Page 20 - Journal of Library Science in China 2020 Vol.46

RAO Quan / Review and outlook on the problems of library transformation 019

3 Planning future development with collective wisdom and concerted efforts

“Preparedness ensures success and unpreparedness spells failure”. Preparedness means examining
the whole situation, understanding opportunities and challenges, and analyzing adverse
environment and favorable conditions in a correct way so that we can take precautions, make
plans, draw on advantages and avoid disadvantages to gain initiative in development. Since the
18th CPC National Congress, confronted with profound changes in circumstances at home and
abroad, General Secretary XI Jinping has stressed repeatedly the strategic thinking in reforms and
development. The development of librarianship is a continuous process which also needs strategic
thinking to guide the long-term development. The 14th Five-Year Plan is imminent and the new
chapter will unfold. What is the direction of future development of public libraries in China? What
are the objectives and strategies of development? How should the above-mentioned problems be
solved? We need to keep the crisis awareness of forging ahead or being swept downstream, and the
forward-looking ability to discern changes correctly, face changes scientifically and seek changes
proactively. We should rethink and understand the function and value of public libraries from the
new historical perspective. We should also enhance core competitiveness of the library. Based on
practical circumstances and with international and global thinking in mind, we need to develop the
top-level design of development strategy of public libraries for the 14th Five-Year Plan period and
even more to promote the stable development of the librarianship.
In order to develop the top-level design with collective wisdom and make the blueprint of
public libraries, the NLC proposed the Plan for Strategic Research of the Development of Public
Libraries, which was agreed by the Department of Public Services of the Ministry of Culture and
Tourism. Drawing on surveys, the plan included 13 research projects related to three aspects.
Firstly, research on the overall environment and future trends will be conducted. The changes
and future trends of politics, economy, society, culture, science and technology at present and
in the near future as well as potential chances and challenges for public libraries will be tapped.
The future trends of development of international librarianship will be examined and predicted to
formulate the development objectives of public libraries in China in the following five or ten years.
Secondly, research on prominent problems in the development of public libraries in the new era
will be carried out, trying to make breakthroughs and coming up with the development strategy for
the future. The research includes the following aspects. 1) The development practice, experience,
critical issues and prominent problems of grass-root public libraries in the Eastern, Middle and
Western regions will be concluded. How to formulate development strategy according to local
conditions will be discussed. The efficient operation of the central-branch library system will
be advanced to improve service efficiency of grass-root public libraries. 2) The scale, quality,
efficiency and influence of public libraries of all levels will be evaluated from perspectives of
service system design and construction, service content, service means innovation, and service
space experience. Critical issues and prominent problems will be analyzed and the strategy of