-site exhibition and a panel discussion about Dr. Chen's life and legacy hosted by USC Libraries in Spring 2023. Part of this research is funded by Sources of Social Justice: The Floyd Covington Fellowship.

This online exhibition discusses the history and strengths of the USC Chinese rare book collection and features 55 special and rare editions of Chinese rare book titles. Users can browse the highlighted titles by historical period, subject, and technique of printing. Each entry includes a scanned page from the book, a detailed description of the contents, author and edition, a list of further reading, and a link to the record in the USC Libraries' online catalog. Four Chinese rare book titles have been digitized and available in the USC Digital Library.

This exploratory study, funded by the FY2021 USC Libraries Research Grant, analyzes the metadata of over 1,500 items in various categories from digital collections related to Republican China (1911-1949) in the USC Digital Library. It uses data visualization, mapping, social network analysis, and other analytic tools to investigate their coverage and connections in terms of geographic locations, timeline, historical figures and events, themes, and possible social networks. The results of this study, particularly the visual mapping and analysis, will help researchers gain a deeper understanding of USC’s Republican China collections.

Curated by USC students, this online exhibition features items from Zhang Ailing (Eileen Chang) Papers in the USC Digital Library and the Eileen Chang Collection at the University of Hong Kong's University Archives. It is organized by Jenny Lin (Associate Professor of Critical Studies, USC Roski School of Art and Design) and Tang Li (Chinese Studies Librarian, USC Libraries) in association with the virtual conference titled "Love, Lust, Caution: A Centennial Celebration of the Cross-Cultural Legacies of Eileen Chang" hosted by USC on November 20, 2020.

In conjunction with the physical exhibition on the Silk Road held at the Doheny Memorial Library in Spring 2022. This digital presentation was prepared in part by students in EALC 485 Material Culture of the Silk Road (Spring 2021) and EALC 382 Art and Cultural Heritage in East Asia (Fall 2022). Both courses were taught by Sonya Lee, Professor of Art History, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Religion.