MISS MARY ELIZABETH WOOD：The Queen of the Modern Library Movement in China
General Li Yuan Hung，late President of the Republic of China，once called Miss Wood，the founder of the Boone Library and Director of Library by the above title．It was in 1926，when she went to see him in his mansion in Tientsin in the interest of library movement in this Country．By this remark made by him，General Li consciously or unconsciously voiced the sentiment of Chinese librarians，for we all feel that to her and to her alone we owe the ideals，enthusiasm，and guidance which have brought success to the library movement in China．If we look around now，we see libraries established in many cities where none existed before，or，at most，there were only collections of books．Her untiring efforts brought a change in our conception of the library instead of a place where books are stored to a living organization．It will bring satisfaction to her and to the mission that sent her out to this land to know that most of the libraries are now administrated by young men and young women who had either trained or inspired by her．It is impossible to overestimate all she did for the Boone Library and the Library School，and all she accomplished for the Library Movement the torch of inspiration，library spirit，and personal sacrifice which she passed on to her pupils and fellow-librarians．It was like a shining light which went out from her into the dark corners of our country．
We remember vividly when Miss Wood first came to Boone Schoolthirty-two years agoto care for her young brother，Rev．Robert E．Wood，who was still a power in this Diocese，soon after the old system of examinations had just passed，and the so-callednew learningwas being introduced．As a missionary，she was very much interested in this educational move，and thought that through the avenue of books，the mission she represents，could be the widest service．We could very well see the bright prospect for Boone for that time，and also the need of a library．The founding of a collegiate department in 1903 made the need more imperative．Although she had many hours of teaching，yet she at once commenced to do library work among the students．Her interest in this work grew，and she wrote letters to her friends，Women's Auxiliaries，and the Church Periodical Club in America for help in the form of books and money．A small collection of books was gathered together and placed in a small roomthe old familiar Octagon on the campusmost inadequate even for our own students，but she did not lose sight of her vision of library building．On her first furlough she devoted her time and energy to the interesting of friends of China in America in the erecting of a Library Building of Boone．Many public-spirited and Christian men and women on the other side of the Pacific，caught her vision and contributed funds towards making her dream come true．Dr．Seth Law，late President of Columbia University，was the first donor．Miss Olivia Phelps Stokes，a very well-known New York philanthropist，gave money for the auditorium in memory of her sisiter，which is called Stokes Hall after her．Many friends in Boston，Bishop Lawrence，and his two sisers Mrs．Frederick Cunningham and Mrs．Loring，Miss Marian Dec Ward，and Miss Sturgis；and，in Philadelphia，Mrs．Charles Biddle，and Mrs．John Markoe；and certain ones in Baltimore and Richmond helped to make the building possible．During the intervening years books were constantly coming from the Women's Auxiliaries and the Church Periodical Club．
The building，with its furnishings，represents of the gifts of many devoted and interested friends of China far and wide in the Church in America．Although Grecian in its architecture，Miss Wood tried to combine with Chinese art which she loved，in its interior decorations and furnishings，that we Chinese people might see at once that the building was for us，and might feel at home there．This is evident，even before we enter，from the inscription in Chinese from our great Sage Confucius over the main door-way．We know too what the structure stands for，in the center in Chinese，are the words，in Christ are hidden all the treasures and knowledge．These inscriptions are carved in granite and covered with gold and shine out for all passers-by to see．Many Chinese hand carvings on the partitions and the brackets at the top of the massive pillars，on railings and windows make a favorable impression upon visitors，as works of art．But while we appreciate the beautiful building and its exquisite carvings，we must not forgetthe works she did，and the trails she endured with carpenters and masons，while the building was in the process of construction．
