Library relocation and historical Development
- Origins of the Collection (1928–1946)
The origins of the Mathematics Department Library can be traced to the establishment of Taihoku Imperial University in 1928. Founded as Taiwan’s premier institution of higher learning, the university initially comprised the Faculty of Literature and Politics and the Faculty of Science and Agriculture. In the following year, a Mathematics Seminar was established within the Faculty of Science and Agriculture under the leadership of Professor Soji Matsumura (松村宗治), laying the foundation for the development of mathematical scholarship and the growth of the library’s earliest collections. In 1944, Professor Heizaemon Kato (加藤平左衛門), then serving as Director of the Preparatory Division of Taihoku Imperial University, undertook a systematic acquisition of traditional Japanese mathematical texts (Wasan), including significant collections associated with the Seki and Mogami schools. These efforts contributed substantially to the preservation of East Asian mathematical scholarship during a period of profound historical change.
In the aftermath of World War II, Taihoku Imperial University was reorganized as National Taiwan University. Four distinguished scholars from Zhejiang University—Zongluo Luo (羅宗洛), Jiangong Chen (陳建功), Buqing Su (蘇步青), and Banghua Tsai (蔡邦華)—were invited to Taiwan to oversee the transition. During their inspection of the former university facilities, they discovered a large collection of mathematical journals and research materials collected by the Mathematics Seminar and stored in a classroom within Science Building No. 5.
At that time, however, neither a formal Department of Mathematics nor a dedicated library existed to organize and preserve these materials. As a result, these materials remained largely uncataloged and without formal oversight during the early postwar transition.
In 1946, the Department of Mathematics was formally established at National Taiwan University, with Professor Xuan Shen (沈璿) appointed as its first chair. The establishment of the department provided an institutional framework for the stewardship, organization, and continued development of the mathematical collections that had been assembled over the preceding years, laying an important foundation for the department’s future teaching and research activities.
- Establishment of the Mathematics Department Library (1962–1969)
The year 1962 marked a major milestone in the history of the library, when Professor Kung-sing Shih (施拱星), Chair of the Department of Mathematics, successfully secured funding through the U.S. Aid Program for the construction of the Old Mathematics Building. Within this newly completed facility, the Mathematics Department Library was established in Room 201.
Designed according to contemporary library principles, the library adopted an open-shelf system and dedicated approximately half of its space to a reading room. As one of the most modern library facilities on campus at the time, it quickly became an important center of academic life and a gathering place for faculty members and students of the Department of Mathematics.
- The New Mathematics Building Era (1970–2009)
As the Department of Mathematics continued to grow, the need for additional space became increasingly apparent. In 1970, the Mathematics Research Center Building, later known as the New Mathematics Building, was completed adjacent to the Old Mathematics Building.
To accommodate the expanding collection and provide improved facilities for study and research, the Mathematics Department Library was relocated to the second floor of the new building. The relocation represented an important step in the library’s continued development and strengthened its support for teaching, learning, and research within the department.
- The Astronomy-Mathematics Building Era (2010–Present)
In 2009, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica collaborated in the construction of the Astronomy–Mathematics Building, reflecting the close academic partnership between the two institutions.
In January 2010, the Mathematics Department Library officially relocated to the second and third floors of the new building, occupying approximately 1,500 square meters (about 450 pings). At the same time, the library integrated its collections and services with those of the Institute of Mathematics, Academia Sinica, creating a shared resource platform that expanded access to scholarly materials and strengthened research support.
With expanded facilities and shared resources, the library entered a new stage of development. Today, it ranks among Taiwan’s leading mathematics libraries and remains the largest departmental library at National Taiwan University, supporting research, teaching, and learning in the mathematical sciences.
Source: A Brief History of the Department of Mathematics