Libraries in China

Last updated

The first libraries in China came into being during the time of the Shang dynasty (the sixteenth to eleventh centuries B.C.) as intellectuals known as the Shi (historians) and Wu (diviners) emerged from manual labor to special occupations for the creation and spread of culture. Among the documents that these occupations managed were "the country's statute books, genealogies of imperial kinsmen, issued notices and orders, and recorded important events and natural phenomena. For future verification and reference, they built storehouses to keep records in different media. To meet the needs of more and more complicated affairs and to ensure easy use, they began to collect and sort out those records according to chronological order and category. Thus, the earliest library in China came into being. The numerous kinds of media loaded with information and knowledge emerged in human society, resulting in the concepts of preservation and collection. Accordingly, the earliest libraries and archives were the result of conscious collection, process, coalition, and utilization." [1]

Contents

Early in the history of China, scholars had extensive private libraries, and all of the imperial dynasties constructed libraries and archives to house literary treasures and official records. These early private libraries acted more as book repositories than libraries. The actions of book repositories were often limited to basic functions such as collecting, preserving, and compiling books. There were four major types of book repositories in the Qing dynasty (1644 AD–1912 AD): Government, private, academy (shuyuan), and temple book repositories. [2] The first modern libraries, however, did not appear in China until the late nineteenth century; even then, library service grew slowly and sporadically. In 1949 there were only fifty-five public libraries at the county level and above, most concentrated in major coastal commercial centers. [3]

Following the founding of the People's Republic, government and education leaders strove to develop library services and make them available throughout the country. The National Book Coordination Act of 1957 authorized the establishment of two national library centers, one in Beijing (National Library of China) and the other in Shanghai (Shanghai Library), and nine regional library networks. Even so, libraries still were scarce, and those facilities that were available were cramped and offered only rudimentary services. Seeing the lack of libraries as a major impediment to modernization efforts, government leaders in the early 1980s took special interest in the development of library services. The special concentration of funds and talent began to produce significant results. More than forty Chinese institutions of higher learning also had established library science or information science departments. There were more than 2,300 public libraries at the county level and above, containing nearly 256 million volumes, and below the county level some 53,000 cultural centers included a small library or reading room.

At the end of 2004, China had 2,710 public libraries with a collection of over 400 million copies. There were 2,925 public libraries in China in 2011. [4] By the end of 2022, there were 3,303 public libraries in China. [5] Of the university or college libraries, the collections of Peking University and Zhejiang University libraries lead the nation. [6] [7] The national library network also includes scientific research institution libraries, trade union libraries, plus libraries and reading rooms attached to government institutions, army units, primary and secondary schools, townships, enterprises and local communities.

National Library

The country's main library, the National Library of China, [8] housed a rich collection of books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, prints, photographs, manuscripts, microforms, tape recordings, and inscriptions on bronze, stone, bones, and tortoiseshells.

The National Library of China, with a collection of over 26 million volumes, is the largest library in Asia, housing the largest collection of Chinese books in the world. In the library's collection are over 35,000 oracle bones and tortoise shells carved with ancient Chinese characters, 1.6 million volumes of traditional thread-bound books, over 16,000 volumes of documents from Dunhuang Grottoes, 12 million volumes of foreign-language books, and dozens of electronic databases. [9]

The library started to accept the submissions of official national publications in 1916, becoming the main national database; and began to accept submissions of domestic electronic publications in 1987. It is also the country's ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) Center and Network Information Center. At present, the National Library of China has formed a digital library alliance with some 90 other libraries around the country, making joint efforts in promoting the development and application of China's digital public information service. The second phase of the National Library – China Digital Library, whose foundation was laid at the end of 2004, is planned to be completed and commissioned in October 2007. The expanded library will be able to meet book storage demand for the next 30 years. The Digital Library will make it the world's biggest Chinese literature collection center and digital resources base, as well as the most advanced network service base in China.

Other libraries

The Shanghai Municipal Library, one of the largest public libraries in the country, contained over 7 million volumes, nearly 1 million of which were in foreign languages. The Shanghai Library, well known at home and abroad, is China's largest provincial-level library. Of its collection, the over 1.7 million volumes of ancient documents are the most valuable and representative, including 25,000 titles of rare ancient books in 178,000 volumes, many being the only copies extant in the world. The oldest document dates back nearly 1,500 years.

