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NEW YORK, November 25, 2008 The Columbia University Libraries and the National Library of China recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining future cooperative efforts. The two institutions have agreed to explore ways they can exchange traditional materials and provide training opportunities by exchanges of library staff members. They also will try to support each other’s work by providing venues for exhibitions, and by keeping each other up to date on relevant publications by the exchange of publishers’ catalogs. “We are extremely proud to be partnering with such a distinguished library,” said Dr. Amy V. Heinrich, Starr East Asian Library Director.

The National Library of China has well over six million Chinese books, and close to four million foreign books, as well as a significant rare book collection, and expanding electronic resources of books, periodicals, and databases. National Library of China Director Zhan Furui is pursuing cooperation widely and expanding public access to the Library’s holdings.

The National Library of China opened a new building for public use of the collections on September 9, celebrating its 99th anniversary (the formal opening will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the National Library. The addition of the new building makes the library the third largest in the world. It also announced the creation of the National Digital Library of China, with materials both ancient and modern.

More information about the new Library is available at www.nlc.gov.cn/en/news/nlcnews_2008091102.htm.

Columbia University Libraries/Information Services is one of the top five academic research library systems in North America. The collections include over 10 million volumes, over 100,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, graphic and audio-visual materials. The services and collections are organized into 25 libraries and various academic technology centers. The Libraries employs more than 550 professional and support staff. The website of the Libraries at www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb is the gateway to its services and resources.

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