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PROLOGUE

The Retirement Party at the Library of Congress

Remember his resolute constancy in things that were done by him according to reason, his equability in all things, his sanctity, the cheerfulness of this countenance, his sweetness, and how free he was from all vainglory; how careful to come to the true and exact knowledge of matters in hand, and how he would by no means give over till he did fully and plainly understand the whole state of the business, and how patiently and without any contestation he would bear with them that did unjustly condemn him; how he would never be overhasty in anything; not give ear to slanders and false accusations, but examine and observe with best diligence the several actions and dispositions of men. Again, how he was no backbiter, not easily frightened, not suspicious, and in his language free from all affectation and curiosity . . . able through his spare diet to continue from morning to evening without any necessity of withdrawing before his accustomed hours to the necessities of nature; his uniformity and constancy in matter of friendship. How he would bear with them that with all boldness and liberty opposed his opinions, and even rejoice if any man could better advise him.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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ON THE LAST day of March 2008 in Washington, D.C., the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and a soft spring breeze was blowing the pink and white petals in the air around both sides of the Potomac River. For Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee, it was the day to say goodbye to the workplace where he had spent the past five years. Dressed in his normal business suit, Hwa-Wei left his Clarendon Boulevard apartment and made his usual short walk to the Clarendon metro station. It was still early (before 7:00 a.m.) and there were still empty seats in the middle section of the train. Hwa-Wei didn’t take a seat, but chose to stand near the closing doors, deep in thought. It was a special day. Today he would step down from his position as chief of the Asian Division and retire from the Library of Congress.

It had been five years since Hwa-Wei had become the first Chinese American appointed to this important position. A renowned senior library administrator, Hwa-Wei had served twenty-one years as the dean of the Ohio University Libraries until his previous retirement in September 1999. Originally from China, Hwa-Wei has been well regarded as a leader among thousands of Chinese American librarians, primarily because of his remarkable contribution to and influence on international collaboration among libraries. In the past thirty years, Hwa-Wei has played an indispensable role in advancing Chinese librarianship to a world-class level. His continued tireless bridging efforts between the United States and China have provided a shortcut for Chinese libraries to learn and to adapt the most advanced information technology and management practices. And his vital spirit and valued contributions have earned him a reputation among Chinese library professionals as “a hub connecting the East and the West and a bridge between China and the United States.”

Hwa-Wei’s retirement party was originally planned to be held in the Thomas Jefferson Building where the Asian Division is located, allowing a small gathering to take place among acquaintances, colleagues, and friends. However, the number registering to attend far exceeded the estimated headcount. A last-minute arrangement was made to relocate the party to the conference hall on the fifth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building. The hall, with a room capacity of up to three hundred people, often was used for large-scale speeches or gatherings. Having recently celebrated his seventy-seventh birthday with his wife, Mary, and his children and grandchildren, Hwa-Wei seemed ready to fully enjoy his retirement now that his service commitment to the Asian Division of LC was ending.

Hwa-Wei felt quite energetic as he walked out of the metro station and was immediately exposed to the fresh and cool spring air and the early morning sunshine. Washington, D.C., is one of Hwa-Wei’s favorite cities. Prior to his tenure at LC, Hwa-Wei had taken a few trips to Washington, D.C., for conferences or tours, during which he had allocated time for sightseeing. But during his five-year-long residence, he had little chance to look around and enjoy the beauty of this capital city because of his full-time working schedule, involving even weekends. At this moment, Hwa-Wei felt a bit regretful as he knew he would soon leave this beautiful city without having further explored its many historical and cultural attractions.

Hwa-Wei sped up his pace; he hoped his last day at LC would be relaxing and his retirement party would go well. Roomy and spacious, the conference hall had been set up with a few rows of seats in the front and buffet tables with sandwiches, salads, pastries, and drinks in the back. It is a LC tradition to arrange a farewell party for each retiring employee, allowing the library’s other employees a chance to summarize the retiree’s contribution to the organization, express their appreciation, and say goodbye to their departing colleague. The atmosphere for this kind of farewell party is usually casual, and informal because a retirement symbolizes the end of a busy public life and the beginning of a leisurely personal life with absolute freedom to arrange one’s own activities 24/7.

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As Hwa-Wei walked into the conference hall, he was immediately greeted by many familiar faces. His wife Mary, son Charles, and daughter-in-law Erika were there, mingling with administrators and his colleagues from the Asian Division and other parts of the LC. There were also reporters from the World Journal and other news media, as well as members of the Asian Division Friends Society. Permeating the warm party ambience was a reluctance to part from many of Hwa-Wei’s friends and colleagues.

