Director of Client Services and Collections Vicki McDonald and Heritage Collections’ librarian Simon Farley show Mr Li Daolin, Ms Zhu Shufen and Mr Zhao Liang the first volume of John Gould’s Birds of Australia.

Heritage Collections’ librarian Irene Sourgnes opens the concertina-folded pages of artists’ book Plastic Surgery by Guan Wei.

Shanghai Library is the largest library in China and one of the ten largest libraries in the world. In October 2006, the State Library of Queensland signed the ’Windows of Shanghai’ Memorandum of Exchange and Co-operation with Shanghai Library.

This memorandum has seen co-operation and exchange activities in the fields of library materials and expertise, sharing of service resources and staff visits.

On Friday 5 December a delegation from Shanghai Library visited Brisbane and were taken on a tour of the State Library’s South Bank building after meeting with the State Librarian and members of SLQ’s Executive Group.

The visitors included Mr Li Daolin, Deputy Chairman of Shanghai Library Council, Mr Zhao Liang, Deputy Director of Shanghai Library’s Computer Systems and Network Centre and Ms Zhu Shufen, Director of Shanghai Library’s Finance Division.

During their tour the  delegates viewed a display of treasures from the Heritage Collections in the Fox Family White Gloves Room. A number of these collection items, including photographs, books and manuscripts from the John Oxley Library, as well as Artist’s Books from the Australian Library of Art, highlight the rich array of Chinese connections in Queensland’s history.

More exchanges of staff, information and books will be undertaken over the next two years, especially as 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the Queensland Shanghai Sister-State relationship, and the Shanghai Expo will take place in 2010.

For more information on the ‘Windows of Shanghai’ Memorandum of Co-operation and Exchange go to: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/about/ppp/partners/window_of_shanghai

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