A project involving the building of a database of ancient texts by Jiangsu universities is launched. [Photo/Jiangsu International Online]

A project involving the building of a database of ancient texts by universities in East China's Jiangsu province was launched on Nov 22 at an academic seminar in Nanjing University.

The libraries of eight universities, including Nanjing University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Huaiyin Normal University, have already participated in the first phase of the project. They will upload about 100 valuable ancient texts, including a Lotus Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, that was written in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), to the database.

An ancient book printed in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) that is collected by Nanjing University's library. [Photo/Jiangsu International Online]

By establishing a digital collection of ancient texts and sharing the resources among universities, the database will boost academic research and help promote traditional Chinese culture, said Professor Sun Jianjun, dean of the School of Information Management of Nanjing University.

Jiangsu's universities have a larger book collection than many other provinces in China. Libraries of six Jiangsu universities – Nanjing University, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Soochow University, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Normal University – are listed as key national-level ancient texts protection units. Nanjing University's library alone has about 400,000 ancient thread-bound books.

The seminar marked the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Library and Information Work Committee of Jiangsu Universities. A forum focusing on the digital management of libraries and knowledge-centered service innovation was also held during the event.