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China Studies Digital Archives Mapping Project Introduces Depository of Open Databases as Part of Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) today launched an important advancement in China studies research. A for the China Studies Digital Archives Mapping Project offers a free guide to open databases for China studies research, as well as a list of leading university libraries that offer services to unaffiliated scholars. The initiative is part of the , which recently received a $3 million extension grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support this and related initiatives through 2028.

Building on the released in September 2024, the China Studies Digital Archives Mapping Project is a searchable directory of more than 65 repositories that offer free access to large primary source sets for China studies research. Highlights include projects maintained by former Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies fellows, including , , and the . The website also features additional collection information and metadata that can be downloaded as a full data set. Planned updates over the next year include a new section of articles, tutorials, and templates detailing digital workflows for researchers and data librarians.

"In a time of increasing barriers to accessing primary sources in the field of China studies, this much needed online resource addresses a major gap in discoverability and connects the work of scholars, librarians, and digital archivists around the world," said JM Chris Chang, ACLS Special Projects Researcher for International Programs. "ACLS and the Henry Luce Foundation are committed to supporting this important, growing field and strengthening support for early career and under-resourced scholars as they navigate a challenging research environment."

"This project has the potential to have a broader impact on China studies, not only by helping individual students and scholars, but by providing librarians and archivists with guidance and tools to better support their local academic communities," said Joshua Seufert, China Studies Librarian at Princeton University Library.

The Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies was in 2023 to reinvigorate and diversify the field. The program includes for emerging scholars, for graduate students and contingent faculty, and an annual for working groups to pilot solutions to urgent challenges in the field. The program also continues the work of the Digital Archives Mapping Project and supports workshops for fellows on public writing and publicly engaged scholarship.

Formed a century ago, the is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations. As the leading representative of American scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, ACLS upholds the core principle that knowledge is a public good. In supporting its member organizations, ACLS expands the forms, content, and flow of scholarly knowledge, reflecting our commitment to diversity of identity and experience. ACLS collaborates with institutions, associations, and individuals to strengthen the evolving infrastructure for scholarship.

The seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.

Media Contact

Anna Polovick Waggy, American Council of Learned Societies, 6468307661, [email protected],

SOURCE American Council of Learned Societies