Hwa-Wei was surprised to see Dr. James H. Billington, librarian of Congress, and Dr. Deanna Marcum, associate librarian for Library Services, show up simultaneously at the party. In most cases, only Dr. Marcum, or one of the directors, would have attended such a retirement party. And, in addition to the two LC top administrators, several congressmen and senior federal officials including Mike Honda, a highly acclaimed congressman, were among the attendees. Honda, a Japanese-American, had long fought for minority rights and was the chair of the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus. He was also one of the deputy chairs of the Democratic National Committee.

Dr. Billington, a renowned historian and scholar, began the proceedings with his heartwarming speech:

Thank you for your dedicated service to the Library of Congress and the breadth of institutional and international experience that you brought with you five years ago . . .

Your international librarianship and professionalism have been exceptional since your arrival at the Library of Congress on February 10, 2003. During your tenure, you worked tirelessly to build our collections and to ensure that our reference service and outreach activities served the nation in the best possible ways. The reorganization of the division; the establishment of collaborative digitization projects with major national libraries and research institutions in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan; your establishment and support of the Asian Division Friends Society and the Florence Tan Moeson Fund; as well as your recent establishment of the Asian-Pacific American Collection Fund will carry on your good work long after you leave these halls.

The speech by Dr. Marcum was also most sincere and personal. She had direct supervision over two-thirds of the more than four thousand employees at LC and had been active in academia and various organizations across the country. As an efficient and demanding administrator, Dr. Marcum always appreciated dependable and hardworking library employees. She thought highly of Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee.

It is an honor to write this tribute on the occasion of your retirement. You should feel enormously gratified in knowing that you have made a huge difference in this institution, and you have touched the lives of a great number of LC staff, librarians around the world, and international scholars. The phrase “a life well lived” refers specifically to you!

You know better than anyone else how badly you were needed when the library recruited you to head the Asian Division. Collections were unavailable to the public, bibliographic records were not in the online catalog, staff relations and morale were in disrepair. You had already enjoyed a highly successful career at Ohio University as the University Librarian and, as a consultant, you set OCLC on a path to become highly influential in China. You could have insisted—with complete justification—on enjoying retirement with your family. Instead, your sense of obligation and service led you to accept the job here, and the scholarly and library communities owe you a great deal.

There is almost no comparison of today’s Asian Division to the one you inherited. The reorganization has removed the language-based independent units. The staff works harmoniously and productively. The collections are well organized and can be served to the public. You have exponentially raised the public profile of the Asian Division with your seminars and the formation of a Friends group. We have partnerships with countless libraries in all parts of Asia.

At your stage of life, it would have been perfectly understandable if you had been more leisurely. But not Hwa-Wei! You have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to form partnerships, acquire collections, and create goodwill for the Library of Congress. You have not relied solely on federal dollars, either. You have been a supremely talented fundraiser and a builder of relationships.

Finally, you have shown that you are not simply looking to others to sustain the Asian Division. When you announced your retirement, you made a substantial financial contribution to your latest campaign—the development of an Asian-American Pacific Islander collection. You have set a high standard for those who follow.

Your retirement is bittersweet for me. You certainly deserve some peaceful, more relaxed time with your family and friends, but I shall miss you very much. Your intellect, your passion, and your wisdom have given me great confidence in the capacities and capabilities of the Asian Division.

Dr. James H. Billington, librarian of Congress, praises Hwa-Wei for his accomplishments during his retirement party from the Library of Congress.

Frank Joseph Shulman, president of the Asian Division Friends Society, presents a souvenir book to Hwa-Wei during his retirement party.

Hwa-Wei accepts a plaque from a representative of the Chinese American Librarians Association.

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The compliments from the two LC top administrators were extremely heartfelt. Immediately following the utter stillness during the speeches came prolonged applause throughout the conference hall. Standing up with a sincere and modest smile on his face, as always, Hwa-Wei nodded his head toward the audience to show his gratitude. At this moment, all his hard work over the years had been well recognized. As a library professional who had immersed his life in librarianship, what else could he ask for?

