Page 22 - 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: 021
An analysis about the views on accelerating the construction of modern public cultural service system

everyone. However, it is an undeniable fact that current public cultural services develop in an
unbalanced manner in different regions, among different population, and particularly between
urban and rural areas. Hence, the Views lays great emphasis on promoting a balanced development
of public culture through accurate promotion of cultural equalization by standardization in line
with the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.
Various approaches can be adopted to alleviate unbalanced development, among which the most
prominent breakthrough in the Views is to articulate a national standard of public cultural services
at a basic level. Specifically, based on the overall supply capacity, the fundamental requirements
of the“standard”are as follows: to center around people’s actual needs, to target at protecting
people’s basic cultural rights and interests, to classify the content, category, quantity and quality
of basic public cultural services, and most importantly, to equip public cultural services with
sets of guaranteed policies and governmental liabilities. Firstly, the Central Government has to
lay down National guiding standard of basic public cultural service to direct and standardize
the national“bottom line”. Then, local governments at provincial, municipal and county levels
should stipulate their own characterized and reasonable Local Standard based on local social and
economic situation under the framework of National Guiding Standard. Thirdly, the main steering
and propelling force for the standardization of public cultural services should lie in county-level
government. Lastly, all of the standards should be equipped with adjustable implementation
mechanisms so that the overall delivery of public cultural services can be compatible with
national economy and society at present. The establishment of standard in public cultural service
system takes examples from other national policies, like the Nine-year Compulsory Education,
the National Health System, etc., which indicates that public cultural services have been truly
incorporated into the basic public services ranging from theoretical exploration to institutional
breakthrough. In this sense, the balanced development of public cultural service system carves out
a new historical epoch during the whole undertaking.
Additionally, the National guiding standard of basic public cultural service (2015-2020) is
issued as an attachment to the Views. It defines a set of“bottom lines”from service programs,
facilities, and personnel, among which the following are relevant to the public library:
1) All public libraries and interior reading rooms should provide free services of books, papers,
magazines and digital periodicals.
2) All public libraries and interior reading rooms should provide free access to all facilities and
offer required basic service programs.
3) Government above county level should plan and build the public library within each region
according to the previously-issued national construction standard.
4) Public library at county level should be equipped with mobile service cars.
5) All public libraries should be equipped with barrier-free facilities.
6) Librarians above county level should participate in professional training programs and session
no less than 15 days each year.