Latse Contemporary Cultural Library, a project of Trace Foundation, is a forum of open inquiry for all audiences interested in Tibetan culture. The library conducts programs and makes available a unique collection of up-to-date texts, multimedia and other research materials in relevant languages that represent the extent and character of Tibetan cultural diversity. It is an active center of modern Tibetan cultural studies and provides a forum for meaningful interaction, learning and the exchange of ideas. We assist those with interests in the humanities, arts, and sciences in order to promote a deeper understanding and wider appreciation of Tibetan culture and its contribution to the world's cultural heritage. If you wish to find out more about Latse, please visit www.latse.org.

Overview and description

Latse aims to document the experience of modern Tibet and present a picture of the richness of Tibetan culture today. Our comprehensive collection is uniquely dedicated to illustrating the arts and culture of contemporary Tibet, with a special focus on Tibetans in the People’s Republic of China. It complements the work of other institutions that support a high level of scholarship in philosophy, religion, pre-modern history, and linguistics. Through collaboration with other institutions, development and sharing of electronic resources and a variety of public events, Latse broadens access to materials and opportunities for exchange. We serve a diverse audience ranging from the interested public, children and families to scholars, researchers, artists, and thinkers worldwide.

Latse prioritizes secular culture as an important area for research and documentation. Tibetan secular culture is frequently misrepresented, and until recently, has received relatively little attention. Latse anticipates an increasing interest in modern Tibetan studies and is prepared to play a vital role in expanding the field through open access to its collection, cultural programs, lectures and seminars, on-site multi-media facilities and on-line resources. Latse also makes available cultural materials on other peoples (in their respective languages, where available,) in order to present a wider perspective on the complexity of Tibetan culture. These include Han Chinese, Mongolian, Monguor "Tu", Salar, Manchu, Yi, Bai, and Bhotia.

In addition to an extensive print collection, Latse presents to the public a wide range of audio-video materials. Latse collects audio and video recordings in any physical format from China and throughout the world in order to allow Tibetan culture to be heard and seen as well as read. Its collection emphasizes the contribution of contemporary Tibetans to their culture and invites Tibetan culture to step out from behind book covers for current patrons as well as future generations. Latse is a venue for Tibetans to showcase their own heritage, share their cultural aspirations and learn more about their culture, social heritage and physical environment.

As more and more Tibetans from inside China visit the West, they gain first hand knowledge and have greater opportunities to share their scholarship and experience. Latse introduces visiting scholars to useful tools for sustaining meaningful dialogue with their international peers and participating fully as members of an international community. Chinese and Tibetan language work from inside China has limited recognition outside of China. Similarly, research and resources available outside of China are virtually unknown inside China. Latse encourages a wider readership for these materials through outreach activities and the creation of electronic reference tools.

Latse provides an environment in which scholarly, creative, pedagogic, and professional activity are valued and supported. The library is a forum for free inquiry, the critical examination of ideas, findings and conclusions and a place for all to learn. Our holdings encourage an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding and appreciating the diversity and interrelationships of Tibetan culture. Overall, we aim to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by the unique offerings of Tibetan culture - and in turn inspire deeper understanding and greater respect for the rich cultural heritage of the world.

Library Collection and Programs

In support of our goal to render tangible the heritage of Tibetan culture, Latse maintains a unique collection of materials, unusual in both its depth and variety. Because of our tight regional focus, we are able to make available a wide range of research resources that include books and rare manuscripts, printed blocks, periodicals, photographs, slides, illustrations, postcards, maps, audio-visual material, games, computer software, and instructional materials. Our collection consists mainly of materials in Tibetan language (various dialects), English and Chinese. In addition to these we also welcome relevant materials in other languages such as Mongolian, Monguor "Tu", Hindi, Japanese, and various European languages. We actively solicit catalogues of new publications and possess a large stock of the prolific number of works Chinese publication houses have been bringing out in the last two decades. We aim to have one of the most up-to-date collections of Tibetan-language materials in the world.

The Latse Contemporary Tibetan Library has in excess of 10,000 books and an additional 10,000 journals, newspapers, and magazines. Among our books we have the recently-printed encyclopedic work on Tibetan religious illustrations, Bod rgyud nang bstan lha tshogs chen mo, edited by 'Jigs med chos kyi rdo rje, and the blockprint collected writings of Che shos Rinpoche Byang chub bstan pa'i sgron me, until recently unavailable outside of China. Among our periodicals we have complete collections of the scholarly journals, Bod ljongs zhib 'jug [Tibetan Studies] from Lhasa and Krung go'i bod kyi shes rig [China's Tibetology] from Beijing. In addition, we have complete collections of the literature magazine Bod kyi rtsom rig sgyu rtsal [Tibetan Art and Literature] from Lhasa and folk magazine Mtsho sngon mang tshogs sgyu rtsal [Qinghai Folk Arts and Culture], published in Xining, Qinghai Province. We have a complete collection of the newspaper Qinghai Ribao 青海日报 [Qinghai Daily] spanning from 1949 to 2000. We house extensive runs and scattered issues of more than 150 different periodicals. Of particular interest is a complete run of Yul phyogs so so'i gsar 'gyur me long dge [The Mirror of News from All Places], the first Tibetan language newspaper to appear outside of China. Started in the 1920s by G. Tharchin, it stopped printing in the 1950s and includes valuable contributions, such as several rare essays by the controversial scholar, Dge-'dun-chos-phel.

