In October 2000 Dr. CHEN Zhao-neng (university librarian at Shanghai Jiao-Tong University http://www.lib.sjtu.edu.cn/english/) hosted chief librarian Barbra Higginbotham during her PRC Ministry of Culture-sponsored trip to China. Then in September 2001, we toured and entertained Dr. Chen when he visited New York.
The next step in this fruitful collaboration was a plan to bring an intern from Shanghai Jiao-Tong to Brooklyn College for an eight-week period beginning in the spring 2003. Ms. ZHAO Feng was in the midst of her visa application when the S.A.R.S. outbreak struck China and the American Consulate suspended visa interviews. After seeing our hopes dashed initially , we were amazed and delighted when the consulate suddenly resumed interviews; on June 17, 2003 Ms. Zhao was granted a visa. She begins her eight-week internship August 25 and will be hosted by Professor Beth Evans and her family during her stay.
On another international front, Beth Evans of the Information Services staff is attempting to find hosts for a group of Russian librarians visiting New York in the fall. Our responsibilities will include providing five visitors with local transportation, a professional interpreter, and a professional and cultural program. The program in question aims to demonstrate how American libraries work with government, local businesses, and civic organizations to provide library services to communities. (We hope we can skate on the issue of a professional interpreter, since we have so many Library staff who are native speakers of Russian.)