Library Literature in Mainland China: A Content Analysis Douglas W. Cooper Library science in mainland China has seen substantial development since 1979. Library edu­ cation and professional activities, organizations, and communications have been spurred by the establishment of the China Society of Library Science, a number of library science journals, and international exchanges. This study analyzes the library literature published in three of the mainland's journals for a recent volume year (1985) and characterizes the profession and its scholarly communication. It also compares these writings with reports about the current li- brary scene in China published in the West and concludes that library science in the P.R. C. has yet to be adequately developed. umerous recent reports in the China today, the authors thought it useful literature suggest that the li­ to compare reports published in the West brary world in mainland China with writings from the mainland library is recouping the losses it suf­ science journal literature. In order to do fered during the Cultural Revolution and this, several journals recently published in is making great strides toward catching up mainland China were chosen for analysis. with library science in the West. During First, however, a brief sketch of the ·pro­ this period of increased East-West con­ fession's governance may help to put the tacts and exchanges, the mainland is play­ following discussion into perspective. ing host to many Western librarians who Mainland China's State Council gov­ are visiting libraries and librarians to see erns all libraries through the Ministry of and hear firsthand how the profession is Culture's Administrative Bureau of Li­ doing.1 Several mainland librarians have brary Service. Coordination of the various published reports in Western journals on types of libraries on the mainland is cur­ the professional scene in China. 2 Overseas rently accomplished through individualli- _"' Chinese are also taking a closer look at the brary centers, such as Beijing National Li­ mainland's libraries3 and their role in in­ brary, which is responsible for all public ternationallibrary cooperation. 4 Two such libraries, and the China Academy of Sci­ writers recently have shed light on aspects ences, which is responsible for all science of librarianship on the mainland, survey­ libraries that are not a part of the Institute ing library education and the profession's. of Science and Technology Information scholarlY- production in library science Center (ISTIC). Prior to 1985, coordination journals.5 was accomplished through the Ministry of In order to arrive at a better understand­ Education, which is responsible for educa­ ing of librarianship as it is practiced in tional institutions at all levels. 6 (Through Douglas W. Cooper is Reference Librarian at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N. T., Hong Kong. This paper was presented in a somewhat different form at the 1986 Library Cooperation and Development Semi­ nar in Taiwan, August 17-18, 1986. Thanks are due to T. H. Chow, librarian of New Asia College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, for his indispensable help in coding items in the journals analyzed and to C. F. Lee, sublibrarian at the University Library, Chinese University, for his suggestions about journals to consider. 194 Library Literature 195 action taken at the sixth National People's Since 1981, some twenty-four groups Congress, the Ministry of Education be­ have toured the Chinese University li­ came part of the Education, Science, Cul­ brary, and many have also stopped at the 7 ture, and Public Health Committee. ) The University of Hong Kong. State Council also governs the State Com­ Puring this period, mainland China has mission of Science and Technolo?l and, developed its program of library educa­ through it, the activities of ISTIC, a na­ tion and its professional activities, organi­ tional information center with a staff of zations, and communications. A number more than twelve hundred. 9 of important national conferences have been conducted-for example, those held RECENT DEVELOPMENTS at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Since 1979, the impetus for library de­ (CAS) in November 197814 and at the Min­ velopment in mainland China appears to istry of Education in December of the have come from a combination of indige­ same year, 15 and two offered in 197916 and nous efforts and foreign professional in­ 1980 by the newly formed China Society of fluence. One of the first exchanges of pro­ Library Science, in conjunction with the fessional know-how occurred in United States Information Agency.17 The September 1973 directly on the heels of Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Shanghai Communique of 1972, when Culture each called national meetings in a ten-member Chinese library delegation September and November 1981, 18 and the toured libraries in the United States. This National Standards Bureau met during visit was followed by a stream of Ameri­ the same period.19 can librarians to the mainland.10 During It was during this period of intense ac­ the next decade, mainland library groups tivity that the China Society of Library Sci­ hosted delegations from the United ence (CSLS) was created. The idea for the States, Australia, the Philippines, Thai­ society devel<?fed at a meeting held in No­ land, and elsewhere, while simultan­ vember 1978 and the organization was eously sending delegations to the United established officially in July 1979. 