168 College & Research March 1998

Increasing the Pace of an Integral System in : Moving toward the Twenty-First Century

Qiang Zhu (translated by Sha Li Zhang)

Academic libraries in China are transforming traditionally isolated and separated operations by initiating an integral library system (also known as integral system development) to connect all academic libraries na­ tionwide, and to connect them with other information networks abroad. A three-tier network at the national, regional, and campus levels should be developed. This paper describes the current academic library envi­ ronment in China, the concept of the integral library system, and the major goals to be realized in the next five years.

ince 1979, when economic re­ cessfully into the new millennium and meet form policies were imple­ the challenges offered by the globaliza­ mented in China, academic li­ tion of information. braries have experienced rapid changes. These changes indicate that aca­ Current Academic Library demic libraries no longer can operate in a Environment historically isolated environment. Aca­ Like many other libraries of developing demic libraries in China have to actively countries, academic libraries in China employ new information technologies, ini­ are now at a crossroads. Lack of funds tiate an integral library system, establish to support library collections and lack networked information systems, and con­ of technological capabilities are serious nect with other networked information problems; these issues prevent the aca­ systems, both at home and abroad. A na­ demic library community from offering tionwide information resources-sharing basic services and from participating in system in China can only be realized if the sharing of information resources. most of the libraries participate, cooper­ In the past ten years, the costs of for­ ate, and share resources. In recent years, eign monographs and journals (published China’s academic libraries have explored outside China) increased 15 to 25 percent advanced technologies from other coun­ while Chinese monographs and journals tries in order to develop state-of-the-art increased 20 to 30 percent. These in­ academic library information systems. creases have had a severe impact on the These advanced systems will enable academic library community. In a survey China’s academic libraries to move suc­ conducted by the National Academic Li-

Qiang Zhu is Deputy Director of Peking Library in , People’s Republic of China; e- mail: [email protected]. Sha Li Zhang is Collection Management Librarian at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg; e-mail: [email protected].

168 Moving Toward the 21st Century 169 braries Commission of China between academic libraries. However, due to 1986 and 1991, materials’ budgets in­ shrinking budgets and the current admin­ creased 43.21 percent, but the total vol­ istrative practices within each university, umes purchased fell 67.04 percent. it is very difficult to initiate any coopera­ Library, for example, tive projects to wisely distribute informa­ purchased 30,000 volumes of foreign tion resources on a nationwide scale. Each monographs in 1986. In 1991, only 5,210 library makes decisions based on its own volumes of foreign monographs were immediate needs (e.g., reassigning added to the library’s collections.1 Some monograph funds for journal subscrip­ university libraries had to stop purchas­ tions and canceling less-used journals to ing foreign materials for several years retain core journal titles). Among these due to their high cost. In 1995, Peking Uni­ core titles, the expensive journals are of­ versity Library purchased 4,000 volumes ten the candidates for further cancella­ of foreign monographs, and only 1,000 of tions. As a result, some important foreign them came from the materials budget al­ journals are not acquired by any univer­ located by the university; the remainder sity libraries. These libraries collect the was purchased by special funds.2 same inexpensive journal titles. Duplica­ tion and gaps in collections exacerbated the shortage of information resources Some university libraries had to among academic libraries. stop purchasing foreign materials Lack of technological capabilities pre­ for several years due to their high sents another barrier. In more than 1,000 cost. academic libraries in China, less than 5 percent of them are using computers Many university libraries use a large for library functions. portion of their materials budget to re­ Library and Tsinghua University Library tain journal subscriptions. Among major are the only two academic libraries in university medical libraries, 80 to 90 per­ the country that are able to access their cent of the materials budgets are used online catalogs through the Internet.4 for journal subscriptions. Major science Most libraries still use manual systems and engineering libraries allocate up to for acquisitions, cataloging, processing, 70 percent of their materials budget for searching, and circulation. Thus, it is im­ journal subscriptions. In 1995, Peking Uni­ possible for one library to know the hold­ versity Library used 3.5 million yuan ings in other libraries’ collections. (equivalent to $440,000 U.S. currency) of In recent years, some university admin­ its 4 million yuan (equivalent to $500,000 istrations have allocated funds for purchas­ U.S. currency) materials budget for jour­ ing computer equipment for their libraries, nals. In the same year, among seventy- but they did not allocate funds at the same one major university libraries in China, time for purchasing the necessary software there were only subscriptions to 6,000 and databases. Therefore, the computer foreign journal titles. It is estimated that hardware is not being fully utilized. 150,000 journals and 600,000 mono­ There has been very little cooperative graphs are published annually around planning among China’s academic librar­ the world. If one-third of them are schol­ ies. They started their respective auto­ arly titles, the academic libraries in China mation projects independent of one an­ annually collect less than 20 percent of other. A few years ago, the Technology foreign journals and less than 10 percent and Equipment Department of the State of foreign monographs.3 Education Commission sponsored a Some efforts have been made in ac­ project for retrospective conversion of quisitions coordination among China’s Chinese bibliographical union catalogs. 170 College & Research Libraries March 1998

