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Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A new chapter for Beijing's libraries


By Zheng Xin (China Daily)


A new chapter for Beijing's libraries
A self-service library attracts a passer-by's attention in BeijingrecentlyContaining more than 400 booksit allows users toborrow and return books 24-hours a dayLu Ming / ChinaNews Service
Self-service libraries are becoming increasingly popular with Beijing residentswith 50 havingsprung up across the city over the past year and 100 more are expected to open in the comingmonths.
The 24-hour service allows readers to choose from 20,000 books housed in giant automaticmachines scattered across the capital.
And the convenience of the service has proved popularwith self-service libraries being thesource of 31.63 percent of all books borrowed from public libraries in Beijing's Chaoyangdistrict since they were introduced last year.
Tao Juna publicity officer at the Chaoyang District Librarysaid the service was beneficial toreaders.
"The book vending machine has extended library service hours and has fewer locationlimitations than its traditional counterpart," Tao said.
An additional 100 self-service libraries will be set up in highly populated areas in the capital bythe end of the year as demand increasesshe said.
A single self-service librarycontaining more than 400 booksresembles an ATM but is aboutthe size of three carsBorrowers can keep five books for up to four weeks at a time.
Readers can register with their ID card for a membership at a public library for 100 yuan ($16),allowing them to borrow books from both the city's traditional libraries and the new self-servicemachines.
When the self-service machine is running short of books or is damagedthe library will beinformed through its data center and cameras installed in the remote device.
Li Anyina retired resident in Chaoyang districtsaid the self-service machines were veryconvenient and easy to use.
"I can return or borrow a book anytime of the dayeven early in the morning before I go for astroll in the garden," he said.
"Returning the books can be done in a flexible way and you no longer have to rush to have thebooks returned before the library closes."
Li said he has introduced two of his "morning strolling partnersto the new machines.
Despite the conveniencesome residents complain that the machinesselection of books lacksvariety.
"Leafing through the booksyou can hardly find a English novel or any fiction," said Wang Yue, 24, a graduate from Beijing Foreign Studies University.
Tao said there is little demand for foreign language books.
"Most of the books available are Chinese fictionbiographycookery and horticulture," saidTao. "Howeverthe library will consider catering for different tastes and including more books."
Tao said the library will also consider allowing the public to use passports to register for librarymembershipsopening the service to foreign bookworms.
Shenzhen in Guangdong provincethe first city in China to introduce the self-service library,now houses 160 machinesand 40 more are to be opened by the end of the yearaccording toNie Changyouan officer at the Shenzhen city bureau of culturesport and tourism.
Li Xinliangmarketing director of Shenzhen Seaever Intelligent Technology Cothe companythat makes the machinessaid interest in the service is growing across the country.
"In 2008, we only received an order for 10 machinesbut the demand soared to 180 in the year2011," Li said.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Shanghai libraries come together to woo readers

Beijing, June 15 (IANS). In a novel bid to wean people away from computers and television sets, many libraries in China's Shanghai city have formed an alliance which aims to attract readers back to public reading rooms.
This alliance of libraries has also enabled them to share their resources for luring readers in the age of electronic publishing, Shanghai Daily reported.
The city's Pudong Library has set up an association with about 60 member organisations, including government archives, publishing houses, school libraries and community libraries.
They share books, digital publications and lecturers to improve services.