Palace Library

For the library in Peace Palace, The Hague, see Peace Palace Library.

A Palace Library was a central government agency in imperial China and dynastic Korea, generally in charge of maintaining and archiving the collection of the monarch's documents.

China and Inner Asia

Department of the Palace Library
Traditional Chinese	秘書省 or 祕書省
Simplified Chinese	秘书省 or 祕书省
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Mìshū shěng / Bìshū shěng Wade–Giles Mi4-shu1 sheng3 / Pi4-shu1 sheng3
Directorate of the Palace Library
Traditional Chinese	秘書監 or 祕書監
Simplified Chinese	秘书监 or 祕书监
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Mìshū jiān / Bìshū jiān Wade–Giles Mi4-shu1 chien1 / Pi4-shu1 chien1
Court of the Palace Library
Traditional Chinese	秘書寺 or 祕書寺
Simplified Chinese	秘书寺 or 祕书寺
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Mìshū sì / Bìshū sì Wade–Giles Mi4-shu1 ssu4 / Pi4-shu1 ssu4

The office was in existence for the most part from the mid-200s CE (Cao Wei) to 1380 (Ming dynasty). Over the millennia there were 5 names for this office:

• Directorate of the Palace Library (秘書監): during the Three Kingdoms period, as well as the Liao dynasty, Jin dynasty (1115–1234) and Yuan dynasty
• Court of the Palace Library (秘書寺): between c. 300 to c. 464 (Jin dynasty (265–420), Northern Wei, Liu Song dynasty, etc.)
• Department of the Palace Library (秘書省): during the Northern and Southern dynasties, Sui dynasty, most of the Tang dynasty, the Five Dynasties period, the Song dynasty and the Ming dynasty
• Orchid Pavilion (蘭臺; "Lantai"): used during the Tang dynasty between 662 and 670
• Unicorn Pavilion (麟臺; "Lintai"): used during the Tang dynasty between 684 and 712 (including Wu Zetian's reign)

In addition to preserving the emperor's official documents, the agency was sometimes also tasked to compile or edit historical records and state calendars. Before the Sui dynasty it also handled documents flowing into and out of the imperial palace, making it interchangeable with the Secretariat. During the late Tang dynasty (after early 700s) and Song dynasty the office was largely non-functional and staffed by eminent officials for sinecure purposes.

The office during the Tang dynasty was headed by 1 director (秘書監) and 2 vice directors (秘書少監), and during the Song dynasty by 1 director and 1 vice director. The office was also staffed with assistant directors (秘書丞) and assistants (秘書郎 or 秘書郎中). During the Yuan dynasty the office was headed by 4 chief ministers (秘書卿), 2 directors (秘書太監), 2 vice directors, and 2 assistant directors (秘書丞 or 秘書監丞), all eunuchs.

Korea

Department of the Palace Library
Hangul	비서성
Hanja	秘書省
Revised Romanization	Biseo Seong
McCune–Reischauer	Pisŏ Sŏng
Directorate of the Palace Library
Hangul	비서감
Hanja	秘書監
Revised Romanization	Biseo Gam
McCune–Reischauer	Pisŏ Kam

The office also existed during Goryeo under several names:

• As Department of the Inner Library (內書省; "Naeseo Seong"): from 918 to 995
• As Department of the Palace Library: from 995 to 1298
• As Directorate of the Palace Library: from 1298 to 1308 and from 1356 to 1362
• As Office of Proofreading Documents (典校署; "Jeongyo Seo"): from 1308 to 1356
• As Court of Proofreading Documents (典校寺; "Jeongyo Sa"): from 1362 to 1392

In general, the office was staffed by 1 supervisor (判事; "pansa"), 1 director (監 or 令), 1 vice director (少監 or 副令), 2 assistant directors (丞) and 1 assistant (郎).

References

• Hucker, Charles O. (1985). A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford University Press. pp. 376–78.