University Library Projects for the Formation of

China's Digital Library and Information Space

Yan Peng Nataliia Kunanets Iryna Davydova
Department of Information, Library Information Systems and Networks Department of Information, Library
and Archives Department and Archives
Kharkiv State Academy of Culture Lviv Polytechnic National University Kharkiv State Academy of Culture
Kharkiv, Ukraine Lviv, Ukraine Kharkiv, Ukraine
yanpeng@ukr.net nek.lviv@gmail.com idavydova1@ukr.net

Nataliia Veretennikova
2021 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Sciences and Information Technologies (CSIT) | 978-1-6654-4257-2/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/CSIT52700.2021.9648715

Information Systems and Networks Department

Lviv Polytechnic National University
Lviv, Ukraine
nataver19@gmail.com

Abstract – The peculiarities of project actions on formation
of digital library and information space of the People's
Republic of China are analyzed. The leading role of the state in
generation, development, financing, and realization of projects
of technical and technological, organizational development of
university libraries is defined. The directions of increasing the
efficiency of library project management are outlined. An
emphasis is placed on the system of project management
standards, the innovative nature of national and corporate
projects aimed at creating a digital environment, systemic
nature and sequence of program and project construction of
the library and information sphere of China.
Keywords – libraries of higher education institutions, project
actions, innovative development, project management,
digitalization of documentary information institutions, standards,
information resources, databases, digital information space,
digital library resources, library collections, People's Republic of
China.
I. INTRODUCTION
The accelerated pace of development of the digital
society around the world is actively influencing the state of
the library and information sphere in both Ukraine and
China. Today, the rapid development of China's document
and information sector, the leading segment of which is
libraries, demonstrates a strong pace of adaptation to the
digital environment. One of the main tools of this
development is the formation of its own national project
management system of documentary and information
institutions. This system is based on the national
achievements of the People's Republic of China and is
aimed at forming the national information environment of
the state and determining ways to integrate it into the world
information space. The indisputable effectiveness of China's
achievements in the field of project management highlights
the need to study the peculiarities of the use of project
management in libraries.
A. Analysis of recent research and publications
The problem of the development of university libraries is
the object of attention in a number of scientific
developments, but the study of project activities as an
effective tool for the formation of digital library and
information space has only recently begun to receive more
attention. The stated problem is only partially reflected in
some scientific studies, papers and information sources on
978-1-6654-4257-2/21/$31.00 ©2021
the Internet. The situation in the libraries of higher
education institutions in the conditions of reforming the
scientific and educational spheres, globalization of
information and communication technologies is analyzed by
O. Voskoboynikova-Guzeva, I. Lobuzin [1], I. Davydova
[2], O. Marina [3]. The authors unanimously state that
digitalization changes the main activities of university
libraries, forms innovative areas of information service and
contributes to changes in the paradigm of library
management in higher education institution. The main
mechanism of innovative changes in the library is the
initiative of librarians, project and personnel management.
Research topics of Chinese experts range from the
theoretical issues of creating a digital environment to the
practical use of digitization methods [4]. Nowadays, one of
the leading issues in the library science is the application of
design technologies in the activities of libraries as a
powerful tool for managing their innovative development
[5]. The results of the analysis of the projects of the Chinese
Academic Digital Library, as well as the main directions of
the CADL project are highlighted by Xiangxing Shen,
Zhong Zheng, Shuguang Han, Chong Shen [6] and there is
analyzed project management in China, identified those
aspects that need further analysis and solution. These works
are important for Ukrainian documentary and information
institutions, as well as the Chinese experience of using
design technologies to form a modern educational space.
The purpose of the paper is to highlight the features of
the project activities of university libraries in the direction
of forming a digital library and information space in China.
II. PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN LIBRARY INSTITUTIONS IN
CHINA
The use of project technologies is an important area of
innovative development of libraries of higher education
institutions, which involves the deployment of practices for
the development and promotion of projects aimed at actively
reforming the technical, technological, organizational and
management processes in the library. Project management in
the development of China's library institutions plays a
special role in the information society. The development and
implementation of projects for the creation of new libraries,
digital library collections, the acquisition of innovative
forms of information services by library institutions in
China takes place in a very short time. The use of the project
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 approach has allowed to make a rapid breakthrough from
the established conservative library system, which
functioned exclusively within the documentary
communication, to the creation of the library as an
information and educational center, built on the principles of
open digital information space. Thus, project management
technologies are the basis for broad transformations in
various areas of library and information activities in the
system of electronic communications.
