Page 54 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 42

XIA Lixin, LI Chenglong & SUN Jingqiong / An exploratory study on the construction of standards 053
and assessment of national reading based on multi-dimensional integration

(1) The reading resources production
Reading requires a good book, and a good book needs good design first. Setting design and
publication standards for various kinds of high quality reading materials ensures the form and
content to be high-level and meet the needs of readers. For instance, the illustrations in the reading
materials for infants should be exquisite and vivid, which can arise infants’ interest. They should
be durable and hard to tear as well.
Good books also need good marketing. As the communication platform for authors, publishers,
retailers and readers, book fairs have become an indispensable way for book exhibitions and sales.
Setting the criteria on book fairs which evaluate from the goal, investment, publicity and actual
effect is beneficial to normalized development of book fairs.
(2) The reading resources transfer
Book distribution mainly refers to the channels and efficiency. The distribution channels are the
route from publishers to readers, including library service network and commercial book service
system. Library service network is set up by government, enterprises and institutions, which offer
reading products and services to citizens, such as public libraries, academic libraries, special
libraries, trade union libraries, etc. Commercial book service system refers to the dissemination
and consumption of reading products driven by the market, like physical bookstores, book kiosks,
online bookstores, digital book mall, etc. They are responsible for different roles. Library service
network, especially the public library service system, aims at providing free services for all people,
which makes social benefit a priority, reflects the idea of universally equal, and delivers free and
open services. By contrast, commercial book service system follows the market rules. Active book
market not only maintain and expand the reading products reproduction to provide robust material
support for the national reading system construction, but also offer more choices for the public
to promote the reading diversity. The differences between the two channels deserve attention,
while the two interrelate and promote each other. They should not be distinguished strictly in the
evaluation, but as a whole, to offer all kinds of reading resources by a variety of ways, ensuring
that everone can have his or her book.
Transfer efficiency means the utilization rate of book service system. At present, the utilization
of public libraries in China is low. A survey of citizens in 24 provinces showed the percentage
of informants who usually use libraries was only 18.1% (Wu, Yuan, Q. Sun, & Lü, 2013).It is
necessary to promote the publicity and marketing of national reading, making library service
system known to the society at large, especially the social value of public library service system,
and improving the utilization. The assessment on reading promotion contains two aspects. One
is the evaluation of publicity, which is to assess the effect of outdoor propaganda and media
propaganda, like awareness and reputation. Another is the evaluation of reading promotion projects
that assesses the scale, quality and effect of the reading promotion projects, such as the number of
activities, the number of people enrolled, and the benefits to citizens.