Convenient services

The popular TV program is only a part of the efforts encouraging people to read. As a self-described “bookworm,” it is no wonder that Li Wei, a 32-year-old worker in Beijing, was excited when she found a 24-hour automated library near her office building in March last year.

“It’s as convenient as an ATM. Now, I do not need to go out of my way to visit traditional libraries,” she told Chinafrica. In the past year, she has borrowed more than five books every month from the streetside mini library that offers more than 400 books.

The 24-hour urban library program was launched by the Capital Library of China and district-level libraries under the guidance of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture in 2011. Readers need to apply for a membership card before borrowing books from the automated library, which works in the same way as a vending machine. Books can be returned to any of these machines.

Over the past six years, the number of automated street libraries has exceeded 150 across Beijing, and similar facilities have mushroomed in many other cities across the country.

“The 24-hour street libraries play a complementary role to traditional libraries, making books more accessible to as many communities as possible,” said Ma Jun, Deputy Director of Chaoyang