(22 March 2013) The institutions, each of which holds the largest collection in its respective country, have been working together for several years to exchange materials, knowledge and best practices. This new international partnership will build on existing cooperative relations to focus on areas such as conservation and preservation, digitization of rare materials, staff exchanges and training programs to enhance skills in material processing, preservation and research, and the exchange of publications.
The collaboration will result in broader access to information both in China and in Canada. Both local scholars and members of the public will benefit from this resource sharing agreement which will enhance collections available through the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library and the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library at the University of Toronto, which are open to the public.
The University of Toronto Libraries system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 44 libraries located on three university campuses. The National Library of China, ranked fifth in the world for square footage and collections, is a comprehensive research library, a national bibliographic center and repository of Chinese publications, and a library research and development center.
