Page 20 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2015 Vol. 41

Guoxin LI / The construction of modern public cultural service system and the development of public libraries: 019
An analysis about the views on accelerating the construction of modern public cultural service system

of this document lasted for nearly one year by a number of experts, who were organized by the
Ministry of Culture along with wide ranges of opinions and suggestions solicited from related
departments in the central government. Since September 2014, the drafted version has been
repeatedly reviewed and modified by the Coordination Group of the Construction of National
Public Cultural Service System, the Work Leading Group of Central Cultural System Reform and
Development, the Executive Meeting of the State Council, the 7th Meeting of Central Leading
Group for Comprehensive Deepening of Reform as well as the Central Political Bureau Standing
Committee. Undoubtedly, this is an important document, which has captured tremendous political

attentions since 1949. Under the guidance of the main spirits of the 3rd Plenary Session of the
18th CPC Central Committee, the Views puts forward an overall goal, general principles, pivotal
tasks and supportive methods, which aims to promote and facilitate the construction of the modern
public cultural service system at the current stage. As an important institutional design, the Views is
a guiding framework to orient the process of the modern public cultural service system in the near
future. The public library, as an indispensable component in the public cultural service system,
is obligated to truly implement the gist of the Views with appropriate approaches and responsible
practices. This is of great importance to the construction and realization of the sustainable
development of public libraries during the period of the 13th National Five-year Plan (2016-
2020).

1 To establish clear developing direction and principles

The Views primarily proposes five fundamental principles to push forward the construction of
the modern public cultural service system: correct direction, governmental leadership, social
participation, communal building and sharing, as well as reform and innovation. These five
principles, firmly entrenched as the basic guideline, clearly point out the general developing
direction for the modern public cultural service system in China.
The Views prominently underlines a fact that the construction of the modern public cultural
service system should adhere to correct direction so that the role of public culture as guide and
educator can come into play. In terms of the “correct direction”, it certainly does not refer to
turning the public cultural service to an obsolete preach. Instead, the “correct direction” respects
the inherent nature and essence of the public culture, presents compatible attitudes toward various
types of culture, and aims to realize healthy development towards cultural diversity. Specifically,
advanced culture, which represents socialist core values and positive attitudes, should be
vigorously promoted. Meanwhile, the traditional culture should be upgraded so as to achieve the
integrated development with public culture. More importantly, traditional culture should keep pace
with present development rather than rely on pedantic follow, or simple imitation. As to popular
culture, it should be given more government support and encouragement. After all, to the general
public, popular culture, endowed with popularized forms and pleasurable content, is absolutely not