It was a successful project at the begin­ expand their information resources and ning. Unfortunately, the lack of continued to acquire the newest technology and funding from the commission prevented equipment. These selective library sites the project from further development. will become multidisciplinary information Lack of adequate information re­ resources centers. It is reasonable to sources and technologies has widened encourage the development of a nation­ the gap between the academic libraries wide and multitier information resources- in China and their counterparts in other sharing system. This system should be countries. The practices and experiences connected via telecommunications net­ from developed countries have proved works with major networked resources- that isolated and separate/independent sharing systems abroad in order to meet library operations are not the appropri­ increasing demands from university ate paths to pursue. A new model needs communities. to be explored and designed to enable academic libraries in China to increase their access to information resources There has been very little coopera- tive planning among China’s and to improve the quality of services. academic libraries. When these goals are realized, the aca­ demic libraries will be able to better serve their university communities, par­ The concept of the integral library ticipate in sharing global information re­ system can be traced back to the early sources, and contribute to global net- 1980s. In September 1981, at the National worked information systems. Academic Libraries Working Confer­ ence held in Beijing, organized by the Concept of the Integral Library Department of Education (formerly the System State Education Commission), Lin Zhou, An integral library system is needed to deputy director of the department at that enhance access to information re­ time, stated in his report that academic sources and to improve services. By us­ libraries “must be actively engaged in ing computer networks to connect each cooperation and in sharing resources.”5 academic library and to connect with in­ One year later, at the Second Plenary formation resource networks abroad, Session of the National Academic Librar­ China can transform isolated and sepa­ ies Working Commission meeting, the rated systems into a nationwide infor­ concept of the integral library system was mation resources-sharing system. In this presented more clearly. It was agreed environment, the Chinese Education and that to move each library from its iso­ Research Network (CERNET) will serve lated and separated environment into an as the backbone to support a networked integral system was one of the best ways system in the academic library commu­ to improve library services. Therefore, nity. Under the direction of the National the integral library system should have: Education Commission, long-range plan­  nationwide planning; ning should be placed at the national level  uniform standards and protocols; (first tier). Information resources should  a group of libraries serving as be purchased at the regional level (sec­ cores and backbones for new initiatives ond tier) and accessed at the university and endeavors; campus level (third tier). Joint services  an environment encouraging co­ and support should be coordinated to ordination and cooperation among li­ improve efficiency and quality of ser­ braries; vices. Additional funds should be pro­  a group of libraries that shares vided for selective university libraries to modern facilities/service centers.6 Moving Toward the 21st Century 171

