Yuzhou Bai (he/him) joined the Harvard-Yenching Library as their Special Collections Librarian and Archivist in January 2025.
How did your journey in working with East Asian libraries and collections begin? Were there any opportunities that encouraged you to step into the East Asian Studies Librarianship?
I came to the US as a graduate student studying pre-modern Chinese history, so I was naturally drawn to collections and resources offered by East Asian libraries from the get-go. Even though I didn’t intend to become a librarian at first, I did various side gigs in the libraries throughout my PhD, starting from a student assistantship for East Asian Library’s (now-retired) Mr. Liu Hsing-feng 劉興豐 in 2015-16. My string of part-time experiences eventually led to, in 2022, a full-time role doing original cataloging for Princeton’s Chinese monographs. I noticed the close alignment between librarianship and my personal values and pursuits. I attended my first CEAL meeting and enrolled in an MLIS program in the spring of 2023. Later that year, I moved to Williams College to become their special collections cataloging librarian. While my work at Williams was not focused on East Asia, I learned a lot from my curator and archivist colleagues, which prepared me for my current role as the steward of Harvard-Yenching Library’s special collections.
What do you enjoy most about your career in East Asian librarianship so far?
What I enjoy the most is the abundant mentorship in our field. There are many names that I hold dear to my heart, but I want to especially thank Chen Minjie, Joshua Seufert, and Cao Shuwen, who are always so generous with their time, support, and advice. In addition, I wouldn’t have landed myself in the field without the help of Lia Contursi and Martin Heijdra, who recognized my potential and took a bet on me. I truly appreciate everyone who has helped me find my passion in East Asian librarianship.
What would you like to achieve/accomplish in the next 5 years?
I have several long-term goals. For example, I’d like to help the Harvard-Yenching Library to develop policies that better balance the security and accessibility of our special collections materials. I’d also like to find ways to support our brilliant bibliographers to bring in new acquisitions for special collections that will excite a new generation of researchers of East Asia and the Asian diaspora. Therefore, for the next 5 years, it’s most important for me to fill in the gaps in my knowledge and skills, while building a network of experts that I can consult with. I’m eager to learn from and work with members of the CEAL community!
What excites you in the development of East Asian librarianship in the future?
I am excited about the growing synergy between East Asian Studies and Ethnic Studies, such as Asian American Studies, and its impact on East Asian librarianship. We are meeting more and more users who interact with our resources and services from a more critical perspective, just as the entire library field reflects on its participation in various systems of oppression. It is a challenge and an opportunity. East Asian libraries are positioned to help answer bigger questions for our society and thus generate bigger impacts.
Any particular professional area(s) or direction(s), ie. digital humanities, library consortia initiatives, etc. that catches your interest and that you want to further explore?
I maintain a deep interest in technical services, especially CJK metadata. I’m participating in the revision of the Cataloging Guidelines for Chinese Rare Books (CGCRB), through the CEAL working group under the Committee of Technical Processing (CTP) and the Committee on Chinese Materials (CCM). We want to shape CGCRB into a metadata standard that balances interoperability and inclusivity. On the one hand, we must help users find Chinese rare books more easily in a linked data environment. On the other hand, we must also honor the rich tradition of cataloging Chinese rare books, as that tradition is rooted in the unique features of Chinese rare books and the needs of their researchers. My stint at Williams gave me the impression that the rare books field increasingly recognizes the value of preserving non-Western knowledge systems and bibliographic traditions, which is why I hope to facilitate conversations and collaborations with metadata workers in other traditions by showing up in professional spaces like RBMS.
Tell us some fun facts about you:
I read Japanese mystery fiction and visual novels in my spare time. I’m always looking for fellow enthusiasts and recommendations!