Dr. Carolyn T. Brown, who supervised all area studies divisions in the library, including the Asian Division, had been the key person to get Hwa-Wei on board. Not only did Dr. Brown persuade Hwa-Wei to take the division chief’s position after his first retirement, but she also was extremely supportive of Hwa-Wei during this radical reform across the Asian Division. Dr. Brown especially noted, in her remarks to Hwa-Wei:

When you came to the library, you promised me that you would stay for five years. We are all reluctant to see that five years have come to an end, but what an astonishing five years you have given to the Asian Division . . .

If I have had a small part in your success, it has only been to explain an arcane bureaucratic system to a newcomer and to remove as many obstacles as I could so that you could be the very best that you are capable of being in the often-challenging environment. Your tenure as chief has been a triumph and demonstration of what is possible with a leader of vision and experience, one who long ago discarded the encumbrances of ego and who has led with deep appreciation for the gifts of others, with great humility, and with a rare wisdom.

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Hwa-Wei’s own remarks were concise, highlighting his appreciation to Dr. Carolyn Brown and his professional shift from working in an academic institution to a government agency. In addition, he recognized that he himself would not have accomplished as much at LC without the support of his colleagues. He also mentioned that he planned to give his prime time back to his family, while at the same time to continue his service as an advisor for the planning of the Fifth China-U.S. Library Conference, to be organized jointly by the Library of Congress and the National Library of China.

It was an ultimate honor for Hwa-Wei to have LC as the apex of his career; no other library could have given him such a strong feeling of accomplishment. When being interviewed earlier by the American Folklife Center of LC, Hwa-Wei told the interviewer Dr. Nora Yeh:

The Library of Congress is by far the world’s largest and one of the most prestigious national libraries. It is therefore an ideal place for me to windup my library career. I don’t think I’ll go to another place for another job, because, after this, nothing could attract me to continue my work. And I want to make sure that, in my five years here, I have built a good structure in the Asian Division, under which it can continue not just on what I’ve done, but also could go even further to a higher plateau. I have every reason to believe that I have instilled in my staff a strong sense of mission and self-confidence. They actually have been doing a lot of great things, much more than I was hoping for them to accomplish. That’s why I think they can do even more. Sometimes I teased and said to them, “Now you people can take a break after my retirement; you don’t have to work that hard anymore.”

But I don’t think they are going to stop or slow down. They will continue. They are a group of talented and dedicated professionals. And they have a lot of good ideas. I am sure they will continue to carry on. One of the good things that I have done was to combine the best talents of newly hired staff with those who have been here many years, and have had a lot of experience. The young staff needs to learn the experience. And the old staff needs to share their experience. Often times I encourage the young staff to do things in the way they see as best for their professional development and in their own way make the library better. The combining of the strengths of these two groups of staff in a harmonious way, in my view, is very important. I have really done as much as I can to build that kind of working relationship, as well as fostering the culture of mutual respect, mutual support, and also mutual trust. This is most important for the success of any organization. I think we are now getting to have a very good working environment, and now have all these elements for success in place. So, I am very happy to leave at this time, because I feel this is the best time for me to leave. You can’t find a better time for me to retire when you see that positive things will continue, and may even be better.

Working as an administrator, I want to encourage all staff members to bring out their hidden talents and feel free and encouraged to use them. Everyone has talents. But you have to give them the opportunity and create the environment for them to do it. Otherwise, hidden talents will remain hidden. That would be a waste. And they would be unhappy. So, the best management skill is to bring out the best in your colleagues and coworkers. And I think maybe that’s one of my best strengths, to be able to do that because I really feel that I have great respect of the ability of my staff. I was able to empower and encourage them to do what they are capable of doing without fear of failure or reprisal.

In the past five years, Hwa-Wei had experienced an extremely complicated and difficult working environment. Yet, miraculously, he was able to transform the Asian Division from a poorly operated and notoriously divided department suffering from low morale to one that was energetic, enthusiastic, and harmonious. The pleasant outcome, however, was achieved only through a heavy workload, resulting in mental and physical exhaustion. In his mid-seventies, Hwa-Wei had to work as hard as a much younger man, frequently extending his office hours to evenings and weekends. He often felt he was at the upper limit of his physical endurance; that feeling had been getting worse.

Since the previous winter, he often felt weary. Every day, Hwa-Wei had to make several trips back and forth among the various departments through the underground tunnels connecting the Jefferson, Madison, and Adams Buildings. But just several weeks before his planned retirement, he had felt a tightness in his chest and a shortness of breath, forcing him to make several stops during one of these trips.