The Peking University Library took over the collections of the Yanjing University Library in 1950 and by the mid-1980s – with more than 3 million volumes, one-fourth of them in foreign languages – was one of the best university libraries in the country. It is one of the earliest modern new libraries in China. Approved by the State Council as the first batch of national key ancient books protection unit, has developed into a resource rich, modern, comprehensive, open research library. [10]

Major provincial libraries

Special administrative region libraries

Libraries operated in the "Taiwan Area of the Republic of China" - the Republic of China (Taiwan) - are not included.

Municipal libraries

This excludes libraries of direct-administered municipalities of China, which are listed with provincial libraries, and libraries of special administrative regions.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Yongle Encyclopedia</i> Chinese encyclopedia

The Yongle Encyclopedia or Yongle Dadian Chinese leishu encyclopedia commissioned by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty in 1403 and completed by 1408. It comprised 22,937 manuscript rolls in 11,095 volumes. Fewer than 400 volumes survive today, comprising about 800 rolls, or 3.5% of the original work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Library of China</span> Library in Beijing, China

The National Library of China is the national library of the People's Republic of China, located in Beijing, China, and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It contains over 41 million items as of December 2020. It holds the largest collection of Chinese literature and historical documents in the world and covers an area of 280,000 square meters. The National Library is a public welfare institution sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampines Regional Library</span> Regional library in Singapore

Tampines Regional Library is a library located at Our Tampines Hub, Singapore. It is the first regional library in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Library</span> Public library in Shanghai, China

The Shanghai Library, which also houses the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information, is the municipal library of Shanghai, China. It is the largest library in China and the third-largest library in the world. At 24 stories and 348 feet tall, it is the second tallest library in the world after the National Library of Indonesia in Jakarta, as well as one of the largest. The building has a tower that resembles a lighthouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shihezi University</span> Public university in Shihezi, Xinjiang, China

Shihezi University is a public university in Shihezi, Xinjiang, China. Founded in 1996, it is affiliated with the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and co-funded by the Ministry of Education and the Corps. The university is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yunnan Provincial Library</span> Public library in Kunming, China

Yunnan Provincial Library (YPL), founded in 1909, is located in Kunming, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanjing Library</span> Public library in Nanjing, China

Nanjing Library is the third-largest library in China with over 10 million items. It houses important scientific, cultural and arts literature relating to Jiangsu province and other national historical records such as ancient Chinese and foreign publications. As located in the ancient capital Nanjing, the library contains 1.6 million ancient books and 100,000 volumes of books, documents and manuscripts dating from the Tang dynasty to the Ming dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhejiang University Library</span> Chinese library system

Zhejiang University Library is the libraries system of Zhejiang University, and one of the largest and oldest university libraries in China.

Chiang Fu-tsung, courtesy name Weitang, was a Chinese educator and politician of the Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wuhan University Library</span> Library in Wuhan, China

Wuhan University Library is the library system of Wuhan University, serving the university's students and faculty. It has 4 branches: Arts and Sciences Library, Engineering Library, Information Technology Library and Medical Library. The collection contains approximately 228,000 books & periodicals, 5,778 newspapers, 6,767,000 printing volumes, 6,590,000 e-books & e-magazines, 442 databases and 200,000 volumes of thread-bound ancient books as of 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heilongjiang Provincial Library</span>

Heilongjiang Provincial Library is the largest library in Heilongjiang Province, as well as a major provincial library in China. It houses important scientific, cultural and arts literature relating to Northeast China and other national historical records such as ancient Chinese and foreign publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsinghua University Library</span> Library of Tsinghua University in Beijing, China

Tsinghua University Library System consist of the Main Library and six branch libraries: Humanities & Social Sciences Library, Economics & Management Library, Law Library, Architecture Library, Fine Arts Library, and Finance Library. The Main Library, with a total construction area of 42,820 square meters, consists of the Old Library, West Library and North Library. The West and North Libraries are integrated harmoniously in style with the Old Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haining Library</span> Public library in Haining, Zhejiang, China

Haining Library, or Haitu (海图), is a public library affiliated to Haining Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sport. The library is located in Haining, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China, with a main building located in 60-62 Xuelin Street and 11 branches and tens of circulation points located in all the towns and sub-districts under Haining. As of August 2018, the library contains 1.7 million item. It is ranked as a National First Class Library by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region</span>

Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government is the provincial administrative agency of Tibet, People 's Republic of China. The provincial government consists of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress, the TAR People's Congress Standing Committee, and has a mandate to frame local laws and regulations, such as the use of the Tibetan language in the region. Additionally, rules for adapting national laws to the province are also the responsibility of the People's Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ningbo Library</span> Public library in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

