My Impressions of Chinese Libraries

    In a recent survey of Chinese Libraries undertaken on behalf of the Chinese National Library Association，I recently visited thirty libraries in more than ten cities．The work took a month．I addressed librarians in three different places and met many prominent educators both Chinese and foreign，such as Dr．Hu Shih，Dr．Howard Galt，acting president of the Yenching University，Roger S．Greene of the Peking Medical College，Dr．J．L．Davies，acting president of the Cheeloo University，Chancellor Tsai Yuan Pei，Mr．Ye Kung Cho and Mr．Hwang Yen-Pei．I conferred with many of these with regard to the kind of library training that students in the future should receive and had a rare opportunity to discuss with trained librarians，either individually or in groups，what special kind of training should be emphasized to fit library students for the present situation on China．

    My first visit was to Kaifeng，where I found，to my surprise，that practically the whole land revenue of the province had been set aside for educational purposes．This was due to General Feng Yu Hsiang，whose example has been followed by all his militaristis successors，who have not used any of this revenue for military purposes．Because of their financial independence，the schools have been growing in number．The provisional government has supported not only primary and middle schools but also a university which has just erected a＄160,000 building for its library，all paid for from the provisional treasury．This library spends＄36,000 a year for the purchase of books in foreign languages．Mr．Li Yen-ting，a librarian trained in America，has worked faithfully and quietly to build up this library．A general course on library training is given．In addition to his library work，the librarian is a professor of chemistry，in which he gives two courses．Mr．Li showed me the Provincial Library，where he was revising the catalog，and the Popular Library，situated in the Drum Tower with administrative offices in a separate house below the Tower on the street．It was fully crowded with readers．

    My next stop was at Tinghsien，where Dr．V．C．Yen has been working for mass education and rural reconstruction for years．Tinghsien is not an attractive place．To my question“Why did you choose such a locality as headquarters for this important work？”Dr．Yen told me that he had three reasons：First，the result of mass education at this place is more satisfactory than elsewhere；second，the gentry or men of prominence are more inclined to cooperate and have turned overland and buildings for use in the work；and third，the staff members have found this place a good experimental station，as it is not far from Peiping．Dr．Yen said to me：“You must secure the services of real readers，if you desire success in your undertaking，and you must present some large project that will appeal to them．If you have the project and the men to carry it into effect，the money will come to you．”I asked what part the library should play in such a project．He answered：“Library activity is one of my projects，although it is not of primary importance．”He said that he would like a library primarily for the use of his staff and secondarily for the use of the people in the rural districts．To carry out such a plan，he would take some men of Henry C．D．Chen's caliber，paying him a salary which I named．Chen is a graduate of our School，who has built up the library of the Chinese Social and Political Association in Peiping．

    My next stop was Peiping，where I had not been for four years．The last time I was there was when I went to Europe to attend the first world conference of librarians in Rome．At that time in company with the American Minister Mr．MacMurray，Dr．Y．T．Tsur，Mr．H．C．Zen，and Mr．T．E．Yuen，we visited the new Library building，then still in process of construction．The walls，of Chinese marble，were then only about four feet high．Now the building is completed．It is not only beautiful and imposing but also a store house of rare treasures．It combines Chinese and Western architecture and is amply fitted for the use for which it was erected．This library was built by the China Foundation with the indemnity fund returned by America．The collection of Chinese books，consisting of 50,000 volumes all written by hand，together with numerous printed books of the Sung and later dynasties and many rare manuscripts，formerly belonged to the government and as now incorporated by an agreement with the China Foundation as the National Library of Peiping．Great emphasis is now laid by the library on the purchase of books in foreign languages，back files of scientific journals of different countries，standard works in the large sense，and books not easily found in other Peiping libraries．Those who do search work are finding this library indispensible and it also has many books for circulation．Numerous readers come here daily to copy portions of books not to be found elsewhere in China and there is also a photostate service．I also found in this Library an unique collection models of the Yuen Ming Yuan Palace，the Summer Palace，the Winter Palace and the Imperial Tombs of the Tsing Dynasty．The acting director，our friend Mr．T．L．Yuan，and Dr．Y．T．Tsur，chairman of the building committee，who worked with the director in designing this lovely building，have taken great pains in bringing about the acquisition of the government books as stated above．Mr．Yuan has on his staff over a dozen of our graduator working in different departments and has offered to our school a scholarship of＄200 a year for the training of librarians，beginning next term．

    The Chinese Social and Political Science Association has also a new building．The librarian，Mr．Chen has specialized in geology for many years．His Library has a splendid collection of books on political subjects．Among those who were instrumental in organizing the Association and in building the Library are Paul Reinsch，the late American Minister to China，Roger S．Greene，Dr．Willoughby，Dr．Goonow，Dr．Hu Shih and Dr．Y．T．Tsur．Mostly the books are given by American universities．

