On the morning of March 18th, a meaningful donation ceremony was held at the fourth-floor branch library of the School of Information Management. The focus of the ceremony was the graduation certificate and other precious materials of Ms. Xianrui Liu, an alumna of Wuhan University and a graduate of the former Wuchang Boone Library School. The donor, Ms. Xiaoxin Yan (daughter of Ms. Xianrui Liu and also a Wuhan University alumna), along with School CPC Secretary Jun Tao, Administrative Office Director Qing Xu, Branch Library Director Zhiqiang Wu, and Associate Professor Minhui Peng from the Department of Library Science, jointly witnessed this historic moment. The ceremony was presided over by Associate Dean Hua Wang.

Jun Tao delivered the opening speech. He expressed that Ms. Xianrui Liu’s graduation certificate and related materials, preserved through decades by two generations, serve as invaluable historical testaments. He praised Ms. Xiaoxin Yan and her family for generously donating these materials imbued with profound memories and historical significance, showcasing their deep affection for their alma mater. On behalf of the school, he extended heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Yan and her family for their support.

Ms. Xiaoxin Yan fondly recounted her mother’s life journey, including her family background, educational experiences, decision to study at the Boone Library School, and her 30-year career in library and archival work. When Ms. Yan gently unrolled the 1947 graduation certificate, the youthful face of Ms. Xianrui Liu in the photo emerged, radiating the enduring spirit of Boone’s legacy despite the passage of time.

Ms. Xianrui Liu enrolled in the 8th Library Science program at Boone Library School in 1945. At the time, the school had relocated from Wuchang to Chongqing during the Anti-Japanese War and returned to its original campus in 1947, making Ms. Liu one of the first graduates after its restoration. She later dedicated her career to libraries at institutions such as Hebei Institute of Technology (now Hebei University of Technology) and Central-South Electric Power Design Institute.

After Ms. Xianrui Liu’s passing in 2019, her three children—Mr. Xiancheng Yan, Mr. Qiaocheng Yan, and Ms. Xiaoxin Yan—discovered her meticulously preserved graduation certificate while sorting through her belongings. This sparked their determination to donate it to their mother’s alma mater. Mr. Xiancheng Yan conducted extensive research, even visiting Hubei Provincial Archives to trace the history of Boone Library School. Finally, during a reunion event for 1977 alumni of the former Wuhan Hydropower Institute, Ms. Xiaoxin Yan fulfilled their long-held wish by bringing the materials to the School of Information Management at Wuhan University, the successor institution of Boone Library School.

Ms. Xiaoxin Yan, representing her siblings, formally donated the graduation certificate and related materials to the school and signed a usage agreement. Jun Tao accepted the donation on behalf of the school, presented a donation certificate to Ms. Yan, and gifted commemorative books on the school’s history.

Boone Library School, founded in 1920, underwent relocations and mergers over the decades. In 1953, it became part of Wuhan University as the Library Science Department, eventually evolving into today’s School of Information Management. Following the 2000 merger of four universities into the new Wuhan University (including the former Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering), Ms. Xianrui Liu and her daughter Ms. Xiaoxin Yan became alumni of the same institution in different eras. On this spring day adorned with cherry blossoms, the mother’s cherished materials returned to Luojia Mountain with her daughter, continuing their family’s profound bond with Wuhan University.