Page 158 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 44

CHEN Geng & BAI Haohui / Inspection and reflection on the free open policy of public cultural venues in China: Centered on the public libraries 157

level and regional differences) should be the two basic considerations for measuring the standard
of free admission subsidies. The determination of subsidy funds should be the result of “cross
check” measurement of two factors, so as to form a multiple comprehensive standard.
Therefore, the subsidy standards determined by a single “upper and lower level” difference
must be adjusted. There are two basic directions for adjustment. Firstly, incorporating regional
differences. In China, almost all funding subsidies and calculations take into account regional
differences. The simplest and most basic principle is to divide the east, central, west regions.
Although the free admission policy takes into account the factor of the eastern, central, western
region, it is only reflected in the apportionment mechanism without considering the ontological
differences in the scale, volume, operating costs of public libraries in the eastern, central, western
regions. Therefore, the optimization of the classified subsidy standard should take into account the
regional differences of venues, then carry out the division of the eastern, central, western regions
and even further subdivision. Secondly, bringing in venue rating factors. Since the implementation
of the evaluation and rating of public libraries by the Ministry of Culture in 1994, six times’
evaluations and rating work have been completed by 2017, forming a relatively complete public
library evaluation and rating standard system. The public library’s evaluation and rating standards
cover a comprehensive indicator system such as service efficiency, work development and
guarantee conditions. It is a comprehensive measurement of the scale, supply level and service
effect of public libraries. However, the evaluation and rating results of cultural centers, cultural
stations, museums and public libraries are currently only an honorary incentive, but have not
been effectively utilized in terms of funding guarantee and performance appraisal. Therefore, it is
suggested that the evaluation and rating results of public cultural institutions like public libraries
should be considered as the standards for free admission policy’s subsidy standards. This will
not significantly increase the workload of formulating subsidy standards, but also obtain more
objective and fairer results. At the same time, it also can strengthen the value of the evaluation and
rating of public cultural institutions.

4.2 At the policy implementation level, establishing a dynamic adjustment mechanism of
funding guarantee and innovating the mode of guarantee

Based on the implementation level, the main problems of the current free admission policy are
the lack of guarantee funds, dynamic adjustment mechanism, internal incentive and restraint
mechanism, the situation of “only sharing the central financial subsidy funds, but not taking
the local financial support funds” exists in some local government guarantee funds. The
solution of these problems needs to be symptomatic. By establishing and improving funding
guarantee’s dynamic adjustment mechanism and innovating the mode of guarantee methods
can achieve it.
Firstly, establishing a dynamic adjustment mechanism of funding guarantee to ensure flexible