Former Fudan University Librarian passed away

Prof. QIN Zengfu, former director of Fudan University Library, passed away in Shanghai, August 25, 2011.

Prof. Qin is my teacher of Mathematical Analysis when I entered the Department of Mathematics, Fudan University, in September 1980. His teaching was excellent and left deep impressions on me.

Later, I became a librarian of the National Library of China, and he became the Fudan University Librarian. We met each other several time during international and national conferences and meetings.

Prof. Qin's memorial service will be held in Fudan University Library next Thursday (September 29).

Springer's New Beijing Office opened today

I attended the opening ceremony of the new office of Springer in China.

The ceremony is a typical Hong-Kong-styled one, during which the Mr. Derk Haank, CEO of Springer, cut a roast pig (see video).

I am familiar with Springer's products, especially Lecture Notes in Mathematics series and Graduate Texts in Mathematics series, and monographs by notable Chinese mathematicians, such as Wang Yuan's Diophantine equations and inequalities in algebraic number fields and Hua Luogeng's Introduction to number theory.

Meeting with Czech National Librarian

Yesterday, I met Mr. Tomáš Böhm, Director General, National Library of the Czech Republic (generální ředitel, Národní knihovna České republiky).

During the dinner, I was surprised to know that there are quite a lot of old staff in the library with full pensions and full salaries. This is impossible in China and in many other countries.

Alex Byrne mentioned National Library of China

Technology provides new and expanding ways in which to communicate but the desire to do so is an unbroken thread of human history. That was what impressed Byrne when he visited China's national library. There he was taken into its vaults to view its greatest treasures. Before him was a series of inscribed animal bones almost 5000 years old - among the world's earliest written communication.

The Sydney Morning Herald, September 3, 2011.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/top-shelf-20110901-1jmlu.html

BIBF

The 18th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) is now held in Beijing. I was busy last week for forums, meetings, banquets, cultural events, etc. Many representatives from foreign publishers visited my office.