The Capital Library was founded in 1913. But today, visitors have gathered to celebrate its history of 90 years with a birthday bash. Located in southeast Beijing, and within a mile of the Central Business District of Beijing, this library has a fresh look and is actually quite young and modern. During the opening ceremony, city officials and renowned scholars expressed their best wishes to the library's future.
This 37,000-square-meter library is open to the public 365 days every year, providing comprehensive quality services for the public. This makes it easy for local citizens to borrow and read books any time.
The library has kept its traditional card index for search. That's a respectful gesture to help elderly people who do not understand computer technology.
As part of the celebration, the library is presenting an exhibition of old Beijing photos. Photography has undergone changes on the same scale as the recording history. Old Beijing is also being shown through the images captured by the camera lens to help stir memories and nostalgia among the elderly.
Some rare books and historical documents are also on display. Nowadays, most people do not have time to read these historical books. But the wisdom in these volumes has been safely and carefully preserved for future generations.
(CCTV December 1, 2003)