The process of formation of the digital library
environment in the People's Republic of China began in the
mid-1990s. The first period, which was quite short from
1995 to 1996, can be defined as the initial stage of the
digitization process in library and information activities.
During this time, a number of studies and pilot projects were
conducted, the results of which showed that China is lagging
behind the world's leading countries, including the United
States, in the direction of preparation and development of
digital libraries. The statement of this fact contributed to the
development of active work on technical and technological
support of the libraries of higher education institutions.
On the second stage, which took place chronologically
from 1996 till 2000, an active work was carried out in the
direction of technical and technological support of the
process of computerization of libraries, creation of
automated library information systems and their
implementation in library activities. The third stage in the
formation of China's library and information space began in
2001. At this stage, the Chinese library community realized
that the strategic direction of development of the field of
document and information activities is the creation of digital
libraries and began to pay much attention to research and
development in this area. The professional library
community identified the conceptual and operational
aspects, as well as the fundamental technologies for the
creation, operation and further development of digital
libraries.
The implementation of the practical aspect of this
activity was started in 2000 with the formation of a number
of projects to create digital libraries, which were
implemented at the national level. At this time the work
began on the establishment of the National Digital Library
of China, the National Science and Technology Library, the
Chinese Academic Library and Information System
(CALIS), the Chinese and American Digital Academic
Library (CADAL), the China Academic Social Sciences and
Humanities Library (CASHL) and a number of other
projects. The fourth stage in the formation of China's library
and information space, which continues to this day, involves
the organization and management of knowledge. It is to be
analyzed the projects of Chinese university libraries at each
of these stages.
Fig. 1. Stages of the digital environment formation
It can be argued that the initial stage in the development
of China's digital library and information space is related to
the implementation of the Chinese and American Digital
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Academic Library project. The main goal of the CADAL
project is to develop Chinese digital library systems based
on open standards and a flexible, consumer-friendly
information service system. The continuation of the
integrated CADAL project was the creation of the Chinese
academic library and information system CALIS. The
purpose of CALIS is to create a corporate network of
documentary resources of libraries of higher education
system and the formation of their digital space, the
deployment of information services for both higher and
basic education and promote global academic
communication [7].
The CALIS project was implemented under the
supervision of the Chinese Ministry of Education as part of
the national Project 211. The University of Beijing, the
library of which is one of the most powerful document and
information centers in China [8], was assigned responsible
for CALIS by the Ministry of Education. In November
1998, the National Development Planning Commission
approved the feasibility study for the project and began the
first phase of its implementation, which was successfully
completed by July 2001. The participating libraries were
offered six types of services, including the purchase of
literature, the exchange of printed materials, the creation of
a network of information exchange services, reference
consultations, information support for training and research.
National strategies for the development of the
information sphere provide the implementation of strategic
projects and, accordingly, the development of project
management. One of the most powerful programs, which
systematically outlines the strategy for the development of
China's document and information sphere in the information
society and the knowledge society, is the National Digital
Library project (NDLP), which was launched in 2005. The
project was implemented on the basis of the National
Library of China (NLC), which is the leading fund of
printed Chinese information resources. As of 2008, the book
collection of the National Library of China was 26,980,000
editions, serving governmental, educational, scientific,
research institutions, and the general public [9].
The project of creating National Digital Library is based
on certain social and economic preconditions that affect its
preparation and implementation and require careful
consideration of planned and unplanned, favorable and
unfavorable political, social, technological, regulatory,
cultural and other factors. Among the external prerequisites
for starting a project of the National Digital Library are the
following ones: world processes of informatization of the
sphere of document and information activity; deployment of
network document and information systems at the national
and world levels; creation of a dynamic branched digital
space, formation of innovative approaches to the role and
place of documentary information institutions, strengthening
their role in terms of forms and technologies of providing
information products and services in the network
environment.
