Xiamen University Libraries was founded in 1921. The well-known librarian Alfred K. M. Chiu, Dr. Lin Yutang and many other famous scholars served as the library directors and devoted themselves to the development of the library collection. In the past century, Xiamen University Libraries has received tremendous financial support from overseas Chinese businessmen, such as Zeng Jiangshui and Huang Yizhu from the Southeast Asia, who have donated extensively for library collection development. During the Anti-Japanese War, our university president Dr. Pen-Tung Sah led the faculty and students in carrying library collections on their shoulders and backs all the way to Changting County, which helped protect the collections from the ravages of the war. The renowned American geographer George B. Cressey praised Xiamen University as "the First University beyond the east of Calcutta" for its mature library collections and equipment. Under the aegis of Xiamen University and many other supporters from all over the world, the library’s paper and digital collections have reached five million volumes and nine million volumes respectively after several generations’ endeavors, which well fulfills teaching and academic research requirements, and plays an important role in cultural heritage. In order to further enrich our collection and to better serve the academic community and society, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Xiamen University, we sincerely call for donations of private memorabilia, archives, manuscripts, and other materials from individuals, institutions, faculties, students, staffs and alumni at home and abroad. We strongly believe that these donations will greatly benefit our researchers and will last as a strong symbol of goodwill far into the future.

We call for donations that include but are not limited to books, periodicals, newspapers, multimedia, photographs, artifacts, manuscripts, correspondence, archives, maps, local chronicles, genealogies, ancient books and other forms of materials. It requires healthy content and the reading level should be suitable for university levels or above. For general official publications, books new to the library’s holdings are welcomed, and duplicates should be limited to five. Special collections with thematic or document type features will be exempted from reading level and copy restrictions. “XMUer Library” is a long term special collection project of Xiamen University Libraries, which collects official and non-official publications of faculties, students, staffs, alumni along with diaries, notes, autobiography, correspondence, manuscripts, certificates, etc. “XMUer Library” also widely collects campus periodicals, newspapers, briefings. It has collected nearly ten thousand author-signed copies and continues to widely call for academic monographs and other materials from XMUers who has ever studied and/or worked in Xiamen University.

Traditional forms of culture and related material manifestations handed down from generation to generation by Southeast Asians, Chinese Diasporas, Fukien and Taiwanese (e.g. traditional art, skills, food, beverages, medicines, ceremonies, oral literature).

Donated funds for the operation or acquisition of thematic collections are certainly welcome.

Donation certificates will be offered, and donation catalog will be displayed through the “Library Donors’ Directory” system. Special shelves can be set on demand for large donations.

Given that the owner is willing to sell, the library is open to purchasing collections from institutions or individuals after appraisal.

In the event that the original valued collections cannot be acquired, donations of a reproduction of the original with the consent of the owner will also be welcomed in compliance with the appropriate laws and regulations.

A deposit or loan agreement between the library and the owner can be signed if the owner wishes to entrust treasures to the library for conservation and exhibition. The library will provide gratuitous preservation of such items and put them to reasonable use.

Address: Acquisition Department Xiamen University Libraries 422-1 Siming South Road，Xiamen, Fujian, China, 361005

Tel: +86 592 218 0878

Email: licy@xmu.edu.cn

Website: http://donors.xmu.edu.cn/