RIT Library Gets ‘Read Japan’ Book Donation from The Nippon Foundation

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The Nippon Foundation's Read Japan donates books to RIT

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Wallace Library has received a book donation from The Nippon Foundation’s Read Japan “100 Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan” program. The Read Japan program donates books about contemporary Japan to libraries around the world. The 100 English books, selected by a committee of Japanese and foreign scholars and journalists, cover five categories: politics and international relations, economy and business, society and culture, literature and arts, and history.

The books will arrive on campus in the next few weeks and, according to Michael Laver, RIT assistant professor of history and grant co-writer, the donated collection will further the university’s increasing focus on global education and East Asia, in particular. Laver adds that a variety of students will be able to utilize the books including students enrolled in history, language, and culture courses, and those involved in campus clubs and activities such as Anime Club, Japan Student Association, and the Cosplay Troupe.

“RIT boasts a small, but dedicated, Asian Studies contingent on campus,” says Laver. “There are a number of faculty who teach in the field of Asian Studies and we have several students pursuing an East Asian track in the international studies program. Our Japanese- and Chinese-language classes are perennially filled. In addition, RIT students have the option of spending a summer at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology, further enhancing RIT’s global presence. Thanks to this generous grant from The Nippon Foundation, as well as the enthusiastic support of RIT’s Wallace Center, our library has gained an invaluable resource in the study of Japanese history, society, and culture.”

The grant was co-written by Shirley Bower, Wallace Center director.