On 16 February, 2011 the World Trade Organization (WTO) has officially listed the National Library of China (NLC) into their depository libraries. Since then, NLC has formally become the only WTO depository library in mainland China.
Since 1946, the Dag Hammarskjold Library of the United Nations Secretariat in New York has selected one or more libraries open to the public to take up the responsibilities of proper collection, management and free lending. It has arranged for the distribution of United Nations documents and publications to users around the world through its depository library system, in order to advocate and promote its information resources. National Library of China is the only national library representing China. As the first and oldest depository library of the United Nations established in China, National Library of China started receiving and collecting documents and publications from the United Nations system, including its specialized agencies as well as other related international organizations since 1947. Depository library system has important significance to realize information sharing, and strengthen exchange and cooperation for the people from different countries and regions.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in 1995, whose predecessor was GATT, responsible for managing the world economy and trade order. WTO publications are widespread with extremely rich content, which are the important authority materials reflecting its activities and analyzing the latest situation of current international trade development.
In 1992 NLC has successfully applied to be one of GATT depository libraries and begun to receive their distribution of publications regularly. After the establishment of WTO, NLC has not been included in the WTO depository libraries, therefore the WTO publications distribution interrupt. In 2001, China formally joined the WTO. As an important member state of the WTO, China has no one depository library in mainland responsible for the preservation and promotion of WTO resources for a long time. This is undoubtedly great loss regarding the information users in China. Therefore, in 2008 the International Organizations and Foreign Governments Publications Section has initiated new application for WTO depository library status. From collecting relevant data, looking for contact information, to setting up communication channels, the entire application process lasted nearly three years time.
Unremitting efforts finally bear rich fruits. On January 17, 2011, authorized by the China’s delegation in WTO, the deputy director general of China’s Ministry of Commerce Mr. Huang Rengang investigated our reading room. He highly recognized our storage space, service capacity and supporting facilities. All the conditions meet the requirements of WTO depository library. On February 10, China's WTO delegation submitted the nomination letter to the WTO secretariat and officially nominated NLC for WTO depository library in mainland China. On February 16, WTO has officially added NLC in its depository library list on its official website.
The National Library of China will continue to fulfill the duty of national library and to provide perfect service to our readers. In the future, the Foreign Language Publications Acquisitions & Cataloguing Department will complete all related work of WTO deposit literatures. The National library of China continues to be the center in China disseminating information and knowledge about WTO. That helps to build a bridge of exchanging information between WTO and Chinese readers.
