The Collection

About half of the Library's 1000 items are Chinese textbooks that target learners of different levels, age groups, and backgrounds. These texts showcase a wide array of content and pedagogical approaches.

Cultural materials about China are another important component of the collection. With books, art albums, manuals, and travel guides, the materials cover almost all aspects of Chinese culture, civilization and society including: Chinese classics, art history, ethnic culture, modern literature, politics, history, geography, business, technology, martial arts, Chinese medicine, and Chinese cooking. Most of the volumes come with rich illustrations giving teachers visual aids for their instruction and providing students with ideas for stimulating class presentations. The books also serve as an excellent introduction for any member of the public who is interested in China.

Many items in the collection are enhanced with multimedia functions (CDs, DVDs, and audio recordings), thereby enrichening Chinese teaching and learning with the extra edge of digital technology.

The UCLA Confucius Institute Library also works with the UCLA East Asian Library to make its impressive collection of Chinese language books, films, and electronic more accessible to the public.