Williams, Michael P
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Publication A "Loochooan" New Testament(2014-08-27) Williams, Michael PEssay on the history and bibliography of four books of the New Testament (including two editions of the Gospel of Luke) translated by evangelist Bernard Jean Bettelheim into Japanese/Ryukyuan, and published in Hong Kong, 1855-1858. Provides context on Bettelheim's role in Okinawan history as well as his knowledge of the languages spoken on Okinawa in the mid-1800s.Publication Leveraging Local Networks and International Partnerships in Japanese Collection Development(2019-01-01) Des Jardin, Molly; Williams, Michael PThis chapter details the development of the Penn Libraries’ Japanese Naval Collection, from its inception in our student’s scrapbook discovery to the iterative process of searching for and purchasing other Imperial Japanese Navy Training Fleet materials and related items, and encompasses promotion of the collection online by making digital facsimiles available and posting about its context and import on social media. Here, we re-envision the acquisitions, cataloging, digitization, and promotion process as the result of a network of individuals (both inside and outside the library) collaborating toward a shared vision of special collections. We have been integrating processes rather than functioning as a unidirectional assembly line in which component parts can be passed down a pipeline. Through this network of individuals, who share their complementary but unique skills and knowledge, formerly compartmentalized area studies materials can be more cohesively unified into a global collection and can enhance the value of the library’s distinctive special and research collections in an increasingly international context.Publication Building a Japanese Manga Collection for Non-Traditional Patrons in an Academic Library(2020-03-30) Williams, Michael P; Des Jardin, MollyThis chapter describes how the Penn Libraries began collecting Japanese- and Korean-language comics, focusing largely on manga from Japan aimed at engaging language students and instructors with Japanese library materials. These patrons are a non-traditional demographic typically not targeted by Japanese-language collecting in academic libraries. Penn’s initial approach to this collection has likewise been non-traditional, as we looked to fan and commercial portals for popular audiences to assess the pulse of contemporary publishing in Japan, rather than relying solely on library-facing resources such as WorldCat or publisher advertisements. We advocate for a holistic approach to collecting manga that embraces: dialogue with previously underserved patrons; surveys of varied online sources like marketplaces, fan websites, and social media; and active awareness of current, socially relevant topics in Japan. The methods we describe to identify, catalog, and provide bibliographic access to Japanese comic material in a library setting can be applied even in libraries that do not have staff with expertise in the language. We encourage other libraries to explore partnerships with institutions like the Penn Libraries in their communities or via interlibrary lending, who have the staff expertise and resources to develop more extensive Japanese-language manga collections. In turn, institutions such as ours have an opportunity to serve as leaders in collecting and making their collections available to the broader community.Publication Deepening Scholarly Access to Geppō: Toward a Collectively-Contributed Article Citation Database(2013-10-01) Williams, Michael PGeppō 月報, journal‐like pamphlets issued within monographic sets, are important resources containing material that complements the volumes with which they are issued. Typical contents for geppō include: brief academic articles, chronologies, bibliographies, reminiscences‐as‐biographies, editorial notes, biographical sketches of contributors to the series, errata and corrigenda, tables of contents, indexes, and information about other volumes in the series. Despite their wealth of contents—much of which can be found only in these publications—geppō traditionally have been overlooked and underappreciated. In many libraries, they have been lost or discarded. Based on an assessment of the current situation of geppō at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, as well as on a review of topical Japanese literature, I propose a collaborative database to provide access to these valuable but neglected resources. In this article, I will introduce the history of geppō, including their evolution over time and their treatment in libraries. I will then discuss challenges concerning collection of and access to geppō using a case study of one title held at the University. Finally, I will offer recommendations for consistent preservation methodologies of geppō and for the transformation of their analog content into indexed data.Publication Early Taishō Japanese Juvenile Pocket Fiction: Tatsukawa Bunko and Its Imitators(2014-08-27) Williams, Michael PEssay on the Penn Libraries' collection of juvenile pocket fiction (bunkobon) published in Japan in the Taishō period (1912-1926), centered around the most famous of these series, Tatsukawa Bunko (also known as Tachikawa Bunko). Explores the origins of this genre, the connection of Sarutobi Sasuke—this series's most famous protagonist,—to the birth of popular ninja culture, and the literary divides between Tokyo and Osaka as seen through the content of their respective juvenile series.