Ningbo Library contends for Public Library of the Year award

An exterior view of Ningbo Library, which is located in the central administrative service area of Eastern New City in Ningbo. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

Xu Yibo, curator of the Ningbo Library, introduced the library to the world at the World Library and Information Congress, which was held online on Aug 19.

The Ningbo Library is in contention to win the Public Library of the Year award.

Located in the central administrative service area of Eastern New City in Ningbo, the 31,800-square-meter library was opened to the public two years ago. It receives an annual average of 1.45 million readers, with a daily maximum of nearly 10,000.

In early July, the library was nominated for the Public Library of the Year award along with four other libraries from Australia, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

This is the first time a Chinese public library has been shortlisted for the award. 

The Public Library of the Year award is presented by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) with the aim of honoring new public libraries.

The award is conferred to a library that has best managed to combine open and functional architecture with creative IT solutions, while also including both digital developments and local culture.

"Tianyi Yueshu", an online book-lending service app launched by the Ningbo Library, won the 2020 IFLA International Marketing Award.

Through the platform, readers can borrow books that will be delivered to their doorsteps at a discounted delivery fee. The service now covers the entire city, including remote islands and mountainous areas. Official data shows that more than 20,000 readers have loaned 634,000 books through the platform over the past three years.

In a bid to make the service more user-friendly, the library has built a number of book cabinets in public venues including metro stations and shopping malls, enabling readers to return or pick up books directly after placing an order.              

The library also hosts between 800 and 900 cultural events such as music salons and performances annually.

Only 25 percent of the space in the library is designated for book borrowing, reading and storage, while the remaining space can be adjusted based on event needs, Xu said.                                         

A resident borrows books from a book cabinet in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]