Books without barriers

Ou Hailin, a 38-year-old media employee in Beijing, visits libraries often. One of his favorites is the Capital Library of China, which he says is continually improving its services and keeping them centered on the reader.

The latest improvement, he finds, is the digital platform it launched in September that allows registered readers to borrow books directly online.

"Books will be delivered to the address you provide or to the library's branches close to you, free of charge. There is a branch close to my home, so they can also send books there, and I can collect them after work. If I return books, I can go there, too, or to other libraries in the Capital Library of China's network," he says.

China now has over 3,200 public libraries at the county level and above, along with nearly 68,000 library branches and service points. This vast network forms a nationwide reading service system, connecting libraries from the national level down to townships, providing an essential platform for residents to access quality reading materials and participate in reading activities.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, public libraries across the country held a total of 332,000 events for readers throughout 2024, with a total attendance of 260 million people.

On Feb 1, a regulation to promote reading among the public issued by the State Council took effect. It highlights the importance of strategically planning and developing public reading facilities while supporting the integration of digital and traditional reading methods, as well as protecting the right to read for visually impaired people.

China has 17 million visually impaired individuals and reading is equally important for them as it is for those without visual impairments, says He Chuan, deputy director of the China Braille Library.

He stresses that reading is crucial for visually impaired students throughout their education and vocational training, as they can't rely on visual demonstrations. To fully integrate and participate in mainstream society, they also need to read to stay updated on the world and new developments, he adds.

Reading also helps them overcome the challenges they face compared to those with normal vision, offering a way to ease anxiety, combat loneliness, and find inspiration. "Many visually impaired children say that they are inspired by biographies like Beethoven the Creator by French writer Romain Rolland," he says.

In China, visually impaired individuals access classic books and the latest publications largely through reading Braille books and books with large font sizes, or through listening with the help of mobile screen-reading software or AI on reading apps.

As the only one of its kind in the country, the China Braille Library has a collection of 200,000 books that circulate in 458 libraries around the country.

In 2017, the Chinese government launched a digital reading project for the visually impaired, providing 200,000 talking book players that can access the digital resources of the China Braille Library — audiobooks and audio-described films and TV programs. All 200,000 are now in use and have "played a significant role", He says.

As short videos have increased in popularity online, people with visual disabilities tend to watch them in their free time rather than pick up a book, which makes promoting reading to them urgent, he says.

"We've been collaborating with libraries nationwide to organize cultural activities like poetry recitals, speech contests, legal knowledge competitions, and book discussions to spark their interest in reading," he says.

"We're also teaching them to use screen-reading software, mobile phones, computers, and various AI tools for reading," he adds.

Whether through regulations to promote reading among the public, the Public Library Law, or the Public Cultural Service Guarantee Law, the Chinese government has sought to protect the reading rights of the visually impaired from various angles, he notes. Public libraries, especially those built after 2010, are required to have reading rooms for the visually impaired.

However, two areas need improvement. "First, we must encourage more visually impaired individuals to visit public libraries and engage with cultural services," he says. This requires focused attention, as reading for the visually impaired, like for sighted people, needs cultivation and support.

"Only when someone starts reading can they find it interesting and feel its necessity," he says.

Public libraries also need financial and staffing support to provide services that encourage the visually impaired to visit. Therefore, implementing systematic arrangements is crucial, he says.

Additionally, to encourage more visually impaired people to go out and visit libraries, the China Braille Library is also working on technological solutions like smart glasses and robotic guide dogs.

Like the Capital Library of China, many public libraries around the country are seeking to improve the integration of digital and traditional reading services.

The new Foshan Library, covering an area of 53,000 square meters with a book collection of 3.9 million volumes, opened in 2014 to the public for free. In recent years, it has received an average of more than 1.8 million readers every year and has so far offered 3,000 activities.

In addition to traditional services, the Foshan Library has also built a smart system for readers.

"Leveraging a leading domestic intelligent three-dimensional library system, we have achieved full automation of book retrieval, sorting, and packaging processes," says Huang Baichuan, director of the library.

Readers can easily search for and order books through a WeChat public account or mini-program, enjoying a complete service that includes home delivery and collection for returns.

From December 2022 to January 2026, the library processed a total of 139,400 orders and handled 556,300 book loans and returns, including 22,850 cross-region orders and 87,000 book transactions, covering all 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong province.

Meanwhile, public libraries are exploring new paths for modern cultural services to promote regional development through cultural empowerment.

For example, the Foshan Library has provided a series of services rooted in Lingnan (a region in southern China covering Guangdong province, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Hainan province, Hong Kong, and Macao) culture.

By exploring the resources of Lingnan culture in rural Foshan, the library has brought the history of ancient villages, intangible cultural heritage, and village landscapes to life through exhibitions, games, comics, and interactive maps.

It also launched the "Rural Culture Experience Officer" program, working with local homestay libraries to create 20 educational travel routes in rural areas. Over three years, it organized 116 events, attracting 29,600 participants.

"The project also helped build village history museums and develop rural homestay libraries. This not only revitalized the cultural vitality of Lingnan's rural areas but also used culture as a bridge to enhance new residents' sense of belonging and identity in the city," Huang says.

Beijing National Library Cultural Development Ltd, an affiliated enterprise of the National Library of China that can access its vast resources, is transforming the latter's archival collections into "living waters" by delivering them to the public through a model of "planning at headquarters, implementation at the venue level, and development tailored to local characteristics", says Wang Hao, general manager of the company, which runs 16 libraries and other public spaces in different cities.

The Nanjing Jiangbei Library, a library built in cooperation with the National Library of China, has so far attracted 5 million people with nearly 500 cultural activities, according to Wen Quan, director of the library.

It offers reading activities like the Dingshan Forum and Guest at Jiangbei, featuring authors and cultural figures such as Bi Feiyu and Kang Hui, and hosts themed exhibitions like the Yongle Encyclopedia and the Anti-Japanese War Literature Compilation Achievements Exhibition.

It also collaborates with institutions such as the China National Academy of Painting to bring Chinese cultural heritage to citizens, and national art troupes such as the China National Peking Opera Company and the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater to bring literature and culture to life through stage art.

"Our goal is to ensure that citizens truly feel that the library right at their doorstep allows them to enjoy the same cultural feast as readers in Beijing," Wang says.

Recently, Beijing National Library Cultural Development Ltd has worked to extend libraries' services beyond their walls, integrating them into schools, commercial areas, tourist spots, communities, and music festivals.

"By coordinating online and offline efforts, we aim to ensure that people can access the books they want to read and the activities they want to participate in anytime, whether they are walking, commuting, or at home," Wang says.

"Reading should not be something that requires 'specially allocated time', but rather a habit naturally integrated into daily life," he adds.