My Recent Photo with a Bright Korean Tie

My recent photo during the meeting with guests from the National Library of Korea, wearing a bright tie produced by the National Library of Korea, with the design based on the picture "Garedogam Uigwe" -- Uigwe on the Wedding of King Yeongjo and Queen Jeongsun, 1759 -- collected in the National Museum of Korea

Reading ceremony for the Book Day

Reading ceremony at the National Library of China for the World Book and Copyright Day, April 23, 2019. CCTV reported this event immediately.

Lunar New Year

Chinese New Year began on February 5, 2019. We passed on our greetings to the readers on the day as usual. The first reader arrived as early as 8 o'clock the day before, which meant that he waited outside the library building for about 13 hours! Fortunately, he received ten award-winning books from the library as new year gifts.

Chinese National Standard of ISSN Published

China Standard Serial Number, Part 2: ISSN (GB/T 9999.2-2018), The Chinese National Standard of ISSN, was just published in March 2018.
Since the Chinese National Standard China Standard Serial Numbering (GB/T 9999-2001, eqv ISO 3297:1998) was published in June 2002, the standard had not been revised for many years. In 2009, the China ISSN Center proposed to revised the standard, and the application was approved.
However, the drafting of the standard took much longer time than it was estimated. Finally, the revised standard was divided into two parts, with the first part for Chinese local management number (CN) and the second part for ISSN.
Based on the ISO 3297:2007, Information and Documentation -- International Standard Serial Number, the newly revised standard meets the needs for the ISSN numbers of electronic serials, and also clarifies the responsibilities of ISSN China Center.
As the director of the ISSN China Center, I began the revision of the standard in 2009, and I am glad to see the final result.

New Year of the Dog

Today is the first day of the Chinese lunar new year (the Year of the Dog). We greeted readers in the morning as usual. Many readers received little souvenirs. For the first three readers, they received ten prize-awarded new books, but they arrived as early as 9:00 pm yesterday evening. I was glad to meet a student volunteer with traditional Chinese costume.

National Library of China becomes National Institution Representative of RDA Board

Last week, I received a message from Simon Berney-Edwards, Director of Improvement and Development, CILIP, the library and information association, which is based in London. He told me that at the meeting of the RDA Board last week, the National Library of China was selected to be the National Institution Representative: Asia (To serve 2018-2020).
RDA is a continually evolving standard that aims to reflect the requirements of the description, cataloguing and metadata community. One of its original aims was to be applicable across cultures, sectors and perspectives.
RDA is a package of data elements, guidelines, and instructions for creating library and cultural heritage resource metadata that are well-formed according to international models for user-focused linked data applications.

The role of the representative is:

• To provide RDA Board with insight about the impact, challenges and opportunities from the perspective of a national institution that has implemented RDA.
• To provide any relevant feedback from other National Institutions in the region.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of the RDA Board strategic plan for the development of RDA.
• To contribute to the overall governance of the standard including oversight of strategy, delivery, finance and risks.

My Blog Book Published

My blog book Bookworm speaks (书山蠹语) is published by National Library of China Publishing House in May 2013.
书山蠹语 / 顾犇著 ; 韩盈插图. — 北京 : 国家图书馆出版社, 2013. — 350 页. — 978-7-5013-5056-8.
This book includes blog posts from my Sina.com blog during the last five years.
Mr. Ying HAN provides 15 illustrations for my book.

Cover

Catalogers are chefs

Colorful Memories, a Video Clip about the Foreign Acquisitions & Cataloging Department, NLC

Colorful Memories, a Video Clip about the Foreign Acquisitions & Cataloging Department, National Library of China, was released today at:

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/IK70ntdDgp8/

It shows all aspects of the department, including routine work, researches and organizational culture.

As the director of the department, I am very glad to have the video clip released at the end of 2012, which is the second year of my term of office in this department after my three-year term in the Chinese Acquisitions & Cataloging Department.

My article published in EALRGA Newsletter

Today, I found that my article "Collection Development in the Digital Age: Changing Roles of the National Library of China" is just published in EALRGA Newsletter (The newsletter of the East Asian Library Resources Group of Australia):

http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/NLA/EALRGA/newsletter1107/1107_gu.html

Ren Jiyu's Farewell Service was held in Beijing yesterday

Prof. REN Jiyu's Farewell Service was held in Beijing yesterday morning. Prime Minister WEN Jiabao and other government officials attended the service.
There were about 3000 participants, including 600 staff of National Library of China.
REN Jiyu was Director of National Library of China (1987-2005) and Honorary Director of National Library of China (2005-2009). He is a notable scholar in Chinese philosophy, especially in Buddhist research.

Prof. REN Jiyu, Honorary National Librarian of China, passed away

Prof. REN Jiyu passed away this morning at 4:30am (Beijing Time).
Prof. Ren was a famous philosopher, and used to be the Director (1987-2005) and Honorary Director (2005-2009) of National Library of China.