The Imperial Library of the Northern Sung
Full Title : The Imperial Library of the Northern Song: A Translation of the Lintai gushi by Cheng Ju (1078-1144), with annotations and commentary.
Project leader : Johannes Kurz
Brief Outline :
As the title implies this is a complete translation of the oldest surviving work on the history of the imperial library of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1225), the Lintai gushi (Historical Precedents from the Pavilion of the Unicorn). Once completed it will provide valuable information on the physical handling of books, of bureaucratic posts available in the library, as well as on the compilation of major works such as encyclopedias, dynastic histories and so forth. Apart from the main text parallel passages in other primary historical sources such as the Xu Zizhi tongjian changbian, the Yuhai or the Song huiyao are similarly translated.