Memorabilia 2003 January On January 1, the inauguration ceremony of the National Library of China Wenjin Forum was held grandly at the Branch Library. The well-known scholar Tang Yijie, Pang Pu, Lou Yulie and Ye Xiushan, our library’s Director Ren Jiyu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yan Bingyan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Zhang Yafang, Deputy Director Chen Li and nearly 200 audiences attend the ceremony. The inauguration of the Wenjin Forum indicated that the lectures of our library had been systematic and formed a cultural brand. On January 19, the First Ministerial Leader Historical Culture Lecture 2003 was held at the Concert Hall of our library. Vice-chairman of the National People’s Congress Peng Peiyun attended the lecture and over 200 ministerial leaders from the central government and state agencies attended the lecture. The lecture was titled How to Enjoy Symphony. The well-known conductor and standing conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra Li Xincao introduced the origin, classification, execution of the symphony on the basis of the several famous symphony songs, such as the symphony overture Ode To Red Flag, the opera The marriage of Figaro overture, Brahms Hungarian Dances, the string music Beautiful Night, the piano concerto Yellow River, etc. On January 22, the Newspaper Sea Wanderer Track Talkfest and Guiwei New Year Greeting Meeting, which was sponsored by the Newspaper Section of the Newspapers and Periodicals Department, was held at the Newspaper Section of the Newspapers and Periodicals Department. Dozens of senior comrades who had worked at the Newspapers and and Periodicals Department were invited to attend the talkfest. The talkfest had an important impact on the collection, organization, development and use of library-collected old newspaper. On January 22, our library’s retired leader spring festival greeting meeting 2003 was held at Qingyuanzhai. Director Ren Jiyu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Deputy Director Zhang Yanbo, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Zhang Yafang, Deputy Director Chen Li and Zhang Xiaoxing attended the greeting meeting and over 400 retired leaders of our library attended the greeting meeting. On January 23, our library’s working united front staff spring festival greeting meeting was held at Qingyuanzhai. Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Deputy Director Zhang Yanbo, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Zhang Yafang and Deputy Director Chen Li attended the greeting activity and greeted the presented over 150 working united front staff, including non-Communist Political figures, national minorities, high qualified intellectuals outside the Party, returned overseas Chinese, relatives of nationals living abroad, relatives of Taiwan compatriots living on the Mainland, etc. On January 27, a visiting-China delegation led by Cui Taifu (transliteration) paid a visit at our library, and our library’s Deputy Director Zhang Yanbo had a friendly conversation with the guests. On January 30, our library held a middle level managing leader engagement letter issue meeting in the Multifunctional Hall. Director Ren Jiyu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Deputy Director Zhang Yanbo, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Zhang Yafang and Deputy Director Chen Li attendedthe meeting; over 40 elected middle level managing leaders attended the meeting. Therefore, our library’s new term of middle level managing leader open promotion and employment through competition work was finished completely. That same month, in order to meet the reading demand of the readers, during the Spring Festival, in addition to the normally open from 9.00 to 17.00 everyday, our library held several activities at the same time at the Main Library and the Branch Library. We specially arranged two wonderful lectures at the Branch Library and specially invited the well-known musician Mr. Bian Zushan and the well-known historian Mr. Liang Congjie to deliver the lectures. February On February 10, over 150 poverty-stricken university students of the winter vacation training class of Beijing Liuhexing Assistantship Center visited our library. Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture Zhou Heping and Chairman of Beijing Liuhexing Assistantship Center Bo Xicheng attended the meeting and made a speech. Our library’s Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Zhang Yafang hosted the reception. On February 14, the ceremony of memorializing Jose Marti’s 150th birthday and celebrating the first publication of the Chinese translated edition of the book Passion Likes Fire—Jose Marti’s Biography was held in Wenjin Hall of our library. Nearly 100 persons, including Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Deputy Director of the Department of Latin America and Caribbean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Rongxian, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Latin American Affairs of the the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Kang Xuetong, Deputy Director of the Bureau of External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture Sun Jiamu, President of the World Affairs Press and Former Chinese Abassador to Cuba Wang Chengjia, Cuban Ambassador in China H.E.Mr.Alberto Rodriguez Arufe and his wife Ms. Alaida Rodriguez Arufe, Director of the Department of Asia of Cuban Foreign Ministry Alberto Velasco, Director of the Dpartment of Multilateral Affairs of Cuban Foreign Ministry Juan Antonio Fernandez, the writer of this book Louis Toledo Sander and related persons attended the ceremony of celebrating the first publication. This book presentation do not only richen our library’s collection but also took the book as a cultural tie as to improve Sino-Cuban cultural exchange and cooperation. On February 17, the Stack Management and Reading Services Department held a section leader open promotion and employment through competition speech meeting in the Yearbooks Reading Room. Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Deputy Director of the Human Resources Division Wang Qingyun and parts of the staff of the Stack Management and Reading Services Department attended the lecture meeting. This time, there were totally 24 comrades attended employment through competition of 21 posts of chief and vice section leaders and finally 21 persons took the work posts of section level leaders. From February 18 to 19, the Acquisitions and Cataloguing Department section leader employment through competition speech meeting was held in the Director Office of the Acquisitions and Cataloguing Department. According to democratic assessment results, the evaluation committee put forward the post recommendation list and filed an application of approval of the Human Resources Division and managing library director. Finally, 21 comrades took the posts of chief and vice section leaders; the comrades with master degrees accounted for 13.63% of the headcount, the comrades with bachelor degrees accounted for 77.27% of the headcount and the comrades with junior college degrees accounted for 9.1%. On February 18, New Zealand Ambassador in China Mr. Mai Kangnian (transliteration) visited our library. Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan received him and introduced the overview of the National Library of China to him. On February 19, State Council Informatization Office conducted an investigation concerning the digital library construction and resource sharing issues. Deputy Director Liu He, Leader of the Application Section Chen Xiaozhu, Leader of the Planning Section Qinhai, Deputy Leader of the Integration Section Xin Renzhou, Leader of the Safety Section Zhao Zeliang from State Council Informatization Office attended the investigation; Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture Zhou Heping attended the investigation meeting, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Deputy Director Zhao Xiaoxing and the comrades of related departments received the investigation group. On February 21, the opening ceremony of the Thomas Herzog Technology & Architecture Exhibition, which was hosted by GOETHE Institute PEKING, School of Architecture in Tsinghua University, Architectural Society of China and the Library Society of China, was held in Wenjin Hall of our library. Standing Director of Library Society of China and Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director Yang Bingyan, Director of Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies in Tsinghua University and the academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering Wu Liangyong, Secretary General of Architectural Society Zhou Chang, Deputy Director of our library Zhang Xiaoxing, Dean of School of Architecture in Tsinghua University Qin Youguo, Minister of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in China Lord, Dean of the GOETHE Institute PEKING Wei Song, the professor of the Technical University of Munich Thomas Herzog attended the opening ceremony. This exhibition comprehensively introduced the works of Thomas Herzog, who was an architect, designer and scholar. On February 25, the speech and reply meeting for the open promotion and employment through competition of the posts of Branch Library section leaders was held in Academic Activity East Hall of the Wenjin Building. The employment work used the way