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The National Library's predecessor was the Metropolitan Library of Peking, opened in 1912. Apart from inheriting the books from the imperial libraries, the National Library, when opened, got a number of important and famous publicacions collected and donated by the government. All these laid the foundation for the collection of books.
Up to 1949, it had already had more than 1,400,000 volumes (items) and 120 staff members. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, its collections were mainly augmented through channels such as sample copies from domestic publishers, selective purchase of both old and new domestic publications, donations and allocations from institutions and individuals, selection and ordering of foreign publications, international exchange of publications, and so on. By 1987 the National Library of China had 14,370,000 books, magazine issues, and other icems, and more than 1,685 staff members. It is a comprehensive research library under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture of China. It seeks to perform the functions required of other national libraries throughout the world. A new building for the library covering a Boor space of 140,000 square meters and capable of providing for modern equipment was completed in 1987. The computer had begun to be used in some professional work by the mid-1980s and further applications of computer technology to library service were adopted and developed.
World guide to libraries. New York: Saur, 1998.
World encyclopedia of library and information services. 3rd ed.
Chicago: American Library Association,c1993.