LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES

David Wyatt, Frank Golay, John Echols, George Kahin, and Giok-po Oey (curator) celebrate the newly named John M. Echols Collection, 1977.

The AIFIS Library

Some member institutions of AIFIS have been donating to the AIFIS library at the Jakarta Center copies of available books on Indonesia that have been published by the publications division of their universities over the past sixty years. Since the modern study of Indonesia in the United States in the various Area Studies programs goes back to just after World War II, with roughly ten universities involved (Cornell and Yale being the oldest from the 1950s, with others being established after that time), this implies a collection of hundreds of books and journals which are becoming available to American and Indonesian researchers there. No such collection has previously existed in Jakarta or anywhere else in Indonesia. The common space around this library—which is housed prominently in our AIFIS office—fosters an environment of study and an atmosphere of collegiality and intellectual exchange at the center.

The diverse collection of books and journals already in our library and reading room currently include full runs of Cornell Modern Indonesia Project and Cornell Southeast Asia Program publications on Indonesia and of the journal Indonesia (volume 1 [April 1966] to volume 95 [April 2013]), together with various volumes on Indonesia published by Cornell University Press, the University of Hawaii, Ohio University and UC Berkeley. Other consortium members are in the process of sending their universities’ publications to the AIFIS center in Jakarta.
Our library will continually expand each year by acquiring new publications as they are produced by the growing number of researchers who pass through and use the center itself. We are also collaborating with the Library of Congress representative in Jakarta, who is a member of our board, to expand further our collection of print offerings. A subscription to JSTOR—an electronic repository of millions of scholarly journals in the sciences, arts, and humanities, with excellent coverage of Indonesian Studies—complements these offerings.

The Library of Congress - Indonesia Elections Web Archive: With a population of almost 270 million people, Indonesia is the third most populous democratic country in the world. It is also the state with the largest Muslim population in the world, even though there are significant numbers of other religious groups. The multi-ethnic population is dispersed among many islands, and there are many different political parties. The Indonesian Elections Web Archive covers the general elections of 2009 and 2019 which included both parliamentary as well as presidential elections, the presidential election of 2014, and the provincial elections of 2018.

Claire Holt Archives, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts:  Claire Holt was a founding member of the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, and author of Continuities and Change:  Art in Indonesia.  NYPL holds a large collection of albums compiled by Claire Holt made during her research.

Claire Holt Archives, Cornell University:  Claire Holt's research archive is divided between Cornell University and the NYPL.  The Cornell Papers collection maintains Holt's research notes, letters, and other documents pertaining to her work in Indonesia.

The Echols (Southeast Asia) Collection:  In 1977 the Southeast Asia Collection at Cornell University was named in honor of John M. Echols, professor of linguistics and literature in the Southeast Asia Program, who devoted three decades to its development. Today, the Echols Collection is widely regarded as the foremost collection of materials on Southeast Asia in the United States.

The Lontar Foundation:  Located in Jakarta, The Lontar Foundation is dedicated to bringing Indonesian drama, literature, and poetry to an English speaking audience.

Rumah Seni Cemeti (Cemeti Art House):  The Cemeti Art House is one of the oldest and most influential arts organization in Java.  Located in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Cemeti offers important resources and information about the development of contemporary art in Indonesia.