University of Maryland: Gordon W. Prange Collection

The Gordon W. Prange Collection was brought to the University of Maryland in 1949-50 by Gordon Prange. It contains copies of publications reviewed and censored by the American Occupation forces during the years of 1945-1949. It is housed in the Hornbake Library with the University of Maryland's other special collections, while the McKeldin Library holds a microfilm collection of its materials.

For more information about the Gordon W. Prange Collection, please contact Amy Wasserstrom collection manager at (301) 405-9294 or by email. Travel grants are available for use of the collection,please see details below.  

Theodore R. McKeldin Library

Gordon W. Prange Collection

For all comments and questions about the Guide, please e-mail us:

mlaguide@nccjapan.net

Collection size: as of May 2014

• 71,000 book and pamphlet titles
• 13,800 magazines titles
• 18,000 newspaper titles
• 10,000 news agency titles
• 640 maps
• 140 ephemera items
• 90 posters
• 600,000 censorship-related documents accompanying the collected publications
• Total materials: 713,670 items

The Gordon W. Prange Collection, housed in the Hornbeck Library, is a unique archival collection of Japanese print publications from the years 1945-1949, collected under the Allied Occupation of Japan. Gordon Prange was an historian at University of Maryland who was part of the Occupation forces.  When the collection was about to be disposed of he offered to take it and bring the resources to Maryland. The collection is comprehensive for publications of the time, including magazines, newspapers, radio broadcasts, and books. Portions of the collection have been digitized and are available by subscription.  

URL: http://www.lib.umd.edu/prange

A database of the children's books within the Gordon W. Prange Collection that have been digitized, including some 1,608 picture book titles (絵本) and a growing number of comic books (漫画) and story books (読み物).

Gordon W. Prange Access Status

20th Century Japan Research Awards

Prange Collection FAQ

Directions

Campus map

The Gordon W. Prange Collection is open Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm. However, use of the collection is by appointment only. Please email or contact the Prange collection at least three days prior to any planned visits. All researchers using the Gordon W. Prange Collection will need to create an account in an online material request system called Aeon to request materials for use onsite in the Prange Collection or to place a duplication order. Please create an account and request materials here. Please refer to the following instructions:

Creating an account: https://prangecollection.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/aeon-new-online-material-request-system/

Requesting materials: https://prangecollection.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/2155/

Some materials are available on micofilm in the East Asia Collection in McKeldin Library, which does not require an appointment to use.

To initiate a duplication order, a researcher must first create a user account in Aeon as instructed above. Duplication requests are made directly from the user account. Duplication will not be released until payment has been received. for fees and payment methods, please see here.

Researchers are required to complete and sign a Notification of Intent to Publish Reproductions of Prange Materials if duplications are acquired for publication or broadcast purposes. It is the user's obligation to determine if a particular use exceeds what is permissible under U.S. copyright law or, if applicable, under the copyright law of another country, and to assume full responsibility for any infringing use of materials. If copy clearance is granted by the copy right holder, duplication restrictions may not apply.

All newspaper or magazine duplications are possible only through the microforms available at the East Asia Collection of the McKeldin Library.