n
  Chinese Student Exchange Appalachian Collection i
l l
  Fourteen UK students touring China as part China? says Wu. He thinks it important that The Appalachian Regional Commission  
l of an exchange program with a Chinese uni- “the people outside China support them, (ARC), a federal-state agency devoted to the
versity found themselves in the middle of one encourage them completely to stand and fight I economic and social development of the 13-
of the biggest moral stands for freedom in that to the end? state region, moved its library and archives to
country’s history. The protests did not turn A graduate student at UK from Shanghai, the University of Kentucky, where it is ex-
; violent in China until the day after the UK China, Wei Min Liu, feels concern over a pected to be a major resource for researchers.
l students had come home. Since then thou- possible civil war. Hemkem said that fear is Consisting of transcripts of ARC meetings,
sands of Chinese students have died as a result growing in the U.S. state development plans, final project re-
of clashes with the army or been arrested. “I have a Chinese student and he’s greatly ports, correspondence, ARC research reports ,
It was a frightening experience for parents concerned there will be a civil war. He’s not and legislation, oral histories, literature about
trying to contact their touring students. ln worried about the immediate danger. He said the region, and other material on the region,
many cases it was six days before they could he’s more concerned with what will happen the collection provides a detailed look at the
get through. Adrian and Theresa Cannon of two months to six months from now. lfit turns ARC and its role in Appalachian regional
t Hopkinsville felt like no news was good news into a civil war, the whole country could be development.
  when they did not hear from Amanda. In fact, d e v a s t a t e d .’ ’ The addition of the ARC collection
l when Amanda did call she was not aware of “strengthens our position as one of the best
the protest until her parents told her what was °   , Appalachian research collections in the coun-
happening. She says that she “was a little .,.,  .      try? said UK director of libraries Paul Willis.
scared. . .we were in a communist country —   _,, W ,6} 3   UK`s commitment to the Appalachian
we weren’t informed enough to be frightened?   Q j lj.   ( RO63 RO X I W region, and its ability to provide an appropriate l
l Brothers Tim and Adam Smith of Brooks- H   ,4/ _/ Qi}; home for the collection, led to its selection
l ville were also on the trip. “Our guide kept V Q. [ C     ` \` from among the three universities which ,
  everything secret]’ says Adam Smith. "The i ` · i A H M submitted proposals to the ARC for housing
l itinerary changed daily. They said it was ` QQ,  _,  '   J   V { _ the collection.
l because of the weather, but we think it was », ii  i’   i ·‘ t The extensive ARC library and archival
a b€€21US€ ofthe protests? Their parents, Roger ·__     T holdings Complement UK»S already Stmng
I and Gloria Smith, did not know of their chil-     .,_ T ga`, _~-Q? y _;> Q Appalachian Collection, which includes such T
_ , '  ·         ' `   . . . .
dren s safety for over a week.   in   j_ important collections as the Frontier Nursing
Roger Hemken, an animal scientist with the _ ,  I"     A   r   Service records, the \Xfheelwright Collection,
j UK College of Agriculture, headed the tour. _ 5  I -4:     · and the papers of author and historian Harry
He says, “l don’t believe our guide really wanted " » i   _ Q   M. Caudill.
l us to know too much, but we were able to talk M \` ""   i I   i " i if T The library also houses the papers of several
l with others, including students. We felt fairly ClWl¤€$€ $TUd€¤T$ in Lexington demonstrated to prominent Kentucky political leaders,
wan informed? S*¤¤W their $¤r>p¤¤ tw *€·l|¤W Stvderits b¤<¤*< including ]ohn Sherman Cooper, A.B. Chan-
The trip began May l and ended ]une 8. l°°m€· dler, Lawrence Wetherby and Earle Clements.
lt was the seventh year the Shandong Agri- Former ARC Federal co-chairman Al Smith
  cultural University has been host to the UK also has agreed to place his political papers in
l Ag students. the library.
Chinese students at UK are active in staging UK has incorporated Appalachian studies "
demonstrations and gathering monetary into its curriculum, and in 1977 established I
contributions to support their fellow students the Appalachian Center to conduct research
in China. Fang C. Wu, a plant pathologist with and organize seminars. l
the College of Agriculture, was among those The commission decided last year to move
leading a protest of about 100 people in its library and archives from Washington, D.C.
Lexington's 'Iriangle Park in june. "Through to an appropriate site where it could be profes-
the media, we will send a message back to sionally managed and where it would be more
accessible to scholars and the general public.
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