Dr. Zhu Qiang, Director of the Peking University Library, and Ingrid Parent, UBC’s University Librarian, at the signing agreement in Beijing. Photo credit: Peking University Library.
UBC Library and the Peking University Library (PKU Library) look forward to collaborating on collections, cataloguing and more thanks to an innovative agreement between the two organizations.
The agreement, which takes effect as of December 1, 2012 and can be renewed after five years, involves the exchange of staff and expertise related to cataloguing and conservation, especially for Asian materials. The libraries may also exchange academic works from professors at UBC and PKU.
“In an increasingly connected world, collaboration is key to successful initiatives,” says Ingrid Parent, UBC’s University Librarian. “I am honoured to enter into this innovative agreement with Peking University Library – we look forward to sharing knowledge and expertise with our PKU colleagues.”
Tower on Peking University campus. Photo courtesy of ML Duong (Flickr)
“International engagement plays a vital role in advancing the University’s goals and commitments,” says John Hepburn, Vice President, Research and International at UBC. “Agreements such as this one between UBC Library and PKU Library help cultivate UBC’s reputation as a globally influential leader.”
UBC and Peking University, based in Beijing, China, have a wide range of research and other collaborative agreements, some dating to 1980. Professor Stephen Toope, UBC President and Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Shanlu Zhu, Chair of the University Council, Peking University, signed a university-wide student mobility agreement earlier in 2012.
In September 2011, Alvan Bregman, UBC’s Librarian for Preservation and Collection Management Programs, visited PKU Library. The aim was to learn traditional methods of repair for Chinese rare books, and explore how these techniques could be applied to special collections at UBC’s Asian Library. Visits were also made to other conservation facilities and special collections libraries in Beijing. The trip was a valuable learning opportunity for UBC Library and an excellent way to engage with rare book and conservation institutions in China.