Woo-Ju Memorial Library

In 1971 Mr. Chia-Tsin Shen established the Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions (IASWR) at the Stonybrook Campus of the State University of New York on Long Island. In 1991, this institute was transferred to this new library. The Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS) and the IASWR named this library "Woo-Ju Memorial Library" in memory of Mrs. Shen (Woo-Ju Chu) to honor her twenty years of contributions to the library and the BAUS.

The institute provides informational facilities and services to assist individuals, institutions and organizations in the teaching, study, and practice of religious ways of life.

Currently there are more than 70,000 books in the library, the bulk of which are Buddhist reference books including sutras in Pali, Sanskrit, Mongolian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, French, and German. As contained in the original microfiches, the ancient documents from the famous Duan Hwang Cave are also stored in this library.

Additionally, the holly books of Tibet, ordered from the Library of Congress, are collected here. It makes the Woo-Ju Memorial Library one of the few libraries which has rich Tibetan religious books in the United States.

The Woo-Ju Memorial Library has been the most visited place for comparative religions and the Asian cultural studies. The library has regular hours during weekdays when it is open to the general public.

The large reading room of the library faces the woods and the Seven Jewels Lake. It offers a view of the Great Buddha, the Kuan-Yin Hall across the lake and the statue of Kuan-Yin by the Seven Jewels Lake.

Last updated: 12/26/98