• 2024-09-04

The National Central Library signed an agreement with world-renowned Harvard University Library, making it the 50^th collaborating partner in NCL’s Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS) initiative. This is a significant achievement. The deliberations leading up to this culmination took some time and included when former Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng led a delegation to visit Harvard in March 2023. When NCL attended the Association for Asian Studies book exhibition in the US, it donated over three hundred books to the Harvard-Yenching Library. This was the beginning of this international collaboration. As NCL continued discussions with Harvard-Yenching Librarian Jidong Yang and received his strong support, both parties signed a collaborative agreement on June 27, 2024, with Director-General Wang and Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources and Services Elizabeth Kirk signing for their respective institutions. The TECO-Boston’s Deputy Representative Wei-chun Shih and Education Division Head Wei-yu Huang were both in attendance for the event. In addition, Harvard had many dignitaries and staff in attendance at the signing and opening ceremony, including the Associate University Librarian, underscoring the importance of this collaboration.

Since its founding, Harvard University has produced countless men and women of talent and earned world renown. Its Harvard-Yenching Library, Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, and Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations are important locations for Taiwan Studies and Chinese Studies. The scholarly production here is amazing. The TRCCS was set up in the Harvard-Yenching Library, which was established in 1928. The number of ancient Chinese works in its collection is the highest in North America. Its holdings are varied and replete, making it one of the most important locations in academia.