The collection extends to include the work of Chinese in Chinese language about Tibet, such as Zangbei de Dongji 藏北的冬季by Cao Gang 曹刚. This work offers a unique perspective by an informed outsider on the life and customs of the Changthang (Byang-thang) Tibetans. We have rare first editions of Western publications, out-of-print Tibetan language books from the 50s and 60s and early travel diaries of adventurers, missionaries, and political figures in Tibet. Qiuye Chenmeng 艽野尘梦, a 1911 account by a Qing Dynasty commander, documents the perilous escape of 150 people from the Changthang area as a result of which only seven reached their destination. Our collections of translations from English and other languages into Tibetan, includes works such as the Sanmin Zhuyi Yaoyi 三民主义要义 from the Guomindang period, Marxist works, and modern feature films, and shows the history and development of Tibetan language.

Latse actively maintains an international collection of academic dissertations, purchases rare prints from Tibetan monastic presses, and hosts a rich set of reference materials. These include dictionaries, bibliographic and biographic materials, indexes and art catalogues. We have over 1,500 audio-visual items on a variety of media such as audio cassettes, VHS tapes, CD, VCD, and DVD. These include Nongnu 农奴[Serf], the first Chinese film depicting the plight of serfs and their revolt against old Tibetan society, and Lunar New Year celebrations from various Tibetan areas.

Programs :

• Cultural workshops on music and crafts
  
• Seminars on topics such as literature and research methods
  
• Prose and poetry readings
  
• Musical classes
  
• Film series
  
• Lectures by specialists
  
• Cultural shows
  
• Cooperative projects with other cultural and academic institutions

Services :

• Public access and modern facilities for visitors to use the entire collection.
  
• Computerized library catalogue
  
• Internet access to library resources such as databases and digital media
  
• Communication and reply to inquiries via phone, email, and mail
  
• We will respond ourselves or forward requests to area specialists
  
• Walk-in access to research databases
  
• Facilities to use the multimedia materials
  
• Xerox facilities for patrons
  

Why Latse ?

Previously known as “Himalayan and Inner Asian Resources”, we have recently changed our name to reflect more accurately our mission and collection. The name, Latse, is a Tibetan term and with two different yet connected meanings.

Latse as labtse signifies the ubiquitous stone and wood cairns that Tibetans build on hilltops and mountains. This custom grows out of the folk beliefs of Tibetans, whose sacred geography is laden with empowered sites such as lakes, mountain peaks, valleys, and caves that serve as the abode of deities or protectors (gzhi bdag). These local deities are honored and appeased through the building of such a latse, which is annually constructed in ceremonies varying according to the lunar calendar. The latse itself usually consists of tree branches, sometimes together with wooden arrows, swords and spears that are fastened together with string and supported by a base of stones and rocks. This is one of the oldest Tibetan customs, is found in all regions inhabited by Tibetans, and has continued to the present day without interruption.

The second meaning, lartse, shares the preceding meaning and in addition signifies 'peak of a mountain pass'. Tibetan sacred geography grants mountains the status of gateways to divine realms and recognizes these as the abode of powerful deities, both male and female. In Tibetan oral tradition the Five Long-life Sisters (tshe ring mched lnga) dwell in the five principal peaks of the Himalayan range and bear the responsibility for people's lifespan, clairvoyant ability, soil, precious substances, and cattle. The most important of these is Qomolangma, better known as Mount Everest.

The image of Latse inspires our activities to comprehensively represent the distinctness of Tibetan culture, its contemporary vivacity and the relevance of the past to the present.

Staff

Latse's present staff consists of four members with complementary interests in Tibetan culture. Pema Bhum serves as Director; his previous experience includes teaching language and culture courses at Indiana University. He is currently researching modern developments in Tibetan culture and literature. Tenzin Norbu currently serves as Tibetan Language Lecturer at Columbia University, and his interests cover Tibetan environment and music. Sonam Dhargay holds a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from Indiana University. He is interested in the application of computer technology for Tibetan cultural projects. Kristina Dy-Liacco has completed graduate work in Tibetan studies and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Studies from University of Wisconsin. She is interested in the Tibetan-Naxi cultural world and comprehensive reference tools for Tibetan studies.