The University of California, San Francisco Library has welcomed a significant addition to its holdings: an extensive library focused on acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Members of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) faculty, staff, students, and alumni (several of whom were practitioners at the UCSF Osher Center in acupuncture and integrative Chinese medicine) considered the UCSF Library a suitable steward for the collection.
UCSF has accepted the ACTCM collection, ensuring the preservation of these vital medical traditions and expanding access for both the traditional Chinese medicine practitioner community and the public. Associate University Librarian for Archives and Special Collections and Library Development, UCSF Archivist, Polina Ilieva remarks, “Accepting the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine collection underscores the UCSF Library’s long-term commitment to preserving and expanding resources related to East Asian and Chinese medicine, adding unique depth and breadth to our existing holdings while supporting the study and practice of integrative medical traditions.”
History of the ACTCM
The ACTCM was initially established in San Francisco in 1980 and became the first college in the United States to offer a Master of Science degree in traditional Chinese medicine. Later in 2015, the college merged with the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).
The Shuji Goto Library, which originally housed this collection, was established to support, enrich, and enhance the educational programs of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Its holdings included works not only on Traditional Chinese Medicine but also Western medicine, Asian philosophy and culture, alternative healing modalities, general sciences, and other subjects relevant to the interests and needs of the students. In addition to English-language publications, the library featured a substantial collection of Chinese works and a smaller selection of Japanese materials. It also offered CD/CDRs, DVDs, and slides focused on acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Contents of the collection
The archival collection contains unique items that are not otherwise available in the United States, including scrolls, collateral, photographs, cassette tapes, rare books, and two acupuncture sets.
There are more than 3,000 print books and journals, CDs/CD-Rs, DVDs and 16.25 Linear Feet (13 cartons, 1 oversize binder, 3 scrolls) of archival materials.
Access the collection
A finding aid for the ACTCM Records, 1981-2018, is available via the Online Archive of California.
The circulating collection is browsable in UC Library Search, please search for “American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Collection.” This will bring up the titles from that collection.