The History of Accumulation of Books the Mantetsu Library (I)

Abstract

The South Manchuria Railway Company (SMRC), won by Japan at war with Russia, established the Information Center in April 1907. One of their jobs was colleciing books, which were available only for the research works of the Company people. This collection was the origin of the Dalian Library.
At the same time the Company built reading rooms open for the people along the railway lines, and these were the origins of “libraries along the railway lines.” From the beginning the Mantetsu (SMRC) Library had two functions or services: private and public. This dualism should be considered as the unique character of the Library in its history.
This paper describes the history of the Mantetsu Library concentrating on the accumulation of books in both the Dalian Library and the Mukden Library.
In its philosophy and activity of the accumulation of books, the reality of libraries in the Japanese colonial area in China will be revealed.