21 The an­ States, New Zealand, the Federal Repub­ tecedents of the society date back to 1925 lic of Germany, NorwaX, Sweden, Den­ when the Library Association of China mark, and North Korea. China reclaimed was founded in Beijing. Although mem­ its seat in IFLA in 1980. 12 Since then, this bership in the earlier group was never as exchange of professionals and expertise large as that of CSLS today-in 1935, at its has continued through numerous work­ largest, there were 562 individual and 288 shops, cooperative ventures, visits, and institutional members-it was active na­ exchanges, within mainland China and in tionally and internationally until 1949. 22 several host countries.13 Today, the CSLS has some twenty-eight Hong Kong's university and poly­ branch societies in the various provinces, technic libraries and librarians have autonomous regions, and direct munici­ played a major role in recent develop­ palities, and a 1986 membership of 5,000 ments in library science on the mainland. · individual and 35 institutional members. 23 Hong Kong presents the prospect of a de­ A need for improved communication veloped country with an advanced library within the profession grew out of this na­ technology, a self-assured body of profes­ tional reorganization of librarians. The sionals, and well-developed ties with the CSLS initiated its official publication, the West. Since the beginning of the 1980s, Tushuguanxue Tpngxun (Bulletin of the China has sent a steady stream of delega­ China Society of Library Science), with the tions to visit the libraries of Hong Kong. In June 1979 issue. During this same period, September 1982 a number of mainland li­ a number of other professional journals brarians read papers and attended meet­ began publishing. The National Library of ings at the International Federation of China (formerly Peiking National Library) Documentation (FID). In December 1985 began issuing the influential Beitu another group attended a conference at Tongxun (Peiking Library Newsletter) in the Chinese University of Hong Korig. 1979. The CAS started Tushu Qingbao 196 College & Research Libraries May1987 Gongzuo (Library and Information Seroices) in vices (1980- , bimonthly), has been 1980. The Shanghai Municipal (Public) Li­ called ''one of the most important journals brary began its nationally read Tushguan in the field. " 29 It is issued by the library of Zazhi (Library Journal) in 1982. In addition, the prestigious Academia Sinica in Beijing many regional and provincial library soci­ (also known as the China Academy of Sci­ eties began issuing their own journals. By ences). Appropriately, it publishes more 1981, there were an estimated fifty library articles concerned with science and tech­ science journal publishing, 24 a figure that nology than do the other two journals se­ has remained more or less constant lected. since. 25 The third, Library Journal (1982- , quarterly), ranks just behind the others30 METHODOLOGY in national importance and coverage of a This study attempts to determine some broad range of topics. It is issued by the of the topics of concern to members of the Shanghai Municipal Library, one of the profession in mainland China and charac­ largest public libraries in mainland China terizes the nature of professional writing and long one of its most important and in­ appearing in several mainland journals. fluential cultural, publishing, and library Some characteristics of the library profes­ centers.31 Library Journal publishes a large sion itself are inferred from these concerns number of very short articles, including and writings. The types of items appear­ many bibliographical studies of classical ing in the issues of three leading journals Chinese works. published in the most recent volume year Since their inception, both the Bulletin available (1985) were coded and tabulated and Library and Information Services have in order to gain a clearer impression of provided contents pages in English as well what library science is like in mainland as in Chinese. (In 1985, the Bulletin began China today. To complete the picture, this publishing English-language summaries study refers occasionally to reports pub­ of its articles.) Presumably this is done to lished elsewhere that give differing im­ facilitate inclusion in international index­ ·pressions. ing and abstracting services. Several criteria were used for choosing This study codes each item in each issue the three journals for analysis: (1) national for the volume year of all three journals reputation; (2) status of the issuing body using two categories.