Beyond Harvard: Databases, Digital Collections, & Libraries holding Korean Rare Books

Last updated on March 2, 2026

Information marked with the symbol "Ω" are my notes.

Page Contents:

  1. Databases and Digital Collections of Korean Rare Books & Maps
  2. Libraries and Institutions Holding Korean Rare Books (generally by country)

1. DATABASES AND DIGITAL COLLECTIONS OF KOREAN RARE BOOKS AND MAPS 

Ω Typically, keyword search can be done using both han'gŭl 한글 and hancha 한자 漢子. However, one is guaranteed the best, maximal search result by using both.  

2. LIBRARIES AND INSTITUTIONS HOLDING KOREAN RARE BOOKS (BY COUNTRY, ALPHABETICALLY ORDERED)

Ω Ordinarily, keyword search can be done using han'gŭl 한글, hancha 한자 漢子, and romanized Korean (according with the McCune-Reischauer Romanization system). To guarantee the best, maximal search results, one should try using all three. 

If you are unfamiliar with or not confidant with your MC-Romanization ability, try using worldcat.org as your resource. Worldcat.org "is a great resource for locating unique, trustworthy materials that you often can’t find anywhere except in a library. And by connecting thousands of libraries’ collections in one place, WorldCat.org makes it easy for you to browse the world’s libraries from one easy search box." 

Worldcat.org is a great place to see which libraries hold which title. However, because it allows one to do search for titles in the original language, we can use this to see how romanization happens. 

Try doing keyword search on Worldcat.org using both han'gŭl 한글 and/or hancha 한자 漢子 as appropriate. While the McCune-Reischauer Romanization system is adopted as the normative romanization for library information management in the United States, how different institutions keep record is by no means error-free. The benefit of using worldcat.org is that your search results will give you actual chunks of texts that you can copy-and-paste exploring different library catalogues and databases.

Worldcat.org is also useful for obtaining the Pinyin romanization for Chinese and Hepburn romanization for Japanese. 

The above method is useful for exploring materials at US-based databases and catalogues. For Japanese-, Chinese-, and European Languages-based databases and catalogues, things are a bit more complicated. When using Japanese and Chinese, if one uses appropriate sinographic fonts (by distinguishing, for example, between 國 and 国), one can obtain a good search result. 

CANADA

  • University of Toronto
  • Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
    • several specimens of metal movable types
    • several specimens of wooden movable types
    • one printing block 
    • one wood block for making nŭnghwamun book covers.

DENMARK

  • The Royal Library's Oriental Collection, Copenhagen
    • See also Pedersen, Bent Lerbaek. Catalogue of Korean Manuscripts and Rare Books. The Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark. University of Hawai'i Press, 2015.

FRANCE

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in France.

GERMANY

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in Germany.

AUSTRIA

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in Austria.

JAPAN

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in Japan.   

KAZAKHSTAN

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in Kazakhstan.

(SOUTH) KOREA

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in South Korea. 

RUSSIA

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in Russia. 

UNITED KINGDOM

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in the United Kingdom.

UNITED STATES

Click here for more details about Korean rare books in the United States.