East Asian Library

The C. V. Starr East Asian Library (EAL) contains one of the most comprehensive collections of materials in East Asian languages in the United States. Its combined holdings, totaling over 1 million print volumes in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other East Asian languages, make it one of the top two such collections in the U.S. outside of the Library of Congress.

Important: Service announcement for CNKI resources

This library is wheelchair accessible.

Hours

Circulation services end 15 minutes prior to closing

Mar 24 - Mar 30
Location Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
East Asian Library monthly calendar Closed 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed
Academic holiday
Closed
Swipe to see more hours
View monthly calendar

Services

  • Use online tools or connect with a librarian to achieve your research goals. 

  • The UC Berkeley Library provides special assistance to Library users with disabilities as they engage with the Library and its resources.

  • Circulation Desk
    510-642-2556
    eal@library.berkeley.edu

    Check out and return books, pick up paged materials, or get help searching for an item. 

  • Make use of the printing and scanning options available at most library locations.

  • Learn how to access or place textbooks and other materials on digital course reserves.

  • 510-642-9255 (642-WALK)

    Arrange free night-safety services, including a walking escort to get you home safely. 

Contact

Location

Exterior of East Asian Library
C. V. Starr East Asian Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
510-642-2556

This library is wheelchair accessible.

Explore the East Asian Library

Visit

The East Asian Library is open to all researchers and visitors, with no identification, registration, pass, or prior arrangements required. Certain services, collections, equipment, or rooms may be available only to certain groups of UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff.

Please inquire at the Circulation Desk for further details.

Borrow

Circulation

All UC Berkeley faculty, staff, and students have borrowing privileges using their UC Berkeley picture ID. The IDs of enrolled students are automatically activated in the Library system. Faculty and staff may need to visit the Privileges Desk in Doe Library before checking out EAL materials. Stanford graduate students and faculty have also recently been added to the UC Berkeley Library circulation system.

Faculty, staff, and students from other UC campuses can obtain a UC Berkeley library card by presenting a current employee ID card or student ID at the Privileges Desk. Please visit the Library's borrowing page for full details.

Loan periods 

Books 

Faculty, Library staff (UCB, Stanford, GTU) — Six months (Item limit: 300, Renewal limit: six)
Graduate students, postdocs (UCB, Stanford, GTU) — Three months (Item limit: 200, Renewal limit: 11)
Undergraduate students, non-library staff — One month (Item limit: 100, Renewal limit: 11)
Visiting scholars, non-Berkeley borrowers (Alumni, CSU students, CA residents, etc.) — One month (Item limit: 20, Renewal limit: 11)

Bound periodicals    

One week

Microforms

One month

Media materials

One week (Item limit: four)

Reserves

Two hours or one day

Note that items shelved in the Reference Collections, Rare Book Room, and Special Collections, and other limited-use materials are non-circulating and cannot be checked out.

Renewals

Log in to your library account and either choose the Renew All button or select the items you’d like to renew and choose Renew Selected. The Status column will reflect the new due date or the reason the item was not renewed. All items may be renewed online except for reserve materials and items on which you owe fines. Please visit the Library's renew page for full details on renewals.

Return materials

Return materials to the circulation desk during library hours. After hours, return books to a library book drop. Refer to the lending library for information on returning non-book materials. Return interlibrary loan materials to Doe, 133.

If you return books in person, return receipts may be requested from a circulation desk for returned material. Materials damaged or incomplete should be brought immediately to the owning library circulation desk to discuss repair or replacement options that may be available. The Library does not keep a record or receipts issued. 

Overdue, lost, or damaged material

Library borrowers must return or renew items by their due date. When an item becomes overdue, borrowing privileges will be blocked until the item is returned. Some libraries charge a fine for overdue items. See: full details regarding billing, blocks, and replacements.

UC Berkeley students who have owed the Library $200 or more for at least 30 days will also be blocked campus-wide with the Registrar's Office. Students blocked by the Registrar's Office will not be able to obtain transcripts or register for classes. Blocks are removed after all outstanding bills and fines have been paid.

If you have further questions about library privileges and accounts, email the Privileges Desk.