Hwa-Wei had suffered the same symptoms back in 2005. Then, the diagnosis from his doctor had indicated a clogged artery, necessitating a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the installation of two coronary stents. With the reoccurrence of those symptoms, his physician alerted Hwa-Wei that the state of his artery clog had been getting worse and suggested that a coronary bypass operation should be done as soon as possible. These constant and amplified signals from his body made Hwa-Wei realize that the time had come for him to say goodbye to the heavy workload. He had to face the reality of his physical limits.

5

The retirement party, including the luncheon, lasted about three hours. As the main honoree, Hwa-Wei, with his courteous and graceful bearing, expressed his gratitude to the attendees for everything they had done for the celebration. But mixed with his heartfelt appreciation was the sadness of saying goodbye to friends and colleagues.

During the past five years, this approachable and unflappable elderly gentleman had revitalized the Asian Division. Throughout the library, no one failed to pay tribute to him. Hwa-Wei was known as being mild yet courageous, lenient yet principled, steady yet determined, low-keyed as a man yet highly committed as a professional. These personal attributes made Hwa-Wei the perfect administrator—one who, seemingly, could never be defeated by any hardship, obstacle, or challenge. Rather, his tolerance and wisdom would always point the positive energy and spirit of other people in the right direction.

Ms. Judy Lu, the head of the Collection Services Department of the Asian Division, once told a World Journal reporter:

Dr. Carolyn T. Brown, director of The John W. Kluge Center and head of the library’s Office of Scholarly Programs, hired Hwa-Wei as chief of the Asian Division at the Library of Congress.

Excerpt of a congratulatory letter, dated February 1, 2008, from Dr. James H. Billington, librarian of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Excerpt of a congratulatory letter, dated February 15, 2008, from Dr. Deanna B. Marcum, associate librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress

The Asian Division was a “sleeping lion” five years ago, and then all of a sudden was awakened by Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee’s magic stick . . . As a savior, he aroused the once-isolated Asian Division, and led us to learn walking, running, and ultimately presenting ourselves in front of the world. Under his leadership, we have been able to gain a lot.¹

Dr. Mi Chu, the head of the Scholarly Services Department of the Asian Division, also commented on Hwa-Wei’s years at LC. As an employee of the Library of Congress for thirty years, Dr. Chu had witnessed many changes; none of which, however, were comparable to those made under Hwa-Wei’s administration.

He has accomplished a lot with limited funding sources, having to undergo numerous negotiations with his supervisors on the sixth floor of the Madison Building. In addition to his already busy work in the library, Hwa-Wei has given numerous speeches and lectures all over the world in the promotion of the Asian collections and has written many papers about them. The newly established Asian-American Pacific Islander Collection by Dr. Lee should have a very profound and meaningful impact.

Dr. Chu also admitted that it had been her honor to be able to work under Hwa-Wei’s leadership.²

Hwa-Wei understood completely that all his success was reflected in the new and unprecedented public image of the Asian Division. It had been necessary to change the old public perception of the division. The Asian Division, revitalized by a positive public image combined with many improvements, now provided Asian studies readers and researchers a totally new experience. Of course, those five years were not always as rosy as were the compliments at the retirement party. At times, they seemed more like a journey full of weariness, confusion, obstacles, and even confrontation. However, once the final destination had been reached, all those unhappy moments were replaced by the wonder of the journey’s completion. What remained were memories of happy moments and pictures of smiling faces taken during those years.

Hwa-Wei understood deeply that hardly anything could be done in a bureaucratic organization without fighting, when necessary, some of its rules and regulations. Indeed, much of the work he completed at the Asian Division had required great skill and patience in persuasive negotiations with powerful labor unions and offices responsible for legal matters. In order to get things done quickly within his timetable, Hwa-Wei had challenged some of the policies and rules that could have delayed or postponed the implementation of many good plans and programs.

For all of these reasons, this day was a very special day for Hwa-Wei—a splendid finish to a vast movement. Hwa-Wei concluded his professional life right at the summit of his career. What an impeccable decision.

Walking along the extremely quiet hallway of the Jefferson Building, his figure reflected on the marble floor, Hwa-Wei hated to say goodbye to his Asian Division colleagues with whom he had worked together for five years. Even more difficult for him was departing from the library and librarianship to which he had devoted the last fifty years. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to leave everything behind. It was time for him to get back to his personal life, to take care of his health, and to face the reality of aging.

