At the age of 79, Ge Jianxiong, a researcher at the Central Institute for Cultural and Historical Studies and a senior professor at Fudan University, assumed a new role as the director of the University Library at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, in March this year. Appointed for three-year tenure, this marked his return to a university library director since stepping down from the same position at Fudan University in 2014.

Having been a frequent presence at events like the Shenzhen Reading Month and at the Yantian and Pingshan district libraries, Ge had a strong connection to Shenzhen. His bond with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, particularly with the president Yangsheng Xu, grew through these events. Various engagements, such as lectures at the University and speeches at graduation ceremonies, strengthened his resolve to take up the role of library director at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

The University Library: Fostering Intellectual Encounters and Academic Leadership

Due to a humble background, Ge entered a library for the first time in junior high school. The vast sea of books captivated him, forging an inseparable bond with libraries. During his tenure as director of the Fudan University Library, Ge focused on enhancing library services and infrastructure. He emphasized the profound significance of a good library for both teachers and students.

Ge believes that though reading habits and types of books have evolved, the essence of a library as a place to read remains unchanged. He stated that libraries serve as spaces for gathering information and knowledge, emphasizing the need for libraries to evolve by incorporating new departments and functions like developing online databases. This evolution enables students and faculty to access cutting-edge academic information and data in a timely and extensive manner, thus playing a pivotal role in academic leadership. Moreover, Ge envisions the library as a public space where diverse scholarly backgrounds can foster the generation, exchange, development, and innovation of ideas, creating a space where various ideas can flourish and coexist, making the library a true "paradise."

Southern Education Times: From 2007 to 2014, you served as the director of the Fudan University Library. After a decade, taking on the role of a library director once again, what are your ideas for the development of the library?

Ge Jianxiong: The library is a place for acquiring information and knowledge, but now there are more forms of acquiring knowledge. Therefore, the library needs to continue developing new departments and functions to allow readers to access information and knowledge more effectively and comprehensively.

At the same time, as the primary public space in a school, the library should become a place where various people, ideas, and behaviors can interact, collide, and foster innovation. Here, students and teachers from various disciplines such as humanities, sciences, engineering, medicine, agriculture, and even outside the school should be able to interact freely, express themselves, and engage in debates, creating a space for various innovative ideas and thoughts.

Southern Education Times: In your view, as a carrier of university spirit and temperament, how can the library impact university development and student growth beyond providing information and knowledge?

Ge Jianxiong: The resources of a library can be categorized into tangible and intangible resources. Tangible resources include books, staff, etc., while intangible resources encompass ideas and concepts. We need to consider how to consolidate these resources through the library to contribute to university development and student growth.

President Yangsheng Xu suggested inviting top experts and scholars from around the country and even the world to the CUHK-Shenzhen Library. As the library director, my role is to create this platform and gather outstanding talent and their ideas on this platform through lectures, activities, and other forms of engagement.

Southern Education Times: In an open letter posted on the CUHK-Shenzhen Library website, you wrote, "I have never left school in my life, never stopped reading, and have always benefited from the library." What has the library brought to you in your academic and scholarly career?

Ge Jianxiong: I came from a poor family, and before I had a chance to access the library, I didn't have the money to buy books for myself. When I first entered the Shanghai Library in 1957 with my student ID, the vast collection of books dazzled me. However, borrowing books was not easy; it required coordination through the class monitors, limiting the quantity and variety. Once during a class outing, my Chinese teacher noticed me reading "Chu Ci," and from then on, he would often help me borrow books. In high school, teachers who knew about my passion for reading and my accumulated knowledge would offer to borrow books for me. During a period of illness, teachers continued borrowing books for me. I completed reading "Twenty-Four Histories" in high school and got familiar with some young teachers; some of them became my friends.

Thanks to the library, I embarked on the academic path and became who I am today. Therefore, as a library director, if necessary, I am willing to make exceptions for all the people, so that more can benefit from the library.

Reading: Different methods serve different purposes

Over the years, whether for professional research or in pursuit of the joys of life, reading has become a part of Ge’s life. He believes that as material needs are increasingly met and enriched, people must pay more attention to their spiritual lives to attain greater happiness, with reading being a prime way to nourish the spirit.

Reflecting on his reading experiences, Ge broadly categorizes them into three stages: reading involuntarily, reading consciously, and reading at will. He believes that reading serves three main purposes, each requiring different methods: for seeking knowledge, one must learn to choose; for research, one must learn to exhaust all possibilities; and for personal needs, one can read as they please.

Southern Education Times: Professional growth for teachers requires support from professional reading. Engaged in research primarily in history and geography, what professional advice do you have for teachers in the humanistic disciplines like history and geography?

Ge Jianxiong: Teachers should first clarify the purpose of their reading before considering the methods. Firstly, if it is for the sake of seeking knowledge, one must learn to choose. Teachers should understand what kind of support they need and at which stage they currently are. Nowadays, regardless of whether it is in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences, the number of books published and articles released each year is countless. It is impossible for teachers to read all the books, so they must learn to choose. Secondly, if one is reading for research or to solve problems, they should embody the two words: “exhaustively” and “thoroughly.” For example, if one is researching the city of Shenzhen this year, they should read all the books about Shenzhen, and identify and solve problems during the reading process. Thirdly, everyone has their own needs. If one treats reading as a form of pleasure, they can read as they please.

Southern Education Times: From your life experiences, it is evident that reading has profoundly influenced your world view and values. Today, parents are increasingly valuing about reading. How do you think parents should use reading to guide their children's growth?

Ge Jianxiong: For children, home is their first "library." However, with the continuous advancement of information and intelligence in society today, children are exposed to more and more information and ideas through the media, which can influence their thoughts and behaviors. Therefore, it would be best for parents to start guiding their children to develop good behavioral habits and instill correct values through reading from a young age, in order to better stimulate their interests and potentials.

Source： Southern Education Times