These factors, as well as the contradictions between the
rapid growth of information needs of users, especially in the
network environment, and the ability of document and
information institutions to meet them; active technical and
technological changes affecting the consumer preferences of
information users served as external prerequisites for the
active application of project actions in China's documentary
information institutions. In this context, project management
is the most important tool for implementing the state
400
 strategy of preserving national interests, historical and
cultural features, based on a deep philosophical identity and
order.
In China, there is a clear systemic link between project
management and public administration design. Thus, the
project management technologies used in the creation of the
National Digital Library are based on close cooperation
between the state as the owner's representative by the
Ministry of Education of China (responsible for the project
works) and the National Library of China, Beijing
University Research Library, other project stakeholders.
including information users (the project is aimed at meeting
their information needs), the project management team
(including staff of leading libraries and consultants),
suppliers, contractors, etc. The state, guided by national
interests, acts as the main initiator and executor of complex
integrated projects, paying special attention to the system of
their management.
It is important to note that the effectiveness of project
activities to create a digital library and information space in
China is largely due to effective management, clear
regulation of all stages of project implementation, strong
public funding, and a control system implemented by a
number of institutions as the Ministry of Education, the
National Development and Reform Commission. Ministry
of Finance. Their efforts, combined with the professionalism
of the library community, are aimed at creating an academic
digital library in China based on the use of modern
information technologies, powerful multidisciplinary,
multilingual digital resources formed by a system of full-
text databases of both imported and own generation ones, a
system of service infrastructure of higher education.
University library projects are based on the
generalization of best design practices, which are now
formalized in the form of standards. These activities are
regulated by competent international and national project
management associations.
The creation of the national standard C-PMBOK (China)
has a particular attention, which is used to standardize
project and program management processes. The use of the
potential of this standard to create and develop China's
digital information environment is undeniable. The national
standard is based on the peculiarities of the social and
cultural space of the country, and contributes to the
management of the quality of information services at all
stages of the life cycle of libraries.
The application of the project excellence model is
important in the implementation of university library
projects in China. This model is IPMA Project Excellence
Model and is a powerful benchmarking tool that helps
identify examples of project management excellence;
strengths of the institution and potential areas for
improvement of weaknesses.
The formation of China's digital library and information
space is based on the development and implementation of
multi-purpose integrated programs and megaprojects. The
last ones can combine several multi-projects and mono-
projects in terms of the scale of the tasks to be solved. They
need strong funding from various sources and guidance
from a specific center. Thus, the project of the Chinese
Academic Digital Library (CADL), developed in recent
decades, is associated with projects to create the Chinese
Academic Library Information System (CALIS), the
Chinese Academic Digital Library and Information System
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(CADLIS), the Chinese and American Digital Academic
Library (CADAL) and the China Academic Social Sciences
and Humanities Library (CASHL). The successful
implementation of this project resulted in the operation of
the world's largest non-profit digital library with more than
2.5 million books in Chinese and English, which provides a
universal personalized information service, digital
integration of scientific sources in technical, agricultural,
medical, humanities, social sciences, arts and other
disciplines.
The CADL megaproject is aimed at the formation of
media resources in medicine, humanities, social sciences,
arts and other fields, including fine, theatrical arts,
construction, architecture, and folk crafts. This project is a
multi-purpose integrated program that forms a specific goal
tree and combines multi-projects that are complexes of
mono-projects implemented by a single institution or its
unit. Monoprojects are usually aimed at achieving a specific
goal of digitization of book collections, and are
implemented within individual institutions or their units,
and require the creation of information and management
infrastructure. Such coordination units are the most
powerful university libraries, which implement 75
monoprojects on their own information base [5]. They are
the library of the universities of Tsinghua, Wuhan, Tianjin,
Beijing. Such mono-projects have a specific purpose, a clear
framework and efficiency criteria (results).
The emergence of the Chinese Academic Digital Library
was the result of the merger of the Chinese Academic
Library and Information System (CALIS project) and the
Chinese and American Digital Academic Library (CADAL
project) in 2002. In turn, the Chinese Academic Library and
Information System (CALIS), a nationwide consortium for
the allocation of resources to academic libraries, was
established under Project 211. CALIS aims to integrate
scientific library resources and academic library services
and aims to create digital libraries for the system of higher
education, promoting the development of a system of
scientific communication between specialists. This system is
an example of the most successful networks of its kind and
can serve as a model for future consortia of document and
information institutions.
