何总讲那过去的故事。如今已是跨行业，跨地区的亿元产业集团。又一家白手起家的知识型企业。我十年来目睹了它的成长。
Michael Meng on Yale Library and China[/caption]
I was among the 6 large East Asian Libraries’ reps presenting on our libraries. I have discovered some amazing new directions from my counterparts. I need to revise my PPT for the next step. More questions from both UBCV and UBCO in my mailbox, that deserves action first.
First meeting is going around the table to introduce the 12 largest East Asian Library’s rare book collections. 
Ours ranks the top no.5 in size after LC, Harvard, Princeton and Berkeley, but are in the worst condition. Although a few other libraries haven’t finished their rare book cataloguing, such as LC and UW, they have digitized the rare titles. Just saw Rob’s email on the tested titles, that I can show the colleagues here in Beijing. Thanks Rob and to all your folks!
The Manchuria Workshop was hosted by our own Norman Smith at the IAR co sponsored by the CCR. I helped Norman when I first started at UBC, with his research on women writers and the Japanese occupation. Glad to know he made that project into the first book in English on women’s history in twentieth-century Manchuria. More impressive was that he has published two more books.
I was glad to see Prof. Sun from St. Mary’s and David Luesink, who is moving on to U. of Pittsburgh in August, and asked me to introduce him to Haihui. I enjoyed the chat with Victor from Harvard and CJ from Yale. Their Mandarin is equally fluent as their English. They have been working with a large amount of archives from China, Japan, Russia, and even resources from Korea. I will trace some archives in June from various institutions in Beijing for 4 requests from our PoliSci and History Ph.Ds.
Meeting with RBSC folks reminded me Director Li (昭淳), who wrote several emails recently about how to collaborate on revealing Puban Collection. When did we start chatting on this topic? I think that was in 2005 when he was here. His new paper has countless hits and comments on the web, including the report by Xinhua news. I am deeply moved, and learnt more on his father’s rescue of Nanzhou Library. One attempting Western institution I left out but mentioned by his paper was British Museum. They failed to purchase Nanzhou even with 2 million before the books were shipped to HK from Guangzhou.
难怪李馆气度不凡！以前若干次会面他都没提起易安馆长, 但往事并不如烟。 可以告慰易安馆长的不仅有新馆，还有我们跨洋合作的项目。无论以何种形式，隐居在温哥华的南州珍本就要回家啦。
I Enjoyed the morning meeting at RBSC. It took up an entire staff meeting time, even though I planed for it to be 15 minutes. Katherine was right, her staff does have strong interests in rare Chinese books. They have received requests from scholars, and learnt alot about the collection already. A series of meetings will follow right after I return from the CEAL trip. I feel really good being on this new start along with colleagues who share my joy, challenges and concerns.
I enjoyed learning from this Symposium held at the Sun Yat-sen U. Libraries. Just received the email on finalizing my paper to be included in the proceeding. Although
I understand the connection to Guangzhou, I was suprised by how many people approached me on collaboration proposals. I remember the complement of Mr. Yao Boyue from Peking U. and Prof. Lu Jintang from Taiwan U.
I made many new friends and feel lucky meeting those experts I only met in the virtual space before. Prof. Pan Jianguo, Mr. Wei Li, Ms. Li Yonghui, etc. I was happy to renew our friendship and learning from the mentors. Mr. Shen Jin, happily moved on from Harvard, he was very busy as the organizer. I was humbled by his closing remarks as my presentation “brought the attendees new knowledge”. Kept Soren waiting for the Li Erqiao’s manuscript and lots of interests in our collection, such as manuscripts and seals. Will try to email them this weekend.
Very impressed by the following presenters: Prof. Wang Guoliang from Taiwan U. on Qian Qianyi’s collection, Princeton’s Dr. Ma on Hong Yu Lou, Dr. Wang Lei from SYS U. on their Huizhou contract documents, NLC’s Li Jining, etc.
11月9日的飞机居然准点到达白云机场。在咖啡座等了树勇片刻，欣赏着窗外繁茂的草木。
晚饭时分，广州外商酒店的大堂被这帮老朋友的reunion渲染得其热无比。虽然每年都在美国见Soren，但他和沈津老师一样，到国内工作，这次在广州有机会向他请教实在难得。
大师兄一见面就高喊，“比北京好多了吧？！” 我忍不住大笑，想起他几天前穿衬衫在北京大雪中奔跑的情形。他还是怀念春天在温哥华的聚会。遇到不少港台的同仁，都对敝校环境津津乐道，让我有了想家的感觉。
在这岁末冬初的季节，漫步在中山大学的校园。除了闹中取静的图书馆的书香，还有各种岭南花草暗香浮动。深深地呼吸，我告诫自己要好好地学习和感受。
Stayed behind in Beijing for UBC access privelage and new requirements for vendors.
Presenting at CASS , suprisingly with new discovery and project proposals. Xu Huan at PKU and Joe from Apabi also asked for meetings, but it didn’t work out due to time restraints. Students and young librarians started sending me follow-up questions from Japan and Beijing. They and ref questions from home kept me busy working from hotel rooms.
We saw this winter’s first snow in Beijing and it didn’t stop people from attending the PKU conference. More people showed up at the Opening than expected despite the slushy road condition. Mary Lee Kennedy and Ingrid’s speeches were quite impressive.
Catherine Quinlan, our former UL, and now at USC, was presenting on her current library in a super fast pace. Zhijia was humble as usual. Her experience and tips of working with the National Central Library in Taiwan are quite useful for our projects, such as: to get the conservation money ready before they started their rare book digitization.
This morning, all my mind was on the visa issue in Guangzhou and how to hang the panels in the Auditorium. Asian Studies’ pancake breakfast was in there and changed the setting and feeling of the room. The folks’ warm greetings stopped my worries on the exhibition. What a great opportunity meeting new colleagues! Dr. Lin from Taiwan shared her views towards Academia Sinica. The new Chinese Language Program Director, Dr. Wang Qian, is young, sweet and energetic. She questioned me about services for her students right away. Too bad, I had three meetings scheduled, and didn’t have chance to chat with lots of people.
Ran over to IAR with the paper plate. Happy for our History Ph.Ds who received global offers. Their research questions are still fresh in my mind…Tim is not only supporting the exhibit, but also helping with developing the collection. Late for the meeting with Trish, and need to follow up with Sheryl on the CCR donation, need to schedule another meeting in IAR. Wonder if my answer to her translated literary works has left anything out.
Interrupted by visiting scholars half way through the letter to Canadian Embassy in Beijing. My paper in Chinese Classics & Culture lead them here. Phoebe thought they were my friends. Let them browsing the stacks while I brought some rare items out of the vault. They were shocked to see 18th Century’s books on open shelves. A New York Prof who is teaching in Hong Kong just emailed me for Deng Zhimo’s Chan Yin Gao. Wrapping up within 45 minutes and had a quick stop at the Digital Initiatives, thanked all folks there for the testing with Asian rare books.
Prof. Rea’s new student was waiting in Asia, answered her questions and realized the seniors have been helping the new comers like her. Good for you, guys! Some one is making my life easier. This post is getting too long, and emails are still rushing in…