The Contributions of Nineteenth-Century Christian Missionaries to Chinese Library Reform

Abstract

This article examines the crucial but hitherto largely neglected contributions made by Western missionaries to Chinese academic librarianship in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It begins by analyzing how early missionaries unintentionally laid the groundwork for library reform while pursuing their two grand projects aimed at promoting Western culture. Next, the article demonstrates how the eminent missionary William A. P. Martin's efforts led to the establishment of China's first prototype of the modern library and how he subsequently participated in the building of China's first modern academic library. This in-depth case study of Martin's efforts aptly underscores the crucial roles played by Western missionaries in Chinese modern library reform in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.