In the spring of 1910 the Library was formally opened．Many high officials were present．Plans were immediately outlined to make the library of service outside the walls of Boone．When Miss Wood first dreamed of a Public Library that could be of service in the Wuhan cities，she did not foresee the obstacles before her．She thought the public would certainly flock into it when the library opened its doors．Her hopes that students will welcome such a privilege were shattered that first year．The great difficulty had been to bring the students of outside schools to Boone Library for reading．Repeated efforts had been made，but with little success．This was owing to long hours and fixed the rules of the government schools，and to the fact that Boone was some distance from the center．This method of circulating books failed．Then Miss Wood thought of a better plan and carried it out．It was the introduction of University Extension Lectures．
Before attempting university extension work personal visits were made to all the leading educational institution in the city．To ascertain what their attitude would be toward it．She began to call on the principals of the government schools and telling them how the Boone Library planned to go University Extension Lectures on scientific，social and literary subjects during the fall and spring terms．According she sent tickets to various schools and public institutions in advance，the number of tickets being in proportion to the number of student in that particular school．Every lecture course began with a concert．By means of these lectures the Boone Library was given a great opportunity to instruct and enlighten the community with regard to public health，good government，natural science，etc．．Many of these lectures were illustrated with lantern slides and educational films which always proved an attraction．
Two reading rooms have been opened in connection with the Boone Library．One is at St．Michael's Church．That is frequented by citizens of that quarter，military，and other students，policemen，etc．．The other，at Trinity Church，is very flourishing．The readers are most merchants and shopkeepers．These two reading rooms have been of special service to the parishioners and residents of those sections．Through the avenue of reading rooms the Boone Library is able to do not only educational work，but also evangelistic work among these leading classes of the people．
At our home base when the Boone Library was first opened in 1910，Miss Wood aimed principally to work with students，as Wuchang had always beenna city of schools．After fruitless attempt to get students from the government schools，she changed her tactics．She again visited the principal of the government schools and put the suggestion to them that books should be brought to their doors．The plan was favorable received．Not only were traveling libraries sent to the government schools and mission schools in the city，but also to some public instructions，like the Hanyang Iron and Steel Works，Canton Hankou Railway，Yang Tze Engineering Works，etc．．Sometimes they went to far away places on the Yang TzeWuhu，Kiukiang，Nanchang，Shangsha，Shasi，Ichang．One went to Kaifeng in Honan，and another to Yung Ching in Chili，and still another travelled to Peping．These libraries usually made up of lots of 100 books or more．Sometimes they contain all the Chinese books，sometimes all English books and sometimes half English and Chinese．For the law school she tried to include as many books relating to law as possible；and for the agricultural school，books relating to agriculture．The difficulty she has experienced in carrying on this work has been to find suitable books in Chinese on these subjects．They have not been translated，or if so，the translation is often a poor one．One of the greatest needs in educational world in China today are books on up-to-date scientific，social and political subjects，and inspiring biographies．Literature for young people which make the lives of children in America and Europe so full of joy，is also sadly lacking．As she made up these libraries，she was constantly confronted with these needs．However she never ceased her efforts to reach out and carry the influence of books to the students gathered in our midst，though most of the work has been slow，gradual and decidedly up-hill，with one exceptionthe public lecture course．
As the work in the Boone Library grew，technical training became necessary．With the support of friends in the Church at home，Miss Wood sent Mr．Samuel Seng as the first student from China to America for library training，and Mr．Thomas C．S．Hu three years later．Immediately upon the return of Mr．Seng，the Boone Library linked up with the Lecture Department of the National Committee，Y．M．C．A．，Shanghai，in order that a demonstrated lecture on the Need of Public Libraries in China be given．This undertaking carried the modern library idea far afield，as these lectures demonstrated with apparatus were given in fourteen cities in China．
The next vision that came to Miss Wood was to start a library school at Boone for the training of young men for library service in this land of ours．This plan was heartily endorsed by Bishop Gilman，then President of the University，and the library school was founded as the department of the University in March of 1920，with a class of six students who have since been known asThe Happy Six．They have established fine records of service in their careers as librarians．The work Miss Wood has done through the Library Schoolnow the only one in Chinais far reaching，because the School is graduating young men and young women every year in modern methods of library work，and these graduates are over China，holding responsible positions in libraries．Though the School has but a short history of ten years，yet the influence these graduates exert is very great．
