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This article traces the history of the relationship of papermaking and paper to libraries over time. Paper was first made in China and is traditionally considered one of that nation's four greatest inventions, along with gun powder, printing, and the compass. Papermaking was often associated with archives in its early development in China, as well as when it was introduced to Japan, where it came to be a part of some Shinto and Buddhist temples, and later governmental agencies. Under Islam, the availability of paper was linked to increased literacy and growth of libraries. In early modern Europe, before the widespread use of wood in the papermaking process, libraries and archives were part of an "economy of paper" with paper at times being in short supply. In the modern era, the world of papermaking did not intersect much with the world of the library, which made progress with the problem of brittle books, one of its greatest challenges, slow, though recent efforts of government, industry, scientists, and representatives of the library have produced positive results. The damage caused by wood-based paper in libraries was mirrored by the environmental damage caused by wood-based papermaking in communities. The history of papermaking and libraries demonstrates the importance of understanding the technologies which support the library, while also advocating effectively to the representatives of all its sources of support in ways which promote the values of the library and its associated community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tianjin, China's fifth largest city, suffers from severe environmental problems due to a high prevalence of plastic bag usage. This problem occurs in China's other major cities as well. On June 1, 2008, a law requiring large retail stores in China to charge for bags was enacted in an attempt to curtail plastic bag consumption. As a result, many plastic bag manufacturing plants were closed. However, because of the wide-spread usage of plastic bags, they are still being manufactured and consumed. It is possible that the current plastic bag cost of 0.3 CNY is too low to change customers' consumptive behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore people's attitudes regarding the substitution of plastic bags with bags made from alternative materials, and their willingness to pay for such substitutes. This study used a conjoint choice experiment to measure Tianjin residents' preferences for degradable and non-plastic materials bags. The results show that most people do not like non-degradable plastic bags and would use bags made of other materials if they were sold at a reasonable price. Based on the latent class and socio-demographic segmentation results, there are preference distinctions among age groups. Also, there are niche markets for paper, cloth, and degradable plastic bags where costs are of a lesser concern in consumer decisions. Manufacturers can use this information to more efficiently manufacture appropriate bags for different markets. This will help maximize revenue while continuing to meet demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]