My Impressions of Chinese Libraries

d another collection of fourteen kinds of bronzes and earthen-ware which had been excavated from a place not very far from the city．These were thought to have belonged to the Chow Dynasty before the time of Christ．Mr．Wang has planned a new building for his Library and has already in hand＄50,000．When he has raised another equal sum，the provincial government will give him a third amount，making＄150,000 altogether．This Library has a beautiful location in a park on the shore of the famous Tai Ping Lake．Library work in this province is quite active，especially in the so-called People's Libraries．A third-day conference of the librarians in the province had been held here just before my arrival．

    The Augustine Library of Cheeloo University has also received the part of the Hall Found，the interest of which is used for the purchase of the books．The Chinese collection is not under the charge of the librarian but under the Chinese department head．

    The Shantung University in Tsintal was the next one that I visited．The dean acted as librarian．I was introduced here to the mayor，Seng Hung Nieh，who was quite different from the usual official type．He told me that he had planned to erect an library for the municipality in the near future．

    I then went by boat in Shanghai，where I talked with President Pott of St．John's University about the problem of library training．I then visited the Law Library，which is efficiently run．The atalog is well made，book orders and periodical renewals are attended to systematically and the cards for Chinese books are neatly written．The Shanghai University has now moved into its new building and has grown considerably since my last visit seven years ago．The Library is under-staffed and to make up for this deficiency student helpers are employed．A room has been set aside for the International Relation Club of the University to house books and publications given by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace．

    The Kio-tung University Library is one of the oldest libraries in China．Mr．Doo Ding-u，its librarian，is working under great handicaps．

    The Academica Sinica National Central Research Institute Library serves as a bureau of exchange for foreign publications．Mr．Kung Ming-chung，its librarian，has a difficult position to hold，as he has to know many foreign languages．Many of his exchanges are public documents from foreign countries，to catalog which requires an accomplished linguist．

    The Science Social Library has a new building only three years old，erected in memory of one of its founders．Much floor space in its building seems to have been wasted，but its collections on pure science and its files on rare technical journals are valuable．

    The Bank of China also has a library，which is primarily for the use of its staff members，especially for its research department．A rich merchant，Ye Hung Yin has given＄1,000,000 for the erection of a building and has instituted a board of treasure．The Library when built is to be called the“Hung Yin Library”．

    Hangchow was my first stop after Shanghai．Much progress in library work has been made here．Historically it is the center of culture because the Wen Lan Kuo，one of the seven world libraries in China financed by the Government，is still regarded as a Library of valuable collections．

    The Checkiang Provincial Library has a fine new building which is quite imposing，and with its massive pillars resembles，some of the American libraries by the ceiling is too high and the light coming through the high windows will strain the eyes of readers and of the library workers especially in the catalog room．In the stacks，the sun's rays are admitted through high windows directly to the books，which is not to their advantage．Two charging desks on the same floor，one for books and the other for periodicals，seem unnecessary．The librarian，Mr．Chen Shun-chin is most active and has sent travelling libraries to launches running on the Chien Tong River for the use of their passengers．These libraries are sent also to some public institutions．The Library has undertaken compilation work and also publishes a monthly periodical．

    The Hangchow Christian College Library is a new building，completed a year ago last June，on a beautiful site commanding an extensive view．I had only in hurried visit with the librarian，Mr．Pen，after office hours．

    In Nanking there are a considerable number of libraries，all good．The present Library of Ginling College for Women is housed in a building where classes are held，not suitable for its use，maintains an open shelf system，which makes administration difficult unless there is adequate supervision．The Library has numerous student helpers who do routine work．I learned that some of these difficulties would be eliminated when the Library moves into its new building，which is almost completed．

    The Library of the Military Officers Academy is a fine new building of three stories．It is much needed and many books are borrowed for home use．This Library does some publicity work and assists the readers in many ways．

    The National Central University Library has undergone organization since the installation of the new president，Mr．Lo Chia Lun．More books may now be borrowed at one time and kept for longer periods and the Library is kept open hours for longer hours for reading and reference．Dr．John Kwei is the librarian．The Library has already outgrown its staff room and a plan for enlargement has been made and will soon be put into effect．

