Arthur E. Bostwick and Chinese Library Development: A Chapter in International Cooperation

The first quarter of the twentieth century was a tumultuous period in Chinese history. With democratic impulses growing, civil strife rampant, educational reforms underway, and interest in libraries mounting-the opportunity to support the establishment of public libraries for large numbers of the populace seemed at hand. When the Boxer Indemnity Fund resources became available for public library development, the American Library Association sent Arthur E. Bostwick of the St. Louis Public Library to visit China for six weeks in the late spring of 1925. Building on previous efforts to encourage library development, Bostwick traveled the country promoting public libraries. His visit coincided with the founding of the Library Association of China and resulted in several demonstration projects in the following years, though not in the form he had hoped. His visit occurred during a critical episode in the modern story of Chinese library history.