The Inner Mongolia Library plans to publish a directory of more than half a million ancient books written in the Chinese language.

The 34 volumes are valuable for the study of the nomads of north China, said He Yuanjing, an associate research fellow at the library based in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China.

Many of these books are rare editions, he said, noting that the compilation of the directory, which began in 1990, has involved 80 departments in the region.

Parts of the directory can be seen on the Internet at: http:// www.imu.edu.cn/, he said.