In 1926 Miss Wood took a most significant step which proved to be of national importance．That was her lobbying in Washington for the benefit of our people．It was a suggestion made by Dr．David Yui，that if the indemnity was remitted by the United States，a portion of it be used to introduce certain models of the public library in China．A petition was therefore drawn up，embodying this idea，which was sent to the President of United States after she had succeeded in securing 150 endorsers，including leading statesmen，prominent educators，and business men who attached their signatures to this document．In order that the Bill might go through the America Congress，Miss Wood volunteered to go to Washington and work for its passage．She remained there for five months and saw particularly all the Senators and Congressmen．The Bill passed by a large majority．
In order to impress upon the members of China Foundation for the Proustion of Education and Culture，entrusted with the administration of this returned indemnity，the importance of modern public libraries，the American Library Association with a membership of 6,000 was requested to send a representative to make a survey．American friends of the Boone Library，through the efforts and influence of Miss Wood，financed this mission．Dr．Arthur E．Bostwick，Librarian of St．Louis Public Library，twice President of the Association，a great authority on the American Library system and author of many books on library science，was chosen to come to China to survey the field and advise in planning and organizing these modern public libraries．The coming of this delegate meant a launching of a National Library Movement．This has grown out of Miss Wood's effort，the Boone Library which started in such a humble way，has slowly but steadily gone forward year by year，little by little，until the opportunity came to take a national step，which wields an influence throughout the whole country．The magnitcent libray，now called the National Library of Peping，situated in the Palace，is the result of her faith and labor．And it is hoped，as years go by，that other libraries will follow．The same Foundation seeing the need of library training，and recognizing the work done by the Boone Library School，was prompted to make an annual grant to this School to further the work．From now on we must struggle anew to hold this privilege，as other libraries under the Government，better equipped than the Boone Library，will seek this grant．
Miss Wood was in every respect，a great and ardent library worker．She made herself fit for her work by study at different times，while on furlough，in Pratt，and Simons College，getting instructions from such competent teachers as Miss Plummer，Miss Rathbone，Miss Howe and Miss Donnelly．Her interest in the library movement in China brought wonderful results：the Boone Library and its many travelling libraries，and public reading rooms the Boone Library School which boasts of her eighty upwards of graduates serving in many places at home and abroad；the coming of Dr．Bostwick to China and subsequent establishment of National Library Association and the opening of the National Library of Peping，and the formation of the China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture，one of whose projects is the advancement of library work in China．By these fruits we know the tree．
After reading of the above account of the great life of a marvelous woman，though and inadequate incomplete it may seem，one will certainly question how she came to achieve her success．She could tell better than anybody else，but she never mentioned it once．We know just this much．She prayed a great deal every day．She asked God for help when she felt weak and herself unequal to the task set．Whatever joy or grief she had，she let Gold know of it．She prayed for God's counsel before launching any big plans．In asking for the constributions for the site，and putting up the library building，and furnishing it，and asking for gifts for books and periodicals from Women's Auxiliaries，the Church Periodical Club，etc．，and for support to further her library work in China from year to year，she wrote thousands and thousands of letters．The reams of paper she had thus consumed would certainly fill the whole library！Is she not justified to be called by the above titlethe Queen of the Modern Library Movement？She certainly deserves this honor，and will long be remembered as such，even though she has passed away．When Hans Christian Anderson died，they said of him：Hans is not dead，he will live forever in the hearts of children．We may well say of Miss Wood：Miss Wood is not dead，she will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese people．
（见1931年《文华图书馆学专科学校季刊》第三卷第三期）
本书搜集了沈祖荣先生于1916—1944年发表的中英文文章共46篇，反映了新中国成立以前国内图书馆的发展概况、国内图书馆教育工作的思想概况、图书馆学教育和档案管理学教育的开创与推进的史实，也介绍了一些欧美和日本图书馆的概况，是一本关于图书馆学教育历史的文献。