College and Research Libraries
I
By HUNG SHUN CH'EN'
Suggestions for Handling Chinese
_Materials in American COllege
and UniversitY ·Libraries
C HINESE LIBRARIANS have benefited by library techniques developed in the
United States. It may be that the time
is near at hand when the library profession
in China will be able to offer some con-
tribution in return. The increasing num-
bers of books in the Chinese language that
are being made available to the growing
number of students of the Chinese language
and culture in . many institutions in the
United States are bringing some problems
to college and university librari'es. Toward
the solution of difficulties in acquiring,
processing, and using Chinese materials, the
following suggestions may provide a b_asis
for discussion and action.
Few libraries in the United States are
in a position now to add to their staffs a
specialist. in Chinese language and literature
who has library training. Those Americans
who have studied the language and subject
matter seem unwilling to enter library serv-
ice so long as the rewards are generally
less than teaching and research. Chinese
students who come to the United States
are not able to stay lon~ enough to give
1 Before accepting an exchange assistantship in 1942
in the Chinese-Japanese library of the Harvard-Yen-
ching Institute at Cambridge, the writer was on the
staff of the Yenching Library in Peiping, first as a
general assistant in the administrative office and later
as assistant librarian. Then, after a year of study at
the School of Library Service, Columbia University,
he was engaged to classify the Chinese co llection of
the libraries. It is from an understanding of the large
library (about 200,000 ts' e or approximately 25,000
volumes) that this article is written, but the suggestions
offered are applicable to a collection of any size.
the advantages of continuity of service m
a Chinese collection and are not able to
establish themselves in the profession in this
country for vari-ous reasons. Therefore, the
organization and development of a collec-
tion of Chinese language material are likely
to present difficulties to all except the largest
university libraries in this country. How-
ever, co.operation between libraries in the
United States and librarians in China could
make possible the purchasing, processing,
and use of Chinese language materi~ls by
trained assistants with some language and
subject knowledge, teamed with Chinese
students working on a part~time basis.
The A.L.A. Cooperative Purchasing
Progr::tm in China has furnished a beginning
for such international cooperation. If a
single responsible agent in China under the
supervision of an organizati~n such as the
Library Association of China were em-
powered to act for an association of li-
braries in the United States, the funds that
could be made available might be invested
to better ~dvantage than if each library
purchased materials independently in China.
Costs of acquisition would be reduced be-
cause of lower operating expenses, and there
would be less likelihood of physical im-
perfections in material sent to American
libraries. If the libraries cooperating in
such a program would agree among them-
selves on some division of fields of special-
298 COLLEGE L1ND RESEARCH LIBRARIES
ization, the economies accruing from lower
prices of books purchased -would be obvious.
Competitive bidding and the dealers' pr~c
tice of sending incomplete parts of one
scarce set to several libraries or distributing
imperfect copies would · be avoided if a
single agent were responsible. If more
than one library wished to have a scarce
item, an agreement could be reached before
purchase as to its most useful location, and
reproduction by microfilm, or inteilibrary
loan, might solve problems of use.
Cooperation thr~mgh the agent could . be
extended to cataloging and classification of
materials before shipment. The processing
could be done by a trained technical staff
under the supervision of a professional or-
ganization such as the Library Association
of China, if the cooperating libraries in
the United States could agree on a single
classification and on a single form for the
catalog card. 2
H arvard-Yenching Classification Schedule
The Harvard-Yenching classification de-
veloped by Dr. A. K. Ch'iu for the Chinese-
] apanese library of ; Harvard-Yenching In-
stitute is probably the best now available,
because it was evolved for an actual collec-
tion of books. It has . proved its usefulness
in a la'rge library covering all subject fields,
it is bilin~ual, and it has been published.
