The Asian Division of the Library of Congress will host a “National Conference on Establishing an Asian Pacific American Collection in the Library of Congress.” The conference will be held from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4 and Friday, Oct. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.

The conference is free and open to the public, but seating is limited to 80. Preregistration is required at www.loc.gov/rr/asian/APA_Register.php.

The purpose of the conference is to discuss the need for the Library to collaborate with cultural and educational institutions throughout the United States to continue to build an Asian Pacific American collection in the Library of Congress. Other conference goals are to review the current status of Asian Pacific American studies in the United States; to review the existing Asian Pacific American collections in various forms in the United States.; and to develop national and regional strategies for collecting and preserving research materials for the study of Asian Pacific American history. 

The conference includes the following four sessions and a forum: “Patron Perspectives of the Importance of the Asian Pacific American Collection in the Library of Congress”; “Importance and Growth of Asian Pacific American Studies” ; “Development of Asian Pacific American Collections” ; “The Need for a National Collection and a Networked Resource Sharing” ; and “Community Forum on the Significance of the Asian Pacific American Collection.”

Conference speakers include Asian Division Chief Hwa-Wei Lee and other prominent scholars in Asian Pacific American history and ethnic studies, as well as curators of major Asian Pacific American collections throughout the United States.

Keynote speeches and remarks will be delivered by Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii); Norman Y. Mineta, former Secretary of Transportation, 2001-2006; Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) and Frank H. Wu, dean and professor of law at Wayne State University Law School and author of “Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White.”  Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao may also be present to welcome the participants.

For a complete conference schedule, visit www.loc.gov/rr/asian/APA_Announcement.html.