Ningbo Library is a public library located in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ningbo Municipal People's Government, under the administration of the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, and is a legal entity established by the Ningbo Municipal Government as a public welfare institution. As the center of Ningbo's public library service system, Ningbo Library not only has paper and electronic books, journals, and newspapers but also has a wide range of collections such as handwritten books, calligraphy, picture albums, photos, music, film, and television materials. Among them, the library has collected the writings of famous Ningbo people as well as Ningbo local newspapers and magazines in the work of preserving in situ cultural relics, which is the characteristic collection of the library. Based on the above-mentioned collection, the library has conducted research on literature resources in Ningbo and surrounding areas. By the end of 2020, the library had a collection of 3.1 million paper books, over 3.6 million electronic books, and 15000 electronic journals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archives of Yuhuan</span> Archives of Yuhuan, in Taizhou, Province of Zhejiang, China

The Archives of Yuhuan is a municipal archive located in Yuhuan, city of Taizhou, in Zhejiang Province, China, established in July,1980. The current building was built in October 1984, with an area of 699 square meters, of which 422 square meters is the area of the library. Until June 2018, the collection of archives had 155 full files, more than 70,000 volumes, and 12,933 books in the collection. The new building of the archive is located on the side of Xuanmenwan Sanqiao, Shugang Avenue, Yuhuan Economic Development Zone; the old building has been closed and is located in Yucheng Subdistrict. The museum has achieved the honor of "Model County for Archives in the Construction of National Socialism's New Rural Areas" for Yuhuan, and it is the seventh in Zhejiang Province and the first in Taizhou City to be designed as, "First Grade Standard Archive in Zhejiang Province".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangzhou Children's Library</span> Public library in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Hangzhou Children's Library, is a public library located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the People's Republic of China. It is a national first-class library assessed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Founded on January 16, 1982, it was formerly the Children's Reading Room of Xinmin Branch of Zhejiang Library established in 1928. The new main building is located at No. 75 Shuguang Road, Xihu District. The foundation stone was laid on December 31, 1997, and it has been open since June 1, 1999. Covering an area of 5482 square meters. On July 16, 2019, a branch of "Shangshan House" was established on Nansongyu Street, Shangcheng District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental Library, Shanghai</span> Library in Shanghai, China

The Oriental Library (Chinese:東方圖書館) was a pioneering library in Shanghai, China. Established in 1925, it was the first publicly accessible private library in China. Located on Baoshan Road in Zhabei, it was owned and run by the The Commercial Press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taizhou Library</span> National first-grade library in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.

The Taizhou City Library, also known as Taizhou Library (台州图书馆), abbreviated as Tai Tu (台图), is a municipal-level public library located in Taizhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. It is supervised by the Taizhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports, and is an affiliated unit of the latter. The library building is situated at 168 Hexie Road, Jiaojiang (Taizhou). As of 2019, the total collection of documents in the library reached 876,774 volumes, making it a nationally recognized first-grade library evaluated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuhuan Library</span> National first-grade library in Yuhuan, Zhejiang, China.

Yuhuan City Library is a county-level public library located in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province, China, established in August 1978. The old location is at Guangling Road No. 69, Yucheng, Yuhuan, while the new library located in the South Zone of Yuhuan Economic Development Zone is under construction. As of the end of 2016, the total collection of the Yuhuan Library exceeds 300,000 volumes. Currently, Yuhuan City Library is managed by the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film, Television, Press, and Publication of Yuhuan and is designated as a national first-grade library by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

References

  1. ↑ Hua, Xie Zhuo (1996). Libraries and the development of culture in China. Archived 10 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine "Libraries & Culture", No. 3/4, pp. 533.
  2. ↑ Zhang, Yao (December 2014). "The development of library and information science in China (1840–2009)". IFLA Journal. 40 (4): 296–306. doi:10.1177/0340035214541033. ISSN   0340-0352. S2CID   145394841.
  3. ↑ Zhixian Yi. "History of Library Developments in China" (PDF). IFLA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Statistical Communiqué on the 2011 National Economic and Social Development". stats.gov.cn. National Bureau of Statistics of China. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  5. ↑ National Data database at National Bureau of Statistics of China
  6. ↑ PKU Library Archived 24 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ ZJU Library Archived 13 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Official site of the National Library of China. Users can search database of books, periodicals, and statistical yearbooks.
  9. ↑ Benzin, Kate (11 September 2017). "National Library of China – Largest in Asia". Red Duck Post. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Lib.pku.edu.cn. (2017). Overview and History | Beijing University Library. [online] Available at: http://www.lib.pku.edu.cn/portal/bggk/bgjs/lishiyange Archived 17 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine [Retrieved 16 March 2017].

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . Country Studies. Federal Research Division.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.