Tsinghua's real-person library brings 'reading' to life

At Tsinghua University, a real-person library program is redefining what it means to read. Instead of only opening books, students can sit face to face with professors and scholars and "read" the person behind the research.

The real-person library, launched by Tsinghua University Library in 2013, takes people as its core. Zhang Qiu, deputy director of the library, said the idea is captured by the saying, "Listening to a wise person for one session is better than reading for ten years."

She said the library should not only be a quiet place for reading but also a place where ideas and spirit can be exchanged. Since its launch, the Human Library has held 76 events, reaching 5.7 million participants online and offline, according to Zhang.

The program aims to build the library into a spiritual home for Tsinghua community members and extend high-quality public cultural resources to the whole society.

Reading is not limited to acquiring textual knowledge. Face-to-face communication in the real-person library allows students to read the life stories and academic spirit behind scholars, realizing the integration of reading books, reading people and reading the world, Zhang noted.

Zhang Guogang, a professor at Tsinghua's School of Humanities, described the real-person library as "embodied communication".

"You are not reading my book; you are reading me as a person, and I talk about my book and my research," he said.

He stressed the irreplaceable value of libraries in the AI era. In the AI era people still need to read; if people leave everything to AI, they will have no judgment, thinking or questioning ability, he said.

The professor illustrated that outstanding scientists including Chen-Ning Yang, Shiing-shen Chern and Yau Shing-tung have all benefited profoundly from humanistic reading in their youth.

He said scientists' reading of Chinese books was very important to their later life choices. Yang's father asked him to read Mencius before college, and their patriotism was related to reading before adulthood.

He distinguished between instrumental learning and humanistic cultivation. Skill-oriented books such as computer maintenance and investment guides serve primarily as vocational training tools, while humanistic reading focusing on literature, history and philosophy helps people cultivate moral character, develop sound judgment and reduce mistakes in life.

For Xu Yitian, a freshman majoring in theoretical and applied mechanics from Zhejiang province, the old library left the strongest impression. Walking up its spiral staircase, he saw marble walls, ceiling chandeliers and old green-shaded desk lamps, which gave him a strong sense of history.

He also found "old with new" elements in the library: a music classroom with a cinema-like feel and a huge electronic borrowing screen. He said the library is like a bridge between ancient and modern times that leads him to grow and explore.

As a science and engineering student, Xu firmly believes that humanistic reading is indispensable for technical learners. Ancient classics and red classics carry precious spiritual heritage and rigorous academic pursuit.

He said reading in the library is different from online reading because the atmosphere and the sound of turning pages cannot be felt on an electronic screen.

Xu recommended The Long March, a book given to all freshmen. He reread it during military theory class and military training and was moved by the Red Army's brave struggle and the close bond between the army and the people.