In June 1987, a document from the resources and to gain useful experience State Education Commission addressed for the integral library system. the need to establish a group of disci­ provides an excellent op­ plinary information resources centers portunity for the integral library system. and to form an information resources- The project, sponsored by the State sharing system within the academic li­ Education Commission, is the Chinese brary community. In this document, government’s new endeavor for en­ preliminary plans addressing the re­ hancing one hundred and sponsibilities of disciplinary informa­ key subject disciplinary areas as a na­ tion centers, required facilities, the tional priority for the twenty-first cen­ number of centers, funding for these tury. According to this plan, in the next centers, and management of these five years the government will initiate centers also were presented.7 How­ actions to strengthen a hundred univer­ ever, due to many reasons at that sities and key disciplinary areas. It is time, these discussions did not form envisioned that after the implementa­ any concrete plan of action. Some im­ tion of Project 211, the one hundred uni­ portant lessons from this group in­ versities and key disciplinary areas will cluded that the scale of the assump­ have greatly improved their quality of tion for the integral library system education, scientific research, manage­ was too broad. The guiding principles ment, and institutional efficiency.9 This emphasized developing information project consists of three major compo­ resources but did not address how to nents: (1) improvement of overall insti­ provide access to university commu­ tutional capacity, (2) development of key nities. In addition, no consideration disciplinary areas, and (3) development was given to networks and the various of the public services system of higher education. The third component includes three subsets: (1) development of The guiding principles emphasized CERNET, (2) development of the China developing information resources but did not address how to provide Academic Library and Information Sys­ access to university communities. tem (CALIS), and (3) development of the Modern Equipment and Facilities Sharing System (MEFSS). CERNET will types of systems. At any rate, the dis­ link all major universities in China via cussions generated from the document the Internet and will provide informa­ provided the basic principles for the in­ tion services to people in all of China’s tegral library system. Based on these sectors.10 principles, the National Academic Li­ braries Working Commission con­ Goals of the Integral Library System ducted a large-scale survey of informa­ From now to the year 2000 and beyond, tion resources. It also started the coor­ the major goals of the integral library dination of acquisitions for foreign jour­ system include development of CALIS nal subscriptions. The State Education to its fullest operation. Backed by Commission funded information re­ CERNET, CALIS will establish numer­ sources centers for humanities and so­ ous comprehensive information re­ cial sciences at fifteen university cam­ sources centers and disciplinary infor­ puses. Later, it funded foreign mono­ mation resources centers, thus forming graphs centers for humanities and so­ an information subnetwork with exten­ cial sciences at five university cam­ sive connections to similar systems puses.8 These activities enabled univer­ both at home and abroad. Funded by sity libraries to share vital information the State Education Commission, 80 172 College & Research Libraries March 1998 percent of CALIS’s budget will be used and at the regional levels. Their activi­ for purchasing information resources ties should include coordinating acquisi­ and databases, leasing databases from tions, increasing collections of original abroad, paying for connection fees with documents, and organizing and promot­ other online databases abroad, and ing the existing resources. It is very im­ paying for international document de­ portant that there be effective commu­ livery. Ten percent of the budget will be nication with the National Library of used for developing databases and China, Science Academy Libraries, spe­ training professional staff; the remain­ cial libraries, and public libraries. ing 10 percent will be allocated for plan­ During this period of time, at least a ning, research, maintenance, etc. hundred university libraries should be con­ Goals for the integral library system nected with the national backbone network include: (CERNET). These libraries will participate 1. Establishing a services backbone net­ in the development of centralized infor­ work with centralized information resources at mation resources and the contribution of the national and regional centers, including ac­ local resources according to the system’s cess channels by the university libraries. Be­ standards. These participating libraries cause of the unique situation of academic also will be entitled to privileges and ser­ libraries in China, it is practical that CALIS vices provided by the system. should employ a structural model for es­ 2. Developing bibliographical databases tablishing information resources centers and documentation databases. Academic li­ at national and regional levels. Through braries in China hold a large amount of regional centers, each academic library information resources. The resources in­ can therefore be connected to form a crease in number steadily each year. To three-tier support services network. maximize the use of these resources, One of the first steps is to establish a there is the need to develop comprehen­ nationwide information resources cen­ sive bibliographic and documentation ters for such disciplinary areas as lib­ databases. Thus, the scattered collec­ eral arts, engineering and technologies, tions in each library will be known by par­ medicines, agriculture, and forestry. Nu­ ticipating libraries within the network. merous regional information resources In addition, there is a growing num­ centers should be established accord­ ber of vital information resources pro­ ingly in the cities where major colleges duced abroad. With the development of and universities are located, rich infor­ networks, the use of electronic resources mation resources can be provided, a has expanded significantly. To utilize practice of sharing resources is in exist­ these resources effectively, there is an ence, and the use of advanced networks urgent need to develop databases at is present. Within these centers, there home, to purchase databases from should be adequate information re­ abroad, and to have the proper proto­ sources and competent professionals, cols in place to access information from including a certain number of knowl­ the developed countries. edgeable workers and experts who en­ The development and use of databases gage in the processing and searching of includes two steps: (1) to design and build information resources. They should have databases at home, and (2) to purchase access to advanced facilities (i.e., com­ and/or access databases from abroad. puter equipment, networks, telecommu­ The first step includes developing union nications facilities, and document-dupli­ catalog databases for monographic and cating equipment). These centers will periodical collections in the Chinese lan­ provide information resources sharing, guage and foreign languages. The second coordination, and services nationwide step involves developing documentation Moving Toward the 21st Century 173