No classification schedule will be · found
perfect under all conditions, but the Har-
vard-Yenching classification has practical
value and can be used for books in various
languages about China, as well as for books
in the Chinese language. Such well-known
and favored classifications as the D,ewey
decimal and the Library of Congress sched-
ules are likely to be found inadequate in
the fields of Chinese literature, classics,
2 A short list of reference works is appended for the
use of s taff members proficient in Chinese but without
cataloging experience who mi ght be called upon to
process uncataloged Chinese collection s now in libraries
in the United States. •
JULYJ 1947
philosophy, history, and geography. The
Harvard-Yenching classification is now
. being used in the . Chinese library of the
University of Chicago, as well as in the
Chinese collection of ·columbia University,
and is being considered for use in other
· Chinese collections in this country. The
printed cards issu~d by the Harvard-Y ~n
ching Library bear the classification number,
and that fact as well as the growing uni-
versality of the classification are arguments
in its favor.
If the usefulness of the printed Harvard-
Yenching cards is limited because of the
variation from standard cataloging forms
used in this country, an agreement might
be reached with the agent for production
of manuscript or mimeographed cards ac-
cording to a specified form. The Harvard-
Yenching printed cards represent such high
standards of accuracy and quality, however,
that libraries in the United States might
well consider adoption of the same form.
In addition, the transliteration or Romani-
zation used on· the Harvard-Yenching cards
is the Wade-Giles system for Romanization
of the national language ( kuo-yu) which
simplifies filing problems.
· Catalog cards for Chinese materials may
be ·filed in any one of . several ways, such
as by number of strokes in a character, by
the four-corner system, or by one of many
other · methods arbitrarily representing posi-
tion and direction of component strokes of
a character by Arabic numerals. The
Chinese collection of Columbia University
files catalog cards by the Wade-Giles sys-
tem of Romanization because it is the system
most generally taught students of the Chi-
nese language in the United States and
presumably would be more easily used by
them and by faculty members of the various
colleges and universities in this country
than the' so-called numeral systems, or the
slower and more difficult . system of filing
299
,'
by number of strokes.
Subject approach to the books in the
library would be by arrangement on the .
shelves and through a classified catalog. A
dictionary catalog would not be possible at
the present time because a list of subject
headings adequate for Chinese publications ·
is not available. If the 'shelflist is used as
a classed catalog, analytics could be made
on colored cards. Guide cards could be
made by using the main divisions and sub-
headings of the Harvard-Yenching classi-
fication as a guide.
A practice that has been followed in
China permits binding together two or more
works dealing with absolutely unrelated
topics. A library . that receives such a
melange will find it necessary to make sure
that each item is separately cataloged. ~ If
a subject cat.alog for the collection is not
being maintained, the usefulness of the con-
tents of the binding will be limited unless
they can be promptly rebound to permit
shelving of each part with other books on
the same subject. . ·
Use of a Chinese library that does not
have a subject specialist with training in
library techniques and adequate knowledge
of the language p~sents problems that can
be met with the cooperation of students and
faculty members if the library .is intended
only for their use. However, unless the
finding list is complete, the author and title
entries are adequate and accurate and prop-
erly filed, and some approach by subject
is available, the use of the collection will
be on a level much lower than its poten-
tialities. If the library is intended for the
use of research workers, whether faculty
members or members of special research
projects, or if it attempts to aid museums,
publishers, and the general public, a special-
-ist would be a necessity. If one library is
not m a position to add a well-qualified
person to its staff., financial cooperation by
se.veral institutions or projects needing serv-
ice , might be possible. Contributions might
take the form of books or services, if funds
were not availabte.
Chinese Union Catalog Needed
A union catalog of all Chinese language
material in libraries in the United States
is needed by all Chinese libraries as much
as is the highly efficient and successful union
catalog at the Library of Congress. Dr.
Ch'iu has suggested that it is as possible
to file cards for Chinese titles in the ·union
catalog of the Library of Congress as it
is to file cards for French or Russian titles,
provided the Romanization is on the card
and provided all libraries in the country
follow the same system of Romanization
when supplying titles or requesting informa-
tion. Fundamentally, there is no more
reason for excluding Chinese language ma-
terial than there . is for excluding m~terial
in any other language.
Further cooperation between Chinese li-
braries in the United States to aid scholarly ,
research and increase the usefulness of
collections of limited size and staff might
.include a union list of · reprints in book
form; publication of a list of acquisitions
of all libraries at regular intervals, locating
copies of all titles; and publication of
selected lists of acquisitions in their fields
by libraries specializing in limited areas.
