Merged after reunification with Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị Provinces to create the new larger administrative unit of Bình Trị Thiên Province, Thừa Thiên Huế Province regained its separate status in 1989. The principal public library of Thừa Thiên Huế Province administers the provincial network of libraries, which comprises eight rural district libraries. It contains a total of 130,000 books and 300 different magazine and newspaper titles. Special collections include ancient documents written in nôm, materials from the French colonial and American periods and a Champa Research Collection of 33 works. Thanks to financial support from the Asia Foundation the Library now incorporates an English book reading room. Thừa Thiên Huế Provincial Library is one of the few public libraries in the country with its own book restoration and preservation centre.