George Chandler

The Chinese Library System

The comparative study of the organisation of library and information systems throughout the world is valuable in order to increase international understanding and to promote the flow of mutually beneficial information. In my book Libraries in the East I surveyed the library systems of a number of countries in Asia under headings based on the reports of the various UNESCO Conferences on the organisation of library and information services, e.g. the role of library associations, Governmental departments, national libraries, national special libraries, provincial and public libraries, and academic libraries. Each of these elements has an important part to play within the national system and in the development of international co-operation within international systems and networks. When preparing material for Libraries in the East I had hoped to visit China but this was not then possible. China has in the present century passed through a series of major catastrophes and it is understandable that the process of readjustment to the world has been somewhat difficult. Just as the seventeenth century English Revolution, the eighteenth century French Revolution and the twentieth century Russian Revolution were followed by periods of special difficulty so also have the Japanese invasion of China and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China been accompanied by similar exceptional stresses. It is a sign of the improvement of conditions that the National Library of Peking accepted the Australian invitation to co-sponsor and be represented at the first International Conference of Directors of National Libraries on Resource Sharing in Asia and Oceania which was held in Canberra in May 1979. Following the Conference I had the honour to be invited to lead a delegation to China. In particular I was asked to identify some recent developments in the world of librarianship and information science which m ight be of interest to China in formulating its own policies and priorities for libraries and information centres

The Hungarian Library System, 1970.

In September 1970 I visited Hungary under the auspices of the Hungarian Government and of the British Council in order to examine the outline of the Hungarian library system. My impressions may interest delegates to the 1972 IFLA Council in Budapest. I was particularly interested in the general structure in my then capacity as a member of the English Library Advisory Council appointed to advise the Minister of Education and Science on his library powers, and as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Library Association which is concerned with co-operating with the government in formulating and executing its library policy. I was also concerned as city librarian of Liverpool and as then President of the International Association of Metropolitan City Libraries (INTAMEL) in investigating the range of city services and problems within the general library system. Within the library system of all countries, associations of professional librarians should have a key part in advising on library development. Unfortunately, some countries do not authorize the establishment of professional associations, whilst in other cases the role of the professional associations is strictly controlled. In the case of Hungary, professional associations are permitted, and their role is likely to become more important within the overall communist master plan as a result of the new Hungarian policy of controlled decentralization. The economic background to decentralization is described by I. Friss in Reform of the Economic Mechanism in Hungary (Budapest, 1968, 274 pp.). On 1 J anuary 1968 a comprehensive reform was introduced in Hungary and this was in full operation at the time of my visit. The methods of central planning were being altered to give “much wider autonomy to state-owned enterprises and other micro-economic units”. It was envisaged that “in the future the national economic plan will

Three Russian National Libraries: An analysis of Soviet studies

Founded in 1862, the functions of the State Lenin Library were, as stated in the exhibition to mark the 1970 IFLA Council in Moscow, to act : (I) as the central library of the U.S.S.R.; (2) as a state depository of printed publications and manuscripts; (3) as the leading scientific and research institution in the field of library science, bibliography and the history of printing; (4) as a centre of recommendatory bibliography; (5) as a methodological and consultative centre for the libraries of the U.S.S.R.

Near, middle and far eastern libraries

During my working tour of the Near, Middle and Far East in 1970, I travelled as international, national and city representative and with the support of the British Council, which made excellent arrangements for me to meet key people and to see key libraries. As President of the International Association of Metropolitan City Libraries (INTAMEL) I was concerned with presiding over research symposia of city librarians and in particular with the place of city libraries in the structure of the library system for this was my part in the three year research programme of INTAMEL. This aims at the formulation of a code of practice for metropolitan city libraries and for international co-operation in the exchange of staff, books and information. My aspect of the study was the definition of the objectives, standards and performance measures of metropolitan city library systems on which I had prepared a preliminary paper. As Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Library Association which is responsible for international relations I was concerned with meeting members of overseas library associations and exploring possibilities of co-operation both generally and in connection with the 1971 Council in Liverpool of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), whose theme is to be the work of library associations and organizations. As city librarian of Liverpool I was concerned with arrangements for the city exhibition programme 1970-l in preparation for the 1971 IFLA Council in Liverpool; with the acquisition of books to fill war-bombing gaps in the city’s collections by exchange or purchase; with comparison and evaluation of the city’s rare materials as compared with those in overseas libraries; and with the appointment of agents for the exchange or purchase of books.