Cooperation Agreement with the National Central Library of Taiwan
The University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums is proud to have signed a cooperation agreement with the National Central Library of Taiwan. We are one of just four partners in the UK who have been invited to join this international scheme, along with the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford as well as SOAS. The collaboration aims to promote international exchange and library collaboration in Chinese Studies and strengthen relationships with the other Chinese Resource Centres around the world. As part of the agreement, the University Libraries will establish a dedicated space to hold books and resources donated through the partnership.
(Dr Katie Eagleton signing the agreement with Chief Legal Officer Roy Drummond)
The University Libraries will receive an initial donation of between 500-1000 print titles and access to a selection of digital resources. Following on from this initial donation, we will continue to accept more titles every year and will house them in this dedicated space identified with a plaque written in Chinese and in English. These books and resources and this ongoing relationship will enhance our collection development efforts and support for the School of Modern Languages, Chinese Studies programme. Founding Professor of Chinese Studies, Gregory Lee says of the agreement:
“The Department of Chinese Studies is delighted to have been closely associated with the recently signed, ground-breaking agreement between the University Library and the National Central Library of Taiwan (NCLT) which has established a Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies here at St Andrews. Our Chinese print and e-resource collections will be greatly enhanced over the coming years, and will benefit our students immensely.”
(Left to right: Roy Drummond, Jennifer Louden, Katie Eagleton, Brad Mackay, Yvonne Chi, Gregory Lee)
As new partners we would normally have welcomed and hosted a visit from Taiwan, but because of the pandemic this was not possible. Instead, we organised a small signing event with representatives from the Principal’s Office, School of Modern Languages, and the University Libraries and Museums. A reciprocal event took place in Taipei, with Director General Tseng Shu-hsien signing the agreement for the National Central Library of Taiwan.