The circulation of lists of duplicates by the
various libraries would facilitate develop-
ment by purchase and exchange. Coopera-
tion between larger libraries in the U nite'd
States and China might include exchange
of staff members, for study of library prac-
tices and for purposes of research aggressive
action is needed.
300 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES
(
A Selected List of Reference W or lis for Cataloging
I. .Names and dates
a. For deceased persons
I. The card catalog
2. Fang, I. [and others], comp.
Chung kuo jen ming ta tz'u tien. [A
Chinese biographical dictionary] Shang-
hai, China, Commercial press, I934·
--- Index. I934·
3· Harvard-Yenching institute. Sinologi-
cal index series.
Ssu shih ch'i chung sung tai chuan chi
tsung ho yin te. [Combined indices to
forty-seven collections· of Sung ·dynasty
biographies] Peiping, China, Yenching
university, I939·
4· Harvard-Yenching institute. Sino logical
index series.
Liao chin yiian chuan chi tsung ho
yin te. [Co'mbi'ned indic.es to thirty col-
lections of Liao, Chin, and Yuan biog-
raphies] Peiping, China, Yenching uni-
versity, 1940.
5· Harvard-Yenching institute. Sino logical
index series. ·
Pa shih chiu chung ming tai chuan
chi tsung ho yin te. [Combined indices
to eighty-nine collections of Ming dy-
nasty biographies] Peiping, China, Yen-
ching university, I935·
6. Harvard-Yenching institute. Sinological
index series.
San shih san chung ch'ing tai chuan
chi tsung ho yin te. [Index to thirty-
three collections of Ch'ing dynasty biog-
raphies] Peiping, China, Yenching uni-
versity, 1932.
7· Liang, T'ing-ts'an, comp.
Li tai ming jen sheng tsu nien piao.
[T-able of birth and death dates of emi-
nent Chinese of all dynasties] Shanghai,
China, Commercial press, I933·
8. U.S. Library of Congress. Oriental di-
vision.
. . .Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing
period {I644-I9I2), edited by Arthur W.
Hummel. Washington, U.S. Government
printing office, I943-44· 2v.
b. For living persons
I. Hashikawa, Tokio, comp.
Chung kuo wen hua chieh jen wu
tsung chien. [A biographical dictionary
of Chinese in cultural field] Pieping,
China, Chung hua fa ling pien yin kuan,
I940·
2. Who's who in China, Ist-
I925-
JULY, 1947
Shanghai, China, China weekly review,
I925-
c. For persons with posthumous names
r. Ch'en, N ai-ch'ien, comp.
Pieh hao so yin. [Index to pen names]
Shanghai, China, K'ai ming bookstore,
1936.
2. Ch'en, Te-yiin, comp.
Ku chin jen wu pien ming so yin.
[An index to nicknames, pen names, and
other kinds of personal names of distin-
guished Chinese, ancient and modern]
Canton, China, Lingnan university, I937·
3· Yiian, Yung-chin, comp.-
Hsien tai chung kuo tso chia pi ming
lu. [A list of pen names of modern
Chinese writers] Peiping, China, Chi-
nese library association, 1936.
II. Titles and editions
a. For old books
r. For general reference
i. Chi, Yiin [and others], comp.
Ssu ku ch'iian shu tsung mu t'i yao.
[A descriptive catalog of the Imperial
library at Peking compiled between
I773 and 1782] Shanghai, China,
Commercial press, .I934· 4v.
ii. Fan, Hsi-tseng, rev.
Shu mu ta wen pu cheng. [A se-
lected bibliography of Chinese books
compiled by Chang Chi-h-tung in r87o,
revised and enlarged] Nanking,
China, Kuo hsiieh t'u shu ·kuan, 1931.
iii. Liu, 1-cheng [and others], comp.
Chiang su sheng li kuo hsiieh t'u
shu kuan ts'ang shu tsung mu. [Cata-
log of the Kiangsu provincial library
in Nan king] Nanking, China, Kuo
hsiieh t'u shu kuan, 1933-35. 24 ts'e.
---=---Supplement. Nanking, China,
1936. 6 ts'e.
iv. Pei-ching-jen-wen-k'o-hsiieh-yen-chiu-
so.
