Editor's Note
The renowned Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges once said, "If paradise exists on earth, it is surely in the form of a library." However, with the advent of the digital age, libraries seem to be drifting further away from our daily lives.
Apart from searching, borrowing, and returning books, what else can you do at the library? How does flipping through books at the library differ from reading at home? Is it an abuse of public resources to study or nap at the library? What does it take to create a library that readers love?
As World Book Day approaches on April 23rd, let's discuss libraries.
"Harvard's Libraries and Museums" by Tian Song, published by World Book Publishing Company in May 2023, priced at 78 yuan.
■ Reported by Wen Xinhong, a journalist from this newspaper.
Professor Tian Song of the Southern University of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as SUSTech) said that at Harvard University in the United States (hereinafter referred to as Harvard), he gradually and fully understood why libraries are the core of university culture.
Few people, like Tian Song, observe and experience American university libraries from a first-person perspective, and then study and introduce these libraries in an academic way. In Tian Song's words, the writing of the book "Harvard's Libraries and Museums" is "both narrative and expository," describing his feelings about libraries, when he first came, what he saw, etc. With a strong personal touch, it is precisely because he felt "what a real library is" in Harvard's libraries, treating the library as part of his work and even daily life, that Tian Song couldn't help but "investigate its history" to understand what it is all about and uncover the stories behind it.
From initially out of interest to consciously "checking in" various libraries around the world, "Harvard's Libraries and Museums" provides us with a unique way to understand American culture and a perspective different from grand narratives.
"China Science News": What is your overall impression of American libraries?
Tian Song: In October 2006, I visited the University of California, Berkeley (hereinafter referred to as Berkeley) in the United States for the first time. During that time, something impressed me deeply. I retrieved a book from the school library's system, but the book was not at Berkeley; it was in another university library in another city. I filled out a form at Berkeley, and after a week, the book was sent over, with no charge required. And after finishing it, I just needed to return it at Berkeley.
While at Berkeley, I often visited public libraries outside the school. The architecture, collections, and services of the libraries left me with deep impressions. In the spring of 2007, I even went to the National Library located in Washington, D.C., which is a historic building itself. The decorations, murals, and sculptures inside make it look like an art gallery. There are plenty of collections, and the services are very convenient. As a foreigner, holding a passport, I got a library card in less than 20 minutes, and then I could enter all the reading rooms and borrow books.
"China Science News": Harvard has 79 libraries and archives under its name, which is quite surprising. Do all American universities have this many libraries, or is Harvard more special?
Tian Song: Harvard indeed has quite a few libraries. Harvard Yard is the earliest campus of Harvard and the most core part, where almost every building has a library.
In addition, due to the large and dispersed campus, almost every school, every teaching building, and even undergraduate dormitory buildings have libraries. For example, the Cabot Science Library is located in the Harvard Science Center, where books for undergraduate science students are housed; the Department of Astronomy, which is relatively far from Harvard Yard, has an observatory and a library.
In addition to these college-based libraries, there are specialized libraries, such as the Schlesinger Library, which houses a large collection of materials, archives, and photos related to feminism and the women's movement.
The layout of American university libraries may generally follow this pattern, with a main library and others of different types and forms. The number depends on the size of the school and the campus. Libraries at Berkeley are also scattered around the campus, but obviously fewer in number than Harvard's.
"China Science News": Are these libraries significantly different in size, content, and collections?
Tian Song: Harvard's libraries have a vast collection of books. The main library, Widener Library, is one of the five largest libraries in the world, and its main reading room is not only large but also splendid.
The word for library in English is "library," which can be understood as a building or a room, so a room as big as a classroom can also be called a library. The Child Memorial Library at Harvard, for example, is actually a small room on the third floor of Widener Library, which can be called a "library within a library."
Harvard's libraries are very diverse, some appearing "high-end" and solemn, while others are more casual and approachable. Different libraries have different historical origins, collection directions, and target audiences. For example, Lamont Library is specifically for undergraduates, with a reading room filled with books for college students to read during holidays; the Map Collection Room was established by someone who loves maps.
"China Science News": How do Harvard students and scholars utilize the libraries?
Tian Song: When I go to the library, it's for work, not just to borrow books, treating it as an office space. Their situation is similar to mine. If a student is taking a certain course, and the books related to that course are distributed relatively centrally, they may go to borrow and read books during that time.