    The University of Nanking Library，under Dr．K．C．Liu，is constantly growing and its work is flourishing．It has an income from the Hall Fund amounting to＄50,000 for the purchase of Chinese books and other books on social science with reference to China．Dr．Liu，with two of his staff members，is offering courses in library science．Mr．R．S．Li，also a trained librarian from America，has charge of Chinese and foreign language books with the Hall Fund for the Research Institute of Chinese Studies．The University has an unique collection of books on Chinese agriculture．Its collection of works on topography ranks second in the whole of China．Mr．Wan Kuo-ting is the librarian of this special Agriculture Research Library，which has issued some notable publications．

    The Library of Chinese Studies is solely for the use of Chinese scholars and is not intended for the public．An admission fee is charged for the use of books．Books printed in the Sung，Yuan and Ming Dynasties，as many as manuscripts and other rare works，are to be found here．The librarian，Mr．Liu Yih Mou，is a Chinese scholar．He and his assistants are now compiling a catalog of reprints with analytical annotation which will be most useful when completed．The annual reports published by this Library contain many articles of value．

    The National Central Library has been newly established under the auspices of the Military of Education．It is hoped that it will become a reference library for the new capital，as the National Library of Peiping is for the old．Its librarian，Mr．Chiang Foo-chung，has made a special study of the continental library system，spending two years in Germany．He has contacted with the commercial press of Shanghai to have a certain number of copies of the four departmental collections reprinted，hoping by exchange of this monumental work with foreign libraries that his own library will become national in fact as well as in name．

    The Central Political Science College Library，well administered by its librarian，Mr．Hung Yu-fung，has a notable collection of works on political science and is especially rich in material regarding Sun Yat-sensim．

    The Ministry of the Interior maintains a library of some note．The collection of books on topography is the third largest in the country．The Chinese copyright law requires that two copies of Chinese publications should be submitted to this Ministry and that of Education，but unfortunately，this library is inadequately housed．The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has another good government library．Search for material in answer to request is made carefully and often occupies many days．

    From my casual observation on this tour of inspection，I am pleased to find that China has made great progress in library work in the last five years despite the crisis through which the country is passing．Practically every institution of high learning has a library with a collection of books of some note．Learned societies have not only libraries but separate attractive buildings to house them and their collections，as a rule is valuable．Scholars and educators take great pride in the libraries belonging to their respective provinces．Men of wealth have found that good use can be made of their money by founding libraries．The government，as indicated above，is establishing libraries for its various departments and laws have been passed to reward those who establish libraries with private means．Library periodicals issued by individual libraries，in addition to The Library Science Quarterly published by the National Association，have sprung up like mushrooms．These are hopeful signs but there are other forces preventing library growth，which I will indicate briefly as follows：

    College authorities often interfere with the administration of their libraries and these are not infrequently force to employ staff members whose work in other department is unsatisfactory．There is often pressure to employ incapable relatives or friends of faculty members．The library is sometimes placed in a department under a dean who is unfamiliar with library work and the library suffers in consequence．

    There is often lack of appreciation of library services on the part of the teaching staff and too much routine work is required before books can be cataloged and placed on the shelves．

    Professors，especially in the Chinese Department，fail to observe library rules and the librarian is unable to enforce them．

    All orders for books，supplies and equipment for the library must go through the business department of the college and frequently articles so offered are not fitted for use．

    There is lack of coordination between the teaching staff and the library staff in their relations with the student body．

    In many college libraries，no appropriation is made for the purchase of books for the librarian's reference shelf．

    There are too many untrained assistants and in many case no effort is made to instruct them in fundamentals．

    Plans are needed for mutual aid in interlibrary loans，etc．，as already in operation in Peiping and Nanking．

    Local library clubs are needed for the exchange ideas with a view to the improvement of the profession．

    More training is needed for work with special collections．Student who has made a special study of geology，social science，law or medicine should be encouraged to take a course in library technic，after which they will be fitted for this kind of special service．

    There is special need for training men and women for service in popular libraries that have been widely established throughout the country．

    Bookkeeping should be given as a required course for students in training．

    In large libraries，such as the National Library of Peiping，specialization has become necessary．Students in the future should have an advanced course in some special topics as cataloging，classification，reference work or public document．For general libraries，of course，the training should be more general．

    （见1934年《The Library Journal》第59卷第11期）