[Qing Ten · Extraordinary Ten Years] Fang Jiazhong: What kind of experience is the busiest library in the world?

Guangzhou Library Gangfang Jiazhong (Photo of the Interviewee)

Text/Yangcheng Evening News all -media reporter Lu Nanfang

"I hope that there are libraries everywhere in Guangzhou, and people are reading everywhere."

This is the vision made by the Guangzhou Library's party in the interview with reporters many years ago. Now, at least half of his wishes have been realized.

In 2012, Guangzhou proposed the goal of building a "city of the library". To this day, there are 1,315 public libraries, service points and self -service libraries in the city. In August 2022, the Five -Year Action Plan for the Construction of the Library of Guangzhou (2022-2026) "was officially issued, and it was proposed that one of the important one from the" City of Library "to the" City of Reading "was proposed. The indicator is 40%of the registered reader, that is to say, by 2026, at least four of each of the ten Guangzhou people is the "customer" of the public library.

"Someone is reading everywhere." Perhaps it is not a dream that can be quantified, but for Fang Jiazhong, who had been in the library for thirty years, he clearly knew what he should do next. In order to stimulate the public's reading needs and attract more people to enter the library, he and his team spent ten years to sort out the service structure of the library, transforming Guangtu from the "book -centric" reading and learning space to The "people -centered" cultural exchange space has attracted domestic colleagues to learn to follow suit.

Fang Jiazhong believes in the power of books, and also believes in people's desire for reading and cultural exchanges. Guangtu is not only the world's largest urban public library in the world, but also known as "the busiest library in the world". Fang Jiazhong said that he has the confidence to further improve the operating efficiency of wide pictures and help the "city of library" to truly serve the national strategy of reading for the whole people.

Love in Guangtu

Thirty years with books

Yangcheng Evening News: After graduating from Sun Yat -sen University, you have worked at the Guangzhou Library after graduating from Sun Yat -sen University. Can you tell us about your career experience? Why has it been in love with Guangtu?

Fang Jiazhong: Because I like to study, I chose a library major in the university. When I graduated, I chose the Guangzhou Library, and I never left again. At the beginning, I worked in the Guangtu MI and Capital. This editing editor is different from the editing of your newspaper. It refers to procurement and catalogs. At that time, I was mainly responsible for buying books according to the needs of the reader and the standards of the library, and compiled and manages the book. It was very inconvenient to borrow books in the past. If the reader could not find a book on the display books, he had to go from the two sets of directory in the library hall to find the name of the book, and then handed it to the staff to find the book. This situation continues to be online and after the management of the computer database. