Page 90 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 43

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

“Library plus Automobile” has been used for many years. These programs are the service designs
of libraries by adopting new concept and technology. And they become the service innovation
programs through the integration of library and new technology or other forms. Some of them turn
into the new contents of library services, while some extend the services, which offer conveniences
to readers. Some become the integral parts and effective supplements of central-branch library.
Suzhou Library took “online lending, community delivery” as the supplement of central-branch
library at the time of designing it. After all, one branch library for per 30 thousand people or in
every 1.5 kilometers cannot realize the goal of full coverage, for there will be some residents who
live relatively far from any branch library. In addition, the community delivery stations have more
advantages than physical branch libraries in terms of service hours, which make it convenient for
these residents to borrow and return books. In 2016, the citizens of Suzhou took away 302,176
parcels in 90 delivery stations through the “online lending, community delivery” service of Suzhou
Library. The volume of loan books totaled about 1,112,153, accounting for 25.7% of the total
〇a ①
volume of loan books of the central-branch library of Suzhou Library.
Each “Library Plus” service program is a kind of innovation, but two points should be paid
attention to in the design. One is to avoid the replacement of constructing central-branch with
the “Library Plus” programs. As mentioned earlier, the public library cannot be replaced by other
forms in the fulfillment of library mission and professional service, which matters the degree of the
fulfillment of the public library mission, or in turn, the quantity and quality of the library service
that the readers can enjoy. However, all of the “Library Plus” programs can only provide a small
part of the library services, so “Library Plus” can only serve as a supplement to the extension of
library service and the lack of branch libraries. It is no good replacing the construction of central-
branch library with any “Library Plus” program. The other one is the design of “Library Plus”
program should conform to the library concept of “equality, free of charge, indiscrimination”, thus
avoiding that “Library Plus” only serves the minority instead of the ordinary citizens (especially
those with low incomes), unless the public library can also offer basically the same and free service
as the “Library Plus” programs do. Otherwise, the service innovation of library will be imperfect
and go against the realization of universal equality of service.

References

Ministry of Culture, State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, General
Administration of Sport, National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance issue the
notice on Guidance on Promoting the County Central-branch Cultural Center System and Central-branch
Library System Development Guidance (文化部 新闻出版广电总局 体育总局 发展改革委 财政部关于
印发《关于推进县级文化馆图书馆总分馆制建设的指导意见》的通知（文公共发〔2016〕38号）).
(2016).
① Data source: statistics of Suzhou Library, Jiangsu Province.