Drastic Reform With Keen Determination

Being one of the earliest Marxist and founder of Communist Party of China, Li Dazhao succeeded Zhang Shizhao as curator of Peking University Library in January, 1918 and was in charge of it for five years. When he was in power, using scientific management methods and learning from both home and abroad, he reformed and advocated the construction of professional librarians and that the library should be all-inclusive. From the historical perspective, he was the first one to spread Marxism using library; the first one to explicate the characteristics and functions of library theoretically; the earliest one to found the first library society; the earliest one to participate in setting up the first library study group; the earliest one to advocate the mutuality of book resources. Being the curator, he made monumental contribution to the development of Peing University Library and Chinese library cause. Under the leadership of Li Dazhao, Peking University Library became the center of studying and spreading Marxism, the influential front of disseminating advanced cultures and the center of earlier revolution. As the curator, he made a series of reforms and the Peking University Library was changed from a closed building of collection to the latter-day new library and he was the founder of Chinese modern library. He explored systematically library education and library science and he was the earliest library educationalist and recognized library science theorist. After his reform on Peking University Library, the components of collection, management mode and serving means changed greatly and Peking University Library became the cultural treasury of all times.This paper researches into the reforms carried out by Li Dazhao as the curator and puts emphasis on the construction of systems, collection resources, profession and reader services. It also summarizes the contribution of Li Dazhao to the library theories and evaluates his reforms and contributions.Li Dazhao worked deligently and conscientiously for five years and constructively turned over a new leaf for Chinese library. Whether on theoretical research or on the practical profession, Li Dazhao contributed predominantly to the advance and development of Chinese library cause. In the historical process of changing from the feudatorial closed building of collection to the modern library, he functioned as a pioneer and founder. The modern library science is the continuation and development of his contribution to the construction of library theories. Therefore, the study on his contribution to the construction of library theories has practical significance for the rapid development of modern Chinese library cause.