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the next several years. In this context, the theoretical study of library science should provide the
world with Chinese experience and Chinese approach. The article also presents the difficulties
of Chinese experience and Chinese approach of library science from three aspects, including the
theory generation, the theoretical statement, and the theoretical communication and acceptance. At
the end of the article, the author gives some suggestions to promote the development of theoretical
research of China’s library science in the new period. We should pay attention to the establishment
of the problem consciousness of globalization, the interdisciplinary cooperation mechanism,
innovative communication idea, and bring our theoretical research to practice.

Space from multiple perspectives: Several concepts of evolution in urban
public reading space
WANG Zizhou 〇a ∗

With the emergence of new libraries and various types of public reading spaces sponsored by social
forces, the space design, layout and functions of libraries and public reading spaces are becoming
an important research field. Since 2005, Chinese academia have had corresponding discussions
on information sharing space, public knowledge space and urban third space. The “shared space”,
“communication space”, “experience space”, “creator space” and “smart space” have also
appeared in papers of library science. New libraries and public reading space around the country
are also in urgent need of theoretical guidance of space design and layout. The author uses “urban
public reading space” as libraries or public reading spaces in the city. Starting from experience and
historical process, the author uses the hermeneutic method to study the urban public reading space.
Besides, spatial sociology, urban anthropology, human geography and other theories and methods
have also been adopted. From the perspectives of private space and public space, community and
society, place and non-place, technological progress and spatial development, the author explores
and explains the following issues: how the public reading space coordinates the contradiction
between public and private character; how to make the public reading space into community
organism rather than an empty, flashy social image; how to avoid the “non-place” tendency of
public reading space but increase the “place” element; how to use appropriate technical means to
maximize the social function of the public reading space, etc. The author believes that the concept
of humanistic values (purpose), openness and freedom (form), sharing and monopoly (function)
should be the most basic “three primary colors” of urban public reading space.These views, which
involve spatial development and have been in interdisciplinary perspective, not only help to deepen
the reconsideration of the design, layout, function and even spatial reorganization and re-creation
of urban public reading space, enriching the basic theories of urban public reading space, but also

* Correspondence should be addressed to WANG Zizhou, Email: zzhwang@126.com, ORCID: 0000-0002-9425-1542