There are some service facilities in the library, such as free scanning. When I found some old books, I happily used this service.
"China Science News": You mentioned having a new understanding and appreciation for libraries at Harvard, that they are not just places to borrow and return books. Could you elaborate on what new insights you gained?
Tian Song: Indeed, this feeling is deeper at Harvard because I worked in the library when I came to Harvard. In China, I didn't feel that the library was a place to work. I didn't have this feeling in other American libraries; going to the library was basically about borrowing and returning books.
During my visit to Harvard from 2013 to 2014, after developing the habit of working in the library, I began to look at libraries from a different perspective.
What are libraries for? A library should be designed not only to allow readers to enter the stacks but also to design the space as a place for daily life, a place for books and people to interact, where readers are happy to come and feel something missing if they don't come for a while. In addition, it is also necessary to set up resting places unrelated to borrowing and reading books in the library. "China Science News": You coined the term "nap index" and consider it an important parameter for selecting workplace facilities, referring to rest areas, right?
Tian Song: Yes, providing rest areas is not a technical issue but a cultural cognition.
Placing suitable nap spots in libraries indicates a welcoming service, offering a place for you to rest if you wish to study, providing various conveniences for reading, or simply welcoming you to sit and work. In contrast, domestic libraries in China lack this concept.
People tend to have "path dependence," meaning once you develop a habit of going to a certain place, like my favorite spots in Lamont Library, it becomes a target destination rather than just a random passing-by choice. So, going to "my" seat in Lamont Library becomes a daily routine, which over time forms a behavioral pattern and an emotional attachment.
"China Science News": Do you need to reserve seats at Harvard libraries?
Tian Song: Seat reservation depends on the situation at the library. For instance, at Lamont Library, certain times can be particularly crowded; at Cabot Science Library, there may be more people at times, likely related to student schedules and classes.
In general, other libraries do not require seat reservations because there are plenty of public spaces on campus. Not only at Harvard, but public spaces are abundant across American university campuses, including large picnic tables and benches on lawns where you can sit down anywhere with your laptop and start working.
There are also public spaces in university buildings where you might unexpectedly encounter a café at the end of a corridor, offering tables and chairs for coffee, meetings, or work.
"China Science News": You focused on libraries like Widener, Houghton, and Lamont in your book, with brief introductions to other libraries, totaling over a dozen, and a longer list of Harvard libraries at the end of the book. How many have you visited?
Tian Song: Actually, I was interested in libraries before receiving the commission for this book. After Yang Xujie, the planner of this book, commissioned me, I deliberately started visiting libraries. I have visited or at least glanced at most of the libraries on the list, and I specifically visited some of the libraries further away from the campus.
Interestingly, I found that some places are not called libraries, but they house many books, like the Harvard Club in New York, where Harvard alumni can access.
Besides Harvard libraries, during my visit to Harvard in 2013, I rented a car and drove around. Whenever I passed by a city or town library, I often stopped by to sit and take a look at their libraries. The larger libraries are four or five stories high with excellent environments, while the smaller ones resemble small churches, also elegant buildings. These libraries share a common feature of having children's service areas with plenty of children's books and some basic toys.
I have a tip: in many cities in Europe and America, when you're tired and want to rest, you can either go to a church or a library. As long as you see a public library sign, you can go in.
"China Science News": Having studied and worked at many universities in China, what are the main differences between Chinese and American libraries? In the face of digitization, where do you think the future of libraries lies?
Tian Song: This comparison may not be entirely fair because my impression of Chinese libraries is based on the past when I mainly borrowed and returned books, and I wasn't heavily reliant on libraries. Also, during my time at Harvard, I wasn't aware of the state of Chinese libraries.
During the process of writing this book, I came to work at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). This made me particularly attentive to SUSTech's library. I found that SUSTech's library has an international flair, such as the design of public spaces, and even places for napping. This indicates that our university libraries are also evolving.
The use of networks and databases has indeed reduced the material dependence of libraries. As for the direction and path forward, it depends on the university's own philosophy and the leaders of the library.
Because of my experience at Harvard, I have a deep emotional attachment to Harvard libraries and, of course, hope that our libraries will move in that direction.
