MISS MARY ELIZABETH WOOD：The Queen of the Modern Library Movement in China

Yang Tze Engineering Works，etc．．Sometimes they went to far away places on the Yang Tze——Wuhu，Kiukiang，Nanchang，Shangsha，Shasi，Ichang．One went to Kaifeng in Honan，and another to Yung Ching in Chili，and still another travelled to Peping．These libraries usually made up of lots of 100 books or more．Sometimes they contain all the Chinese books，sometimes all English books and sometimes half English and Chinese．For the law school she tried to include as many books relating to law as possible；and for the agricultural school，books relating to agriculture．The difficulty she has experienced in carrying on this work has been to find suitable books in Chinese on these subjects．They have not been translated，or if so，the translation is often a poor one．One of the greatest needs in educational world in China today are books on up-to-date scientific，social and political subjects，and inspiring biographies．Literature for young people which make the lives of children in America and Europe so full of joy，is also sadly lacking．As she made up these libraries，she was constantly confronted with these needs．However she never ceased her efforts to reach out and carry the influence of books to the students gathered in our midst，though most of the work has been slow，gradual and decidedly up-hill，with one exception——the public lecture course．

    As the work in the Boone Library grew，technical training became necessary．With the support of friends in the Church at home，Miss Wood sent Mr．Samuel Seng as the first student from China to America for library training，and Mr．Thomas C．S．Hu three years later．Immediately upon the return of Mr．Seng，the Boone Library linked up with the Lecture Department of the National Committee，Y．M．C．A．，Shanghai，in order that a demonstrated lecture on the Need of Public Libraries in China be given．This undertaking carried the modern library idea far afield，as these lectures demonstrated with apparatus were given in fourteen cities in China．

    The next vision that came to Miss Wood was to start a library school at Boone for the training of young men for library service in this land of ours．This plan was heartily endorsed by Bishop Gilman，then President of the University，and the library school was founded as the department of the University in March of 1920，with a class of six students who have since been known as“The Happy Six”．They have established fine records of service in their careers as librarians．The work Miss Wood has done through the Library School——now the only one in China——is far reaching，because the School is graduating young men and young women every year in modern methods of library work，and these graduates are over China，holding responsible positions in libraries．Though the School has but a short history of ten years，yet the influence these graduates exert is very great．

    In 1926 Miss Wood took a most significant step which proved to be of national importance．That was her lobbying in Washington for the benefit of our people．It was a suggestion made by Dr．David Yui，that if the indemnity was remitted by the United States，a portion of it be used to introduce certain models of the public library in China．A petition was therefore drawn up，embodying this idea，which was sent to the President of United States after she had succeeded in securing 150 endorsers，including leading statesmen，prominent educators，and business men who attached their signatures to this document．In order that the Bill might go through the America Congress，Miss Wood volunteered to go to Washington and work for its passage．She remained there for five months and saw particularly all the Senators and Congressmen．The Bill passed by a large majority．

    In order to impress upon the members of China Foundation for the Proustion of Education and Culture，entrusted with the administration of this returned indemnity，the importance of modern public libraries，the American Library Association with a membership of 6,000 was requested to send a representative to make a survey．American friends of the Boone Library，through the efforts and influence of Miss Wood，financed this mission．Dr．Arthur E．Bostwick，Librarian of St．Louis Public Library，twice President of the Association，a great authority on the American Library system and author of many books on library science，was chosen to come to China to survey the field and advise in planning and organizing these modern public libraries．The coming of this delegate meant a launching of a National Library Movement．This has grown out of Miss Wood's effort，the Boone Library which started in such a humble way，has slowly but steadily gone forward year by year，little by little，until the opportunity came to take a national step，which wields an influence throughout the whole country．The magnitìcent libray，now called the National Library of Peping，situated in the Palace，is the result of her faith and labor．And it is hoped，as years go by，that other libraries will follow．The same Foundation seeing the need of library training，and recognizing the work done by the Boone Library School，was prompted to make an annual grant to this School to further the work．From now on we must struggle anew to hold this privilege，as other libraries under the Government，better equipped than the Boone Library，will seek this grant．

    Miss Wood was in every respect，a great and ardent library worker．She made herself fit for her work by study at different times，while on furlough，in Pratt，and Simons College，getting instructions from such competent teachers as Miss Plummer，Miss Rathbone，Miss Howe and Miss Donnelly．Her interest in the library movement in China brought wonderful results：the Boone Library and its many travelling libraries，and public reading rooms the Boone Library School which boasts of her eighty upwards of graduates serving in many places at home and abroad；the coming of Dr．Bostwick to China and subsequent establishment of National Library Association and the opening of the National Library of Peping，and the formation of the China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture，one of whose projects is the advancement of library work in China．By these fruits we know the tree．

    After reading of the above account of the great life of a marvelous woman，though and inadequate incomplete it may seem，one will certainly question how she came to achieve her success．She could tell better than anybody else，but she never mentioned it once．We know just this much．She prayed a great deal every day．She asked God for help when she felt weak and herself unequal to the task set．Whatever joy or grief she had，she let Gold know of it．She prayed for God's counsel before launching any big plans．In asking for the constributions for the site，and putting up the library building，and furnishing it，and asking for gifts for books and periodicals from Women's Auxiliaries，the Church Periodical Club，etc．，and for support to further her library work in China from year to year，she wrote thousands and thousands of letters．The reams of paper she had thus consumed would certainly fill the whole library！Is she not justified to be called by the above title——the Queen of the Modern Library Movement？She certainly deserves this honor，and will long be remembered as such，even though she has passed away．When Hans Christian Anderson died，they said of him：“Hans is not dead，he will live forever in the hearts of children”．We may well say of Miss Wood：“Miss Wood is not dead，she will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese people．”

    （见1931年《文华图书馆学专科学校季刊》第三卷第三期）