A Library A Dream
Domination of a great power usually grants domination to its language. In modern history, England had been the dominant power for over two centuries. English was introduced in British colonies such as British America and Australia. In the twentieth century the United States replaced Great Britain as the worldNs dominant power. In terms of science and technology, many major achievements such as electric light, car, air plane, computer and internet were made possible by English speaking Americans. These achievements had altered the way humans live and greatly enhanced the living and cultural standard of human civilization. Considering these factors it is not surprising to find English as todayNs international language. In fact, a great part of international scientific works and research are carried out and published in English. Furthermore, millions of books written in languages other than English had been translated into English over the centuries. English books had become a sea of intellectual resources. It became almost a necessity for countries that are interested in the most current and advanced development in science and technology to found an English language library.
China as a rising developing country is no exception. Comparing with other peoples of the world, Chinese people relatively lack the ability to master foreign languages. Difficulty in communication is a major barrier for the Chinese people to enter the international community. Because of this, Chinese immigrants in North America, Australia, Europe and other parts of the world found it relatively hard to emerge into the mainstream society. In the age of international trade and finance, this is a substantial disadvantage to the Chinese people.
The purpose of learning a language is to apply it in either communication or learning. Though learning English had been made mandatory in ChinaNs education system for over two decades, the students have few opportunities to apply this new tool in their everyday life. The lack of English books in China is a major cause of this inefficiency. Though this situation had been somewhat remedied by the import of American movies and songs, the real essence and value of English as a language lie in the English books.
As an international student from China, I had the privilege to study at the University of Manitoba in the Faculties of Arts. In China, only the well to do families can send their children to study abroad. In my studies of Western history, I was fascinated by the Western tradition, especially the part of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Though this heritage is very different from the traditional Chinese perspective, it is very valuable and helpful to my understanding of human history nonetheless. I believe many of my peers in China would feel the same way in my position.
I felt a strong desire to make the books I have access to available to my fellow Chinese so that they can read them without traveling thousands of miles as I did. Inspired by my history instructor Dr. Gerry Bowler, I decided to set up an English language library in my home town, Shenyang, a city of seven million people. I started the Library Dream books collection at the University of Manitoba in November 2003. Between 2003 and 2007 I had visited 18 Canadian Universities and thousands of professors from a variety of disciplines. I managed to collect over 10000 books. Books were shipped to Shenyang City Library as donations. I firmly believed, and still believe today that setting up an English language library for China is one of the greatest contributions I can make for my country.
Though Library Dream Project is a success, four factors have limited its effectiveness. First, only readers from the city of Shenyang and nearby regions can have easy access to the books. Second, a book can be read by only one reader at a time. Third, books are fragile. If they were damaged or worn out, it would be hard to replace them. Fourth, transporting books from North America to Asia takes substantial amount of financial resources besides time and other inputs. This makes it hard to update the books on a timely basis. Thanks to the rising of computer and internet, a digital library can serve thousands of readers at the same time regardless of their geographic areas. In other words, a digital library can benefit not only Chinese readers but also readers from other parts of the world who are interested in using these resources. In addition, digital books are easy to store and update. A digital library is the way of the future. The Library Dream Project decides to set up a digital English library.
Building a digital English library requires more time and energy than that of a single individual. Therefore, I would like to invite volunteers who share my vision to participate in this important cause. I make this appeal especially to Chinese international students and immigrants who always bear a special responsibility to China and its people.
It is not to be forgotten that books have the wisdom and power to change the fate of a person, a nation and even the whole world.
www.librarydream.org
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www.librarydream.org
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arthur@librarydream.org