databases from collections owned by in­  interlibrary loans and document dividual libraries. In addition, there is the delivery; need to develop subject-oriented data­  equitable distribution of informa­ bases to support academic programs and tion resources and coordination of ac­ research. To avoid duplicate efforts, a co­ quisitions; ordinated purchasing policy must be for­  evaluation criteria and research mulated that stipulates specific criteria. methods for core documentation in key With collective efforts, the databases disciplinary areas; should have comprehensive coverage in  information resources sharing appropriate disciplinary areas. and protection of intellectual property; Regarding the purchase of databases  assessment and research on new from abroad, every effort needs to be information technology products made to eliminate unnecessary duplica­ abroad; tion and to avoid internal competition.  technologies. The types of databases should have a In conducting research for these balance in formats of abstracts, indexes, technologies and projects, cooperation full text, and access to original documen­ and coordination should be promoted. tation. Because academic libraries are Exchanges with experts both at home spread over a wide geographic area in and abroad should be encouraged to China, there are no networks and tele­ ensure the currency of technologies. communication facilities in existence in 4. Training human resources for new sys­ some geographical locations. tems/services. Human resources are a 3. Conducting research on key technolo­ key component of CALIS. There should gies and projects. Development of CALIS be a large number of knowledgeable includes not only telecommunications, workers who understand modern infor­ computer equipment, and other techni­ mation technologies. Human resources cal aspects of library automation but include systems research and develop­ also information processing, organiza­ ment personnel, systems operation and tional aspects, access issues, and basic maintenance personnel, database de­ services. There are some existing solu­ velopment personnel, user education tions for the problems pertinent to these personnel, and user services person­ aspects. For the unsolved problems, ap­ nel. University libraries should make plied research on key technologies and commitments to invest resources to pertinent projects should be conducted. recruit college graduates and over­ There also is the need to follow the seas students to work in these areas. tracks of research pertaining to ad­ However, the practical way at present vanced technologies for the future. is to train the existing library staff Because the information resources- members in each academic library sharing system is of a large scale and and to improve and upgrade their spread over a huge geographic area, knowledge and skills. Every effort needs the following projects are targeted for to be made to improve human re­ research and development: sources, for example, to:  production and access systems  establish several training bases for distributed databases; nationwide to enable library staff to ob­  manufacturing and access sys­ tain professional knowledge and skills. tems for multimedia databases; The trained staff should be certified  designing, organizing, and access­ upon completion of training. ing of union catalog databases;  set up policy and procedures to  collecting, organizing, and ac­ encourage library staff to enroll for de­ cessing networked electronic resources; grees and course work. 174 College & Research Libraries March 1998

