Hard to say goodbye: Retired foreign teacher donates living room library

It was an emotional farewell for Esther Snader at Anqing Normal University, East China's Anhui province on June 29, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Many past and present students couldn't help shedding a tear as they farewelled Esther Snader from Anqing of East China's Anhui province.

After two decades' teaching at Anqing Normal University, she is returning to her hometown in the United States.

Before she left, she donated her family library of more than 1,200 books to the university. The books were all bought outside China and mailed to Anqing.

"When I began to teach here, I found the students didn't have many English books to read. So each time I went back to the US, I would select and buy some books. Then I packed them and mailed to China," said Snader.

Her intention was supported by friends who would also send books as Christmas or New Year's gifts.

She tranformed the living room of her apartment on campus into a small library and opened her doors to students every Wednesday afternoon.

Her rules were that each student could only borrow one book at a time and submit review when returning the book.

Over the past 20 years, Snader not only won many government prizes, but the hearts of her students.