Page 80 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 43

080 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.9, 2017

professionalization of central-branch library but also aroused significant attention from national
cultural authorities. The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance initiated the activity of
“Building Demonstration Zones” and took the construction of central-branch library as one of its
norms in the eastern region.

1.3 The third stage (2011 to present)

The project of “Building Demonstration Zones” organized by the Ministry of Culture and the
Ministry of Finance, through the interference of administrative power, became the new driving
force for the construction of central-branch library. The design of the project showed many
innovations and great wisdom, making it possible to combine the objective laws of central-branch
library with our national conditions organically. In the project, it should be the local governments
that make the application. And they also had to study the system design and establish the system.
In this way, the local governments (especially those in the eastern regions) were forced to lead the
construction of local central-branch library and set forth local laws and regulations and government
documents on the construction. Every province (municipality or autonomous region) can have
only one city building demonstration zone. Thus the application became a kind of competition in
fact. The construction of central-branch library which had already been carried out became the
basis and chips for the application of the applicant cities and gave them obvious advantages in the
competition. All these created a wonderful opportunity for the establishment of a favorable and
government-led central-branch library system in the cities building demonstration zones.
The launch of the project, especially the studies on system design, enabled the regions which
had already constructed central-branch library (especially those conducted the construction in
cooperative pattern) to re-examine and optimize the plan and project of central-branch library. The
research achievements, in the form of governmental documents, became the policies or system
for the construction of central-branch library, so the work turned to be led by the government.
Therefore, the obstacles that the library could not conquer by itself in professional innovation
and the uncertain factors in the prospects of the development of central-branch library could be
eliminated. For example, Jiaxing central-branch library was led by the government originally.
It further improved the system of central-branch library construction after it began to build
demonstration zone. Suzhou central-branch library changed the cooperative pattern and entered
government-leading phase smoothly through system design and smart cohesion. And it also put the
layout plan of central-branch library in place which it failed before. Xiamen central-branch library
successfully entered the government-leading phase and started to construct branch libraries directly
under Xiamen City Library. It was worth noting that the superiority of the central-branch library
system revealed by the practice and research achievements encouraged some cities in the central
and western regions to conduct system design and practices on the construction of central-branch
library, although Building Demonstration Zones had no rigid requirements for those cities. Among