 send library staff members over­  catalog library materials through seas to observe and study current tech­ online union cataloging databases ac­ nologies and practices. cording to uniform standards to en­  invite experts and scholars from hance the sharing of information re­ abroad to engage in exchanges. sources.  hold conferences for scholarly Along with development of CALIS and and technical discussions. use of emerging technologies, new func­ 5. Establish a management structure tions and new services will be added to the that ensures systems operations. In the pro­ list above. However, the demands for ex­ cess of developing CALIS, there is the pertise and for funding in the development need to establish scientific management of CALIS are as high as that of CERNET. and related policies and procedures; they would be emphasized in the fol­ Conclusion lowing ways: The new millennium is quickly ap­  Throughout the organizational proaching. The twenty-first century will structure, priority should be given to be the era of information. In the inten­ highly efficient management. Also, sive international competition, informa­ there should be a scholarly advisory tion resources play a vital role in the board and a democratic supervising development of the economy, sciences, group. and technologies. Improving the human  The entire system and sub­ condition via science and education in systems should be task oriented and China cannot be realized unless infor­ should enhance continual assessment/ mation resources are expanded/net­ evaluation to ensure the completion of worked and services are improved. each project.  There should be a series of regu­ Improving the human condition via lations and policies to ensure that all science and projects follow appropriate guidelines. cannot be realized unless information  Priority has to be given to the im­ resources are expanded/networked provement of services in order to meet and services are improved. users’ demands. Upon its completion, CALIS will pro­ The development of CALIS, whose vide the following services to enable uni­ purpose is to connect university libraries versity communities and other users to: with CERNET, allows the development of  search library holdings through information resources networks through online monographic and periodical extensive use of modern technologies. union catalogs; The implementation of CALIS will ensure  search journal articles and other moving higher education and scientific documents through various databases research capability to a higher level. At both at home and abroad; the same time, as an integral part of a  obtain journal articles and other nationwide information resources net­ types of documents through document work, CALIS will contribute to the social delivery and interlibrary loan services; and economic development of the coun­  search updated research propos­ try by bringing the accomplishments of als to avoid duplicate efforts in research science, technologies, and cultures of projects; China to the world’s attention.  coordinate acquisitions for mono­ In the next five years, the principles graphs and journals to maximize use of for CALIS development include taking the materials budget and to distribute vigorous, but steady steps in establish­ information resources wisely; ing appropriate goals and priorities to Moving Toward the 21st Century 175 achieve maximum results. Every posi­ vices significantly. Selected universities tive factor needs to be brought into play will be encouraged to equip their librar­ to complete what has been planned with ies with modern telecommunications/ an orderly manner. Therefore, the fol­ computer technologies. These libraries lowing will be realized: will become modernized information re­ 1. Fully organize and develop the exist­ sources centers. ing collections to realize the sharing of in­ 3. Train library staff to become more pro­ formation resources. Although Chinese ficient in the use of modern technology. They language materials will be collected by will develop standards, protocols, poli­ each individual library, interdisciplinary cies, and procedures. Also, organiza­ Chinese language materials will be de­ tional structures will be put into place veloped at the regional centers. These that ensure the successful operation centers will be cooperative and inter­ of the system. These implementa­ dependent. It is critical to follow a coor­ tions will form a model of the integral dinated approach in order to prevent library system. duplication in expensive journal sub­ China’s integral library system is ex­ scriptions. Steady progress is expected pected to dramatically improve aca­ in the development of a series of data­ demic library services. It will serve as bases that reflect the unique character­ the foundation on which to build future istics of China’s academic library com­ planning, growth, development, and in­ munity. Some databases will be pur­ novation. This cooperative and system­ chased from developed countries to atic approach in sharing vital informa­ supplement printed materials. There­ tion resources among China’s academic fore, the development of information libraries is expected to result in many resources for institutions of higher edu­ benefits for users. cation will leap to a new stage. 2. Develop a three-tier services network The Chinese version of this article appeared at the national, regional, and campus levels in the Journal of Academic Libraries 15, to connect with information resources net­ no. 2 (1997): 6–9. This article is the first of the works abroad. These connections are ex­ exchange of articles between C&RL and the pected to improve academic library ser­ Chinese Journal of Academic Libraries.

Notes 1. Xiao-ming Li, “Development of Information Resources for Academic Libraries: Current Situation and Recommendations,” Journal of Academic Libraries 11, no. 5 (1993): 1–3. 2. Qiang Zhu, “Issues on the Development of China Academic Library and Information System,” Journal of Academic Libraries 14, no. 1 (1996): 1–6. 3. Ibid., 1. 4. Ibid., 2. 5. Lin Zhou, “Reaching Consensus and Providing Leadership: Toward a Better Academic Library,” in Proceedings of the National Academic Library Working Conference (Beijing, China: The National Academic Library Working Commission, 1981), 11–24. 6. Shou-jing Zhuang, “Inspire Enthusiasm for a New Phase of Academic Libraries,” Journal of Academic Libraries 1, no. 1–2 (1983): 19. 7. The Secretariat of the National Academic Library Working Commission, “Key Issues of Academic Libraries during the 7th Five-Year Plan,” Journal of Academic Libraries 5, no. 5 (1987): 24–26 8. URL:http://www.lib.pku.edu.cn/chtml/hsf/e-jjh.htm. 9. Department of Foreign Affairs of the State Education Commission, Project 211: A Brief Introduction (Beijing, China: Department of Foreign Affairs of the State Education Commission, 1996), 1. 10. Ibid., 4.