Chinese Canadian Library Weblog

I am jetlaged and feel like in a dream. Time to make the note of my trip. Arrived in Beijing on the 13th, on Thanksgiving back in Canada. I had to rush here for the International Conference on the Development of Subject Librarianship.

When I went to the registration desk from the airport directly, I didn’t even know how to answer their questions and I didn’t have enough RMB to pay for the conference. A beautiful young lady walked by and recognized me, “Jing Liu, from UBC?!”I knew I met her before but her name didn’t come back to me fast enough. Gayle from HKU, we met in Shanghai years ago. Then Deng Shi came to the registration and gave me a bear hug. Good to be back, where people know your name!

My presentation went smoothly, although I spent some extra time, which I don’t usually do, but I do like to be fare to all audience, so I spoke in both languages. No time for Q and A. As soon as I stepped out, a few people followed and called me “Teacher Liu”. We were connected by the Sino-American Librarians Training Program in Wuhan. I felt flattered being remembered by these Chinese librarians. I didn’t expect any classmates, so I was really shocked and happy to see Jianyuan, who became an AUL at the Union U. in Beijing. See how happy I was reunited with my school friend!

Our delegation started to work this evening at Da Zhai Men. Presentations on new e-resources were provided at dinner time: Dragoninfo 龙语瀚堂，中文在线, 国学宝典， 周文业老师的古典小说据说也很好。

Dr. Khalid Malik has been appointed as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China since August 2003. He came to UBC meeting with China specialists and delivered a well-attended lecture. As one of the department head mentioned, every department at UBC has some projects related to China going on.

China has made greatest sustained economic expansion in human history by not following the policies that others made. Dr. Malik thinks that China has strong institutions gradually changing to meet the reform needs. He mentioned about social capital and strong cohesion thanks to historic equality. Sadly, China has become the most unequal society in the world.

Ching Kwan Lee’s talk at Departmetn of Sociology drew a big audience. It was about her fieldwork in Zambia and Tanzania on two Chinese investment projects. What impressed me the most was that she emphasized on the class struggles against casualization instead of tensions between races. Some interesting points she made: Chinese managers abandoned socialism and they are fully convinced that they know how to develop a poor country. China’s uniqueness is not because what it does but the attention it has received.

I have got this request again after a few failed requests I sent to Taiwan last summer. Prof. Joyce Chen mentioned the tricky copyright issue. Wondering if that is the reason.

It was stated in a couple of sources that the Ming painter, Zhang Hong, painted the 西门豹破河伯图, but they were not clear. 张宏是吴派山水画家，但他的人物画不太被重视。It would have been digitized and available online if it’s somewhere in Taiwan. I assume it’s hidden some where in a museum in Beijing or Shanghai. Will have to go through their catalogues tomorrow.

I am really happy for Qi and Lili who graduated last May. They both brought their strong technical skills to major Canadian companies. Several people mentioned about their new jobs to me when we first met this term. So it definately deserves a post. Lei is another one. He has been working for an American corporation in town that is interested in Chinese market. At our next gathering, we will be able to learn from these corporate folks. By the way, U. of Chicago just posted a position of Chinese Studies Librarian.

Cheng Huanwen said in his Blog: 北京奥运会开幕式不过是上了一堂空前绝后的中国图书史教学课！Darn! Missed that part. Hope to get a DVD soon, for myself and UBC students.

Dr. Shao Dongfang brought some scholars from CASS for a conference at the IAR on the Project. I walked into the room with the interpretor, Mr. Kwan, who looked exhausted. There’s a debate about Kogoryu history between Chinese and Korean speakers. I stayed for Mark Byington’s (Harvard) presentation although I was reminded about “closed conference”. There’re lots of interesting issues around China’s border regions and neighbors. Related books should be added to our collection.

It is hard to let the print go after decades of collection development, but what if they are not being used? Cal Poly Library’s Dean, Mr. Schleifer says, “If you look at our user population, in many ways they are far ahead of us in terms of what they like to use and how they want it delivered to them.” This 2006 article in Chronicle of Higher Education makes me wonder about changes in our library.

Good to be home! and great to be back in sunny Richmond BC! The Institute has been wrapped up on August 2nd with many songs and hugs, although related phone and email messages are following me home.

Tim Jewel used the two words describing the UW library leader, Betsy Wilson. Back to his session on licensing, Tim encouraged us to form e-resource consortia. When Jennifer popped up the similar question, the class was silent. I wonder if we are known as a group of special libraries that are lack of collaboration. Optimism and collaboration set the right tone wrapping up the Summer Institute 2008. We lined up to accept the diploma from Betsy on the stage. It felt just like the UBC official congregation last may, only in small scale. The VIPs’ talk re-examined our profession and looked into the future. Ye Ding’ speech almost brought me to tears.I was thrilled to see Bill and Yen-mei who retired young from UW. I thanked Yen-mei for her Chinese Studies Librarian Lesson 101 before I had the interview for my current job. I thanked Betsy for giving me opportunity talking in front of hundreds of international students about UW libraries in 1992 when I was a newbie myself, which made my very first speech in English in the US. She still remembers for it was the first library orientation for international students at UW. Cathy asked for all of us on how to get support from ULs, Betsy said, “Never complain, just do what you can.”

Besides its purple and yellow color, UW is also red, Red Square, red Gothic buildings. In the past two weeks, paper cutting exhibition in Suzzallo 102, Prof. Gu Xiong’s exhibition in Kane Hall, Ms. Yu Dan’s full-house event, and our Institute, all China related activities added more Chinese color. Betsy was right, “There’s no better place for this institute“.