    The Tsing Hua University has just completed an addition almost twice as large as the original building，it has two specious reading rooms and can accommodate 600 readers very comfortably．I am impressed by the systematic administration and by the number of projects that the Library is hoping to carry out．These are made known to the staff and are kept posted in the librarian's office．Each member are required to hand in a daily report of work．Dr．Andrew Wang，one of our graduates，is the librarian，and another of our student is in charge of cataloging．

    The Yen Ching University Library，I regret to say，seemed to me not well adapted to its use．The administrative offices are too small and the Library will soon need enlargement．This Library has been greatly benefited by the Harvard-Yenching Institute，supported by the Hall Fund．Many standard Chinese books in large sets and works in China in foreign languages have been liberally brought with this money．The order work is carried on most efficiently．The librarian is Mr．Orval Tien，one of our graduates．In addition to his duties in the Library，he has spent his spare time manufacturing white ink and shellac．Several libraries have brought them from him at reasonable prices．His binding case that he uses for Chinese books is also one of his inventions．

    The Library of the Peking Medical College is well classified and cataloged in direction of Mr．T．C．Tai．The classification is based on that of the Boston Medical College Library．The Library has a fine collection of medical journals in addition to books on medicine and surgery．There are a few small reading rooms but the Library has no building of its own．

    The Library of the Geological Survey，now several years old，was built with funds contributed by its friends．It is a research Library，having a collection of more than 20,000 volumes in foreign languages and more than 5,000 in Chinese，mainly on geology，geography，paleontology，archeology and mineralogy．Its collection of maps is unique and there are also over 200 technical journals．The survey issues various valuable publications including two journals，one on geology and the other on soil conditions．The Library receives a grant from the China Foundation for the purchase of books．

    The Library of the National University，lacking of adequate building，is now temporarily housed in the Chinese residential quarters．Nevertheless the collections of Chinese and western books number altogether 200,000，but unfortunately they are not cataloged．This Library dates back to the Manchu Dynasty．It is maintaining a binding department of its own，which operates very well and cheaply．Native material is used and the average cost is less than 30￠per book．

    The National Normal University Library has been greatly improved since the return of its librarian，Mr．Ho Erh Chang．

    The Library of the Roman Catholic University，in charge of a German librarian，Dr．Shierlitz，is not large but new and active．It is temporarily housed in an administrative building．The librarian has adopted the Dewey Classification and personally cataloged all western books，Chinese books being handled by his assistants．I was introduced to the chancellor，an American，a very cordial and energetic man of middle age，who was much interested in library training for China and suggested cooperation between libraries，including an exchange of duplicate books．As a matter of fact，libraries in Peiping have already begun some cooperative work．They have published an union catalog in three large volumes and have introduced an interlibrary loan system．

    The National Library of Peiping has even gone a step further．It has not only secured the cooperation of other libraries in the country but also of foreign libraries．By special arrangement with the Columbia University Library in New York，two members of the staff have been sent over for further training．An exchange of librarians has been arranged with the Prussian State Library；for the present year，Mr．Walter Simson，of the latter library，exchanged with Mr．Yen Wen-yu．It is hoped that this plan may be adopted by other European countries．Eighteen of our graduates are at work in Peiping at different libraries and I was given an opportunity to address them and to enlist their help in making our work a success．In response they offered us a scholarship，to be called the Wood Scholarship in honor of Miss Mary Elizabeth Wood．

    I next visited Tientsin，where I saw three libraries．The Nankai University Library has a fine building with a steel stack，given by a Chinese scholar．The department of economics has developed a workable collection on this and allied subjects．

    The Library of the College of Education for Women，though inadequately accommodated，is well maintained．Every space has been utilized to the best advantage and the books are well used both by students and staff．

    The Peiping University Library is under-staffed．The library building is very dark and unattractive，which is not conductive to good results．

    My next stop is Tsinan，the capital of Shantung．This is another hopeful spot．It is fortunate that this province has at the head of its government an earnest，honest and hard-working military man．Han Fu-chi，who is trying to introduce efficient and decent government and is making numerous reforms．Shantung is not a rich province but because of the General's attitude toward education，it has maintained a university in addition to its school system．Its interest in libraries is well known．The Shantung Provincial Library has most valuable collections，including a complete manuscript of the Buddhist scriptures．Recently the librarian，Mr．Wang Hisen-Tong，secured from the Mai-yen Kuo Library a collection of twenty kinds of rare books which are real treasures．He has also paid much attention to the collection of old bronzes，tablets and rubbings and he has a museum in the Library where archeological collections are exhibited．About a month before my visit to his Library，he had obtained anoth... -->>
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