Kept receiving photos from the colleagues I met in Beijing and feel like a celebraty. When we finished the last meeting session, and before we went back to the hotel room, NLC staff handed us CDs full of conference ppts and photos. Their efficiency suprised us all. Now back to work, I received Mr. Yin and Ms. Lu Haiyan’s prompt email reply getting on to serious business. That’s efficiency!

Lingbo asked me to post this here, and hope we can attend together.

Date & Time: Friday, October 23rd, 2009 — 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Location: The Paetzold Health Education Centre Auditorium Jimmy Pattison Pavilion South Bldg
Main entrance – 899 West 12th Avenue – (proceed past the Info Kiosk > past the elevators > doors will be to your right)

Parking: available across the street on West 12th Ave (pay parking)

Admission: $2 (free for children and students)
(a donation basket will be available if you wish to donate to Div B)

There will also be light and healthy deserts and refreshments provided as well as several door prizes.
We are expecting a large turnout (last year 149 attended) and need to order an appropriate amount of food — we ask that you RSVP to rodney@ewoliving.com to confirm your attendance. Thank You.

Rodney Denno, ACS, ALB
Division B Governor, 2009-2010
Toastmasters in BC, District 21

9月8日的晚宴， 见到了很多老朋友：李馆开心大叫一声，让我感觉很亲切。纽约的老同事张鸿运先生加入CALA团队，即将赴西北培训中国馆员。在北京重逢真是意外。 当年瘦小的Jimmy已经是MIT的学生啦。前辈和大哥们引见一些国图的同行们，但是茅台和家常让我不便提起工作的事情。

回来UBC已经是开学后的第三周了，忙得一塌糊涂，没有时间整理和报告我的北京之行。今天又有同事怪罪，甚至要求我的博克应该适当加上中文。

这次是应国图之邀，参加其海外中国学文献研究中心的挂牌仪式，百年庆典和研讨会，首次由国图安排北京的一切，包括友谊宾馆的住宿。国图让我有焕然一新的感觉，上上下下都精明强干，既有条理又有效率。

还是从我落地入关说起吧。由于晚点，我们入关时，整个机场略显空当，执勤人员也面带疲惫。检查我入关手续的年轻人非常英俊和礼貌，“晚点这莫久，辛苦啦”审视完护照和密密麻麻的签证戳，他又问：“经常回来吗？”“一年至少一次”“欢迎你更经常回来！”

I registered for the Symposium first thing on Sept 8th, picked up the package and boarded the shuttle to the new building of NLC, where I learned a great deal from the presenters.

The best part of the meeting is to hear what Chinese scholars are saying about overseas Chinese studies. Prof. Tang Yijie’s keynote speech was quite impressive. He criticized nationalism and self-centered Chinese studies.

James Cheng introduced the top Chinese collections in North America and Guoqing presented all the research projects by Chinese studies librarians in the States. I was happy meeting with colleagues from LC, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korean, Singapore, and etc. I have learned a great deal from European colleagues.

It’s the life-time experience. I feel lucky being there and I’m grateful to those people who made this trip possible.

Just thanked my friends for the ride to YVR and then saw the notice about my flight’s delay. Seven hours! Kids were happy seeing me back home so soon. Had to email Beijing right away.

When I received the reply from the National Library of China (NLC), I was so moved and relieved. I was picked up from the Beijing airport by NLC staff around mid-night Beijing time. Mr. Yin even helped me with my luggage and hotel check-in. He had to start working at 6:30 am.

A few hours later, I dressed up and started meeting with all the overseas attendees of the NLC cenntenial celebration.

Summer in Vancouver can be this hot! except for last Saturday, when we gathered in Lingbo’s house when the rain brought us breeze. I sat by the window next to the garden and the colorful sky, where I enjoyed chatting through the cool night. The sound of fireworks reminded us how late it was, but the party went on…

Thanks to Lingbo for the cozy setting and variety of wonderful and healthy food. Above all, thanks for this opportunity to catch up with each other. I felt proud among this group of people — loving, caring and hard working professionals who not only share the same growing pain, but similar dreams for the future. Big congrats to those who just became librarians this summer! and the same to our second generation who have started making their own livings.

I assume librarians in China, like Shaorong, have to give up on the conference this year. Went through the program list and only saw one presenter from 清华. Thanks to its Blog and Twitter, Those who can’t make the trip to Vancouver can get connected and even interact with the attendees.