Australian National University LibraryConference and Seminars Dr Mechthild Guha, Manager of the Asia Pacific Cluster, ANU Library, and Mr. Colin Steele, the University Librarian, have co-authored a paper entitled "Staffing the Digital Library of the 21st Century". Mechthild and Colin went to Beijing on 24 October 1998 at the invitation of Peking University on the occasion of its centenary celebration. Mr Steele will present the paper at the International Symposium on Libraries in the 21st Century to be held at the Peking University Library. A contingent of distinguished librarians from the USA, Europe and Australasia was present for the four days of the Conference in Beijing. En route to Beijing Mechthild and Colin also visited the new Shanghai Municipal Library (arguably the largest public library in the world) where Colin gave a public lecture. Colin visited the National Library of China and had discussions with its Directors on future relationships between ANU Library and National Library of China. Collection Developments ANU Library has acquired a unique collection of six unpublished/banned Chinese documents on opposing rash advance and the Great Leap Forward (1956-1959). The documents were presented to the Library by two former ANU Scholars. The Library was given to understand that there are only two copies available, one for the ANU Library and the other for the Faribank Center of Harvard University, USA. ANU Library has acquired a complete volume set of the Korean publication "Hanguk ui sasang taejonjip" published in Seoul by Tonghwa Chulpan Kongsa, 1972-1974. The set is hardbound and comprises 24 volumes. ANU Library was also presented with a copy of "The Rape of Nanking : an undeniable history in photographs" by Shi Young and James Yin and edited by Ron Dorfman, with a foreword by Desmond M. Tutu and a preface by Ying-shih Yu. The book is of expanded 2nd edition, published in 1997 by Innovative Pub. Group of Chicago, USA. On 7 August 1998 collection management librarians at the Asia Pacific Cluster of ANU Library presented a demonstration of a hugh range of electronic resources to ANU academics and students utilising the new Library web site. The demonstration was intended to facilitate efficient and effective utilization of various resources that are now available on the web. Staff from the Asian Collections of the National Library of Australia were present at the demonstration and raised many interesting questions. ANU Library and the National Library of Australian has signed an agreement on collection co-operation between the two institutions for the acquisition of Chinese provincial and provincial capital city statistical yearbooks. Staff newsIn Memory Soon after the last issue of EALRGA was out the Library received the sad news of the passing away of a former colleague of the Library. Mrs Hisako Hennessy, or more affectionately known to her friends as Susie, passed away on Saturday 11 July 1998. Mrs Hennessy commenced working in 1975 in the Asian Studies Division of the Library. After working for almost 15 years she finally called it a day and retired in November 1991. She is mostly remembered for her dedication to work, thoughtfulness, and ungrudging willingness to help. We recall Susie's kindness and affection for her colleagues in the Library, when she sent back some goodies from Japan, while on holiday there. After indulging in the food she sent us, we discovered that the airmail postage she paid for the delivery was almost ten times the price she paid for the food! Mrs Hennessy is sadly missed by all who knew her, past and present. Richard Chan Asia Pacific Cluster, The Library The Australian National University National Library of Australia1. Gift of Chinese books The well-known Australian author and former Cultural Counsellor to China, Dr Nicholas Jose, has donated a collection of Chinese language works to the National Library. Some 70 items have been taken into the Library's Chinese collection. They are mainly literary publications from the 1980s and include Chinese translations of Australian works. There are also some self-published anthologies of Chinese poetry and poetry journals. which are difficult to obtain through standard suppliers. A number of the books have been signed by their authors. Dr Jose has also been donating his papers (including those relating to his writing about China) to the National Library's Manuscripts Section. 2. Korean Survey Presentation An official presentation of the final report of the Survey of Users of Korean Materials took place at the National Library on 22 October. Bodies which helped fund the Survey, including the Korea Foundation, the Australia-Korea Foundation and the Korean Studies Association of Australasia were represented at the ceremony. Academic and librarian members of the Korean Working Group which oversaw the Survey were also present. Copies of the report are available. 3. Distinguished visitors to NLA Mr Xu Wenbo, Vice-Minister of Culture, China and accompanying delegation to the ninth meeting of the Australia-China Joint Cultural Commission; Mr Wang Luning, Deputy Director, Yangzhou University, China; Professor J.T.Yamaguchi, Professor of Management, Keio University, Japan; Ms Hanae Ohtsuka, Research Librarian, Australia-Japan Foundation "Australia Library", Japan; Dr William Wordie, History Department, Hong Kong University; Professor Li Mingwu, Information Study Documents Chairman of Dalian Fishery Science Research, Dalian, China; Mr Jongsok Kim, Department of Arts Policy and Management, City University, London, UK. 4. Collection management The removal of non-Asian collections from the 3rd Floor stack is allowing improvements to the housing of Asian materials including more appropriate folders and boxes and some cleaning of stack areas. A proposal to fund improvemnts to the housing of the Harold S. Williams Collection on Japan has been approved, and other formed Asian collections are also receiving attention. 5. London Missionary Society Collection An article by Andrew Gosling entitled "Religion and Rebellion in China: the London Missionary Society Collection" was published in National Library of Australia News, 8(10) July 1998, pp.3-6. A revised version is also available at http://www.nla.gov.au/asian/pub/aglms1.html The article deals with the London Missionary Society Collection of Chinese language sources held at the National Library. This collection includes rare items from the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864). After the Taiping items, the most significant materials in the collection are the Bible translations and other Christian works in Chinese, many now rare. Since the article appeared there have been a number of queries from scholars within Australia and from overseas about this unusual collection. 6. Asian Studies Association of Australia Conference, September-October 1998 A more detailed report on the highly successful library panel organised by EALRGA and APSIG on 28 September at the ASAA Conference in Sydney appears elsewhere in this Newsletter. The National Library was strongly represented at the conference with Marie Sexton, Andrew Gosling, Wan Wong, Lek McFadden and Tieke Atikah attending. In addition CP Tang and Papiya Chakravati manned the successful National Library display which allowed many of the delegates to see demonstrations of the National CJK Service and other online services. Andrew GoslingChief Librarian, Asian Collections UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY LIBRARY NEWS1.Purchase of expensive items
China Delegation from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, led by Professor Shen Weiping and accompanied by University Librarian John Shipp. 24 July 1998 Library Delegation from China, led by Professor Yang Zongying, Shanghai Jiao Tong University with 15 visitors, accompanied by the Information Librarian, John Rodwell. 7 August 1998 Visit of Consul (Science & Technology) Zhao Xiaolin, Consulate-General of China, accompanied by 15 visitors and University Librarian, John Shipp. 21 August 1998 Visitors from the Sako High School, Japan, accompanied by Peter Dodd, International Relations. 5. Library Restructuring The consultants, Clark Hummerston Pty Ltd, have been engaged to restructure the Library with the primary objective of improving the effectiveness of library services. The restructuring processes started on 2 October, with information gathering, organisation analysis and the review of technical services processes. All library staff in the technical services have interview-opportunities with the consultants. Recommendations for technical services improvements will be ready by December 1998. Review of all other sections of the Library will be continued next year. Magdalen Lee East Asian Collection Librarian Fisher Library, University of Sydney Email: m.lee@library.usyd.edu.au |