Page 6 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2015 Vol. 41

Thoughts on the study of library history in China 1①

Yongjin HAN 2 ∗
National Library of China, Beijing 100081, China

Abstract
As one of the basic research fields, an depth study of the library history can advance the course of
Library Science, which can be regarded as a significant reference to Chinese librarianship at present
and in the future. The perspective of general history should be adopted to explore the overall outline
and developing rules of librarianship in all ages. Undeniably, the history of ancient book collection
possesses an indispensable component in the Chinese library. The development of the librarianship
since 1949, especially the latest development since 1978, should be incorporated into the general
library history of China. Accordingly, Chinese library history can be divided into three phases: the
ancient books collection (from the pre-Qin period to the middle age of the Qing Dynasty), the modern
library (from the late-Qing Dynasty to 1949), and the contemporary library (after the founding of the
People’s Republic of China in 1949). In order to study Chinese library history, we should understand
librarianship in the context of social politics, economy, technology, culture and education in different
times. The Chinese librarianship not only has been influenced by foreign countries, but also has affected
others with unique spirits and techniques.

Keywords
Chinese library history, General history, Ancient book collection, Historical periodization, Historical
background

0 Introduction

The Chinese library history is one of the most important research fields in Library Science.
Systematic study of Chinese library history is of great significance, which not only explores the
developing rules of Chinese librarianship, perfects the construction of the disciplinary system,
enriches the subject, but also gains new insights on issues relevant to the development of Library
Science and librarianship from historic perspective. Therefore, this research can provide positive
academic influences on the development of Library Science, and more importantly, can provide
historical references to the development of Chinese librarianship in the future.
Nevertheless, when compared with other research fields in Library Science, the academic
influence and outcome of Chinese library history studies are relatively underdeveloped. On
account of this, the National Library of China has launched a research project in 2011, entitled

① This paper is an outcome of the project “History of the Chinese library” (No. 14FTQ003) supported by National Social Science
Foundation of China.
* Correspondence should be addressed to Yongjin HAN, Email: hanyj@nlc.cn, ORCID: 0000-0002-6904-3063