Shape the Library to the Third Culture Space for Citizens//

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CHU SHUQING, DIRECTOR OF HANGZHOU PUBLIC LIBRARY

Chu Shuqing is the director of Hangzhou Public Library, China. He is a research librarian and was born in 1963.

 He is also the academic research committee member of The Library Society of China, as well as the Director of the Library Statistics and Evaluation Professional Committee. Since he took office in 2000, he became the trendsetter of public libraries in China with open thought and innovative measures, as well as the practical work style.

The building of Hangzhou Public Library, which is directed by him, became the best example of national public library architecture.He advocates and carries out the service concept of equality, free service and accessibility.

He is the pacemaker of providing all people with free and indiscriminating service. The project “One Card Access to Library Information Service”, which received the Chinese social and cultural highest prize; “Stars”, is designed and conducted by him. In 2005, he went to USA for cultural exchange as a visiting scholar of The State Department and was awarded honorary citizen of Huntsville city. In 2009, he won the outstanding worker title of the national cultural system from China's Ministry of Culture.

 

SHAPE THE LIBRARY TO THE THIRD CULTURE SPACE FOR CITIZENS

As we are now in an era of information, digital media and networking, society puts forward new requirements for the development of libraries. At the same time, emerging newtechnology provides unlimited possibilities for libraries. From the standpoint of sociology, the library is another living space besides home and the workplace. As a cultural function, it is totally possible for libraries to become an essential third cultural space for citizens, along with newspapers and television, in the future.
In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary for libraries to create a homelike reading atmosphere, design a casual library experience, provide diversified services, realize the possibilities that comes from combining libraries and new technology, as well as provide a library service anywhere at anytime. Hangzhou Library has made a lot of efforts in this area. We can honestly say that our practice has been successful.


Tied with knowledge, the eternal function of libraries is to guarantee that citizens acquire knowledge and information, as well as eliminate the gap between knowledge and information. The goal of building the third cultural space for citizens shows the steady pursuit of the library in fulfilling its basic functions and social value. At the same time, it is a powerful practice of the concept introduced by Science Master Ranganathan: "The library is a growing organism".

Article about Hangzhou Public Library, China's first all-free library
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/print.asp?id=447115

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