Page 34 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 44

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LI Guoxin / The historical contributions of the Public Library Law of the People’s Republic of China 033

citizens, legal persons and other organizations to provide public library services (Article 45). The
provision defines the object of support, that is, public libraries set up by social forces. The content
of purchase is prescribed in The Guiding List of Public Culture Service Purchased by Government
from Social Forces in May 2015 released by the Ministry of Culture and so on. Content related
to public libraries services includes: the production and delivery of non-profit digital cultural
products, organization and sponsoring of nationwide reading, non-profit organization and
sponsoring of training and lectures of culture and art, culture heritage conservation, inheritance and
exhibition, management of public libraries (including public digital reading rooms) and reading
rooms (including digital reading rooms) in rural areas, and free or low-charge services provided to
the public by private libraries.

7.3 Public library donors’ naming system

The PLL prescribes the public library donors’ naming system (Article 20). Naming of donors is
praise to donation and encouragement to public participation. Both of the Public Welfare Donation
Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Charity Law of the People’s Republic of China
make related provisions. The PLL establishes the donors’ naming system in public libraries for the
first time in China. The naming system involves three aspects. Firstly, special resource collection
or activities can be named after donors’ names no matter public libraries are established by the
government or social forces. Secondly, public libraries built by citizens, legal persons and other
organizations can be named after the donors, or part of buildings or other facilities named after the
donors. Thirdly, the naming should abide by the law and regulations, accord with national interest
and public interest, and adhere to public order and good custom. The naming system not only
brings donors’ naming into the orbit of the legal system but also extends means and channels of
public participation.

8 Defining the nature and functions of the National Library

8.1 The National Library’s function of the public library

According to the standards published by the International Standardization Organization, libraries
can be classified as national libraries, public libraries, academic libraries, school libraries
(elementary and secondary school) and special libraries (Information and documentation—
library statistics ISO 2789:2006 (E), 2006). Accordingly, the national library is not equated with
the public library. However, the National Library of China (NLC) has its characteristics. Firstly,
for a long time the NLC has been playing a leading role for public libraries, guiding, promoting
and assisting the development of public libraries. Secondly, the NLC has been fulfilling the
functions of public libraries to the public due to the small number of public libraries in China.