Books-to-go service handily delivers library books home

People read at a community reading room in Luyang district of Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, on October 27, 2023. The district has built more than 100 reading rooms in recent years, allowing more and more residents to enjoy the fun of reading at their doorstep. Some reading rooms are open 24/7. Photo: VCG

Tapping your fingers on the screen, your favorite books will be delivered to your door within a cou-ple of hours. Who would have thought that cultural consumption in China could become as easy as ordering a sandwich? Yet, it is now happening at many libraries across the country, including a most recent case, a books-to-go program that has been launched by the Chengdu Library in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. 

The "Loving to read at home" program allows readers to log on to a mini program of the same name linked to the library's official digital platform. Readers can then choose their favorite books and wait for them to be delivered to their door for just 6 yuan (84 cents) for one to three books. Each user can borrow a maximum of eight books at a time for 30 days. 

According to a program staff member, these books come from 22 public libraries around Chengdu. The program covers "the entire city and its surrounding areas." 

"We have seen a good surge in demand these past few days. We were surprised by it," the staff member told the Global Times. So far, more than 300 books have been sent out to readers. The farthest delivery reaches Dujiangyan, some 50 kilometers from central Chengdu. 

"It is entirely a new job for me. I have to pack the books the same as restaurants packing delicious food," said another staff member, Zhang Wenjuan.

More than 2,0000 books are ready for loan. Those books cover a wide range of categories, with history, fiction novels and earth science books being the three most popular choices among readers, Zhang said.

Other rather niche categories such as philosophy, biology, linguistics and agriculture can be found online, with plenty of books also from foreign authors like French thinker Jean Baudrillard. 

Cultural sociologist Xu Shuming told the Global Times that the "library's new O2O (online to offline) path" reduces the "time cost" for readers and allows them "to subconsciously realize that cultural consumption in China is a handy part of people's everyday lives." 

"Providing such shortcuts to readers is a significant part of reaching China's goal to promote reading nationwide," said Xu, adding that O2O book delivery services have proven successful in China since the country "is a powerhouse in the delivery and e-commerce industries."  

The Chengdu Library is not the only institution providing books-to-go services. "Flying books home" is a similar program run by the Zhuzhou Library in Hunan Province. In order to engage more readers, the library implemented a campaign to eliminate return postage for readers during the month of May. 

In Beijing, a similar service is also provided by the Chaoyang District Library. Jin Mengyuan, a white-collar worker and a reader who has tried the service, told the Global Times that it "reminds me that everyday life is not just about money but also intellectual experiences."

Song Weiping, a cultural policy expert, told the Global Times that the nationwide book delivery phenomenon is "essentially related to China's varied guidance for encouraging public reading." 

Back in 2021, the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) stressed the importance of promoting "nationwide reading" and the need to promote "Shuxiang Zhongguo," a national-level cultural campaign to promote reading. 

With that goal, Song told the Global Times that the "better reading" goal has been broken down into different tasks such as "launching more book fairs," "constructing public libraries," "improving reading services" as well as "extending reading to remote villages." 

To date, there are more than 3,300 public libraries and more than 100,000 physical book shops across the country. Chinese people's interest in reading has been growing since 2012. The comprehensive reading rate that year was 76.3 percent, but has now grown to over 81.8 percent. 

"Reading has become an important part of promoting public education and enhancing people's confidence in Chinese culture and tradition," said Xu.