Mary was happy about Hwa-Wei’s retirement. Like many other American women, Mary, despite her graduate degrees, had worked as a homemaker ever since she married Hwa-Wei. Her family, husband, and children had been foremost in her life. She had always dreamed about an earlier retirement for Hwa-Wei, one that would allow them to fully enjoy their later years together. She had been excited about Hwa-Wei’s first retirement in 1999 from his former position as the dean of Ohio University Libraries. The excitement didn’t last, however: Hwa-Wei spent the next three years as a visiting distinguished scholar for the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), traveling from Athens, Ohio, to Columbus, Ohio, three times a week. During those three years, he had also served as a consultant for the OCLC Asian Pacific Services, traveling frequently to many countries in Asia. Then Hwa-Wei was offered the position as the chief of the Asian Division at LC, which turned out to be the busiest job of Hwa-Wei’s career.

For several weeks, in anticipation of Hwa-Wei’s second retirement, Mary had had everything packed. All their household items were already on a moving company’s truck to be hauled to Florida. The only things left in the apartment were a few pieces of carry-on luggage. The couple would take an early morning train to Florida the next day. The auto-train arrangement Mary had made included one private onboard sleeping room for Hwa-Wei and herself and the shipping of their 2003 Chevrolet minivan in a special car at the end of the same train.

Mary’s thoughtful arrangements for Hwa-Wei’s retirement had been made three years ago during a visit with their eldest daughter, Shirley, in Jacksonville, Florida. Shirley had taken Mary to several nearby retirement communities in the hope that her parents could settle in one of them after her father retired from the Library of Congress.

Nestled in the northeast of Florida, in a tropical zone adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean with all-year-round warm and moist weather, Jacksonville is a popular destination for the elderly and thus home to numerous retirement communities. Cypress Village was the community that Mary liked most. Luckily, she and Hwa-Wei were able to purchase a duplex in that area before his second retirement.

On the Lees’ weekend trips from Washington once every few months to check on the duplex, Hwa-Wei would breathe a sigh of relief. Unlike Washington’s endless traffic, very few cars were on the highway during the afternoon driving from the airport into Jacksonville. The sky was usually clear blue and cloudless. The sun was always shining. There were flowers everywhere. Even at Cypress Village, six miles from the Atlantic Ocean, he could feel an ocean breeze. With not much industry in the area, the air was fresh. It seemed like a tropical paradise. Here, Hwa-Wei felt, he would be able to feel relaxed and tranquil.

On April 9, a few days after his retirement from LC, Hwa-Wei received a phone call from Congressman Honda. He told Hwa-Wei, “Your retirement party at LC was very impressive. What you’ve accomplished during your tenure there is absolutely amazing. I’ve prepared a speech (about you) for tomorrow’s congressional meeting . . .”

On the next day, Congressman Honda delivered the following speech to Congress, heaping praise on Hwa-Wei’s outstanding contributions at LC. The text of the speech has been included in the Congressional Record of April 10, 2008.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the many contributions and achievements of Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee. After an esteemed five years as the chief of the Asian Division at the Library of Congress—a bookend to his dedicated fifty years in the library profession, Dr. Lee is retiring . . .

During his short tenure at the Library of Congress, Dr. Lee focused his energy on completely rejuvenating and reorganizing the Asian Division. He introduced innovative programs designed to improve and expand the division’s resources, collections, services, and outreach. As chair of the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus, it has been my privilege to have collaborated with Dr. Lee and his dedicated staff at the Asian Division. Our shared pursuit to tell the complete Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) story and dispel the cloak of invisibility and mischaracterization upon the community has given life to a new AAPI Collection at the Library of Congress. This is another milestone of Dr. Lee’s storied career.

Dr. Lee and his lovely wife Mary will soon move to Florida to bask in the sunny rays of retirement. But I suspect that he will not slow down, and will continue his many pursuits. As anyone who has met Dr. Lee can attest, his boundless, enthusiastic spirit will not allow him to stay idle . . .

Madam Speaker, I commend Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee for his dedication and many contributions to the library profession and am especially grateful for his nurturing leadership of the Asian Division and of the establishment of the AAPI Collection at the Library of Congress . . .³

Notes

1. Mao-Feng Yu, “Library of Congress Saying Farewell to Hwa-Wei Lee”, World Journal (North American Edition), February 19, 2008.

2. Ibid.

3. “Honoring Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee—Extensions of Remarks—April 10, 2008” (speech given by the Hon. Michael M. Honda of California in the House of Representatives, Thursday, April 10, 2008), E577–578, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/.