Pei ching jen wen k'o hsueh yen
chiu so ts'ang shu mu lu. [Catalog
of Chinese collection in the humanity
and science research institute] Pei-
ping, China, Pei ching jen wen k'o
hseuh yen chiu so, I940. 8 ts'e.
----Supplement. Peiping, China.
2 ts'e.
2. For identification of editions
i. Shao, 1-c)l'en, comp.
Ssu k'u chien ming mu lu piao chu.
[Bibliography of editions of books
listed in the abridged catalog' of the
301
Imperial library at Peking] Hang-
chow, China, The author's family,
I9II.
,ii. Mo, Yu-chih, comp.
Lii t'ing chih chien ch'uan pen shu
mu. [A bibliography of editions of
books seen / or heard] Shanghai,
China, Shao yeh shan fang, 1923.
8 ts'e.
3· For ts'ung shu or ·collection of works
i. Shih, T'ing-yung, comp.
Ts'ung shu tzu mu shu ming so
yin. [Title index to 40,000 works
contained in 1275 ts'ung shu pre-
served in the National Ts'ing Hua
University] Peiping, China, Tsing
hua university, 1936.
ii. Yang, Chia-lo, comp.
Ts'ung shu ta tz'ii tien.: [Combined
dictionary of 6coo titles of ts'ung shu
followed by a list of individual
works included in author analytics
and title analytics arranged by four-
corner system] Nan king, China,
Ts'ung shu ta tz'ii tien kuan, 19:36.
b. For current books
i. Quarterly bulletin of Chinese bibliog-
raphy.
English edition.
v. 1-4, . 1934-37·
New series. v . . 1- 1940-
Peiping, China, National libra.ry of
Peiping, 1934-
ii.- T'u shu chi k'an, quarterly bulletin of
Chinese bibliography. Chinese edi-
tion. v. 1-4, 1934-37.
New series, v. I- 1940-
Peiping, China, National library of
Peiping, 1934-
UI. Chinese dates into western calendar
I. Ch'en, Ch'ing-ch'i, comp.
Chung kuo ta shih nien piao. [A
chronological table of important events
in China] Shanghai, China, Commercial
press, 1934·
2. Hsieh, Chung-san [and Ouyang, 1],
comp.
Liang ch'ien nien chung hsi li tui chao
t>iao. [Sino-western calendar for two
thousand years, 1-2000 A.D.] Shanghai,
China, Commercial press, 1940.
IV. Dictionary
1. Chang, Yii-shu, comp.
K'angnsi tzu tien. [Standard Chinese
dictionary compiled to the imperial order
in 1710] Shanghai, China, Commercial
press; 1937·
2. Lu, trh-k'uei [and others], comp.
Tz'ii yuan. [Chinese phrase diction-
ary] 2oth ed., Shanghai, China, Com-
mercial press, 1935. zv.
----Supplement. 1933.
V. Romanizatiori
x. Giles, Allen Herbert
A Chinese-English dictionary. 3rd ed.
Shanghai, China, Kelly & Walsh, H)I2.
2V.
2. Ware, James Roland
Vocabularies to the intermediate Chi-
nese texts ·used at Harvard University.
Cambridge, Mass., Harvard-Yenching
institute, 193i
A very useful Romanization table for
filing purpose on p. 8-11.
VI. Four-corner system for author numbers
1. Wang, Y iin-wu
Wong's system for arranging Chinese
characters; th~ revised four-corner num-
ber system. Shanghai, Commercial press,
I928.
2. Wang, Yiin-wu, comp.
Wang yun wu hsiao tz'ii hui. [A con-
cise dictionary of Chinese characters ar-
ranged by four-corner system] Shanghai,
China, Commercial }>ress, 1936.
VII. Classification and cataloging
1. Ch'iu, K'ai-ming
. . .A classification scheme for Chi-
nese and Japanese books. Washington,
D.C., Committee on Far Eastern studies,
American council cif learned societies,
1943·
2. Ch'iu, Kai-ming
Chung kuo t'u shu pien mu fa. [Cata-
loging rules · for Chinese books] Shang-
hai, China, Commercial ·press, 1934.
302 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES
..