The state-funded CADAL project, overseen by Zhejiang
University, is an important component of China's national
innovation systems and information infrastructure. The
general goal of the governmental CADAL project is to
create scientific electronic libraries based on the use of
modern digital space, with a powerful multidisciplinary and
multilingual multimedia resource. Thus, this unique Chinese
digital resource is a clear confirmation of the change in the
functions of academic libraries from information storage
institutions to modern powerful centers of production and
distribution of digital information resources. Its large-scale
implementation and strong social impact contributed to the
launch of the next CADAL Project Phase II. Responsibility
for technical and technological support of the project from
the very beginning of its implementation was assigned to
Tsinghua University, which was involved in the creation
and formation of the CERNET project that was the first
national computer network in the field of education and
research in China.
The project to create a Chinese and American academic
digital library CADAL, according to the National
Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of
Education, is an important part of the system of the state
401
 Project 211. Project 211 was implemented under the
supervision of the Ministry of Education in China
identifying more than 100 most important (key) universities
and creating conditions for training highly qualified
specialists in accordance with international requirements,
staffing requirements, technical standards for national
development projects in economic and social spheres. The
implementation of the project began in the mid-1990s and
currently involves about 112 universities in China, which
fully meet the existing training requirements. Furthermore,
it should be noted that this interconnection of projects is an
important feature of the project activities of documentary
information agencies in China. Its application enables the
rapid development and sustainable operation of libraries of
the country's leading universities in the digital space. From
the point of view of project typology it is necessary to note
their innovative character directed on development of the
digital communication environment, first of all libraries as
modern innovative centers of generation and use of
databases of own generation, and borrowed ones.
Corporate collaboration between libraries is important
for the formation of China's digital library and information
space. This activity is carried out by the supervision of the
People's Republic of China in the framework of a number of
projects aimed at creating a Chinese library information
system capable of meeting the requirements of information
users in the necessary sources for education and science.
The creation of the Chinese Academic Library and
Information System CALIS is indicative in this sense, which
integrates digital libraries of higher education institutions.
This approach allows you to combine information resources
and provide services to users of many universities on the
basis of a single educational space. It is important to
emphasize that the digital resources of China's academic
libraries are significantly replenished through government
projects, including one of the CASHL library consortia. Its
activities are aimed at forming a single educational
information space of university libraries. The number of e-
books purchased in 2016 was more than 20.17 million, with
a total value of more than 2.77 million [10]. The total
number of downloads reached 21.54 million.
The Tianjin University Scientific Library, which aims to
create a world-class university library [11], is also involved
in this project. The strategy of the institution's development
is aimed at the constant improvement of high-tech services
both within the library (its total area is about 69 thousand
m2) and the support of mobile services. Only in 2019, the
trial version will have access to 16 databases, including
JSTOR, journals in the humanities and social sciences, the
database of the information system Wanfang Global Think
Tank, Vip Test Service, the database of rare Chinese books
on reengineering, the database of biographies of outstanding
Chinese people, the database of modern newspapers, the
database called Academic platform of the most popular e-
books, the database called Designer House Resource
Library.
An important area of project management of Chinese
university libraries is the organization of knowledge bases
and their management. Library projects are directed to form
a network of knowledge bases, solve the relationship
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between information and knowledge, effective organization
of knowledge and providing users with personalized
services. One such project was implemented at Tsinghua
University on the CNKI resource allocation platform. Using
this platform allows libraries to integrate knowledge by
integrating databases using a heterogeneous unified search
engine, which allows you to search for citations, data, text
fragments on a particular topic. The CNKI platform enables
libraries to obtain information from existing databases and
on this basis to create their own databases of professional
knowledge. It affirms the strong activity of Chinese
university libraries in the direction of forming a digital
library and information space.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it can be argued that the projects of university
libraries in China are moving towards the formation of an
innovative project-oriented model of targeted management,
which aims to achieve sustainable development of digital
library and information space. Project management
technologies are based on the methodological principles of
world experience, but have their differences. The last ones
are related to the historical and social and cultural features of
China, its fundamental significance and the high level of its
philosophical content. The system of public administration in
China plays a leading role in the development of the
document and information environment, its qualitative,
quantitative and meaningful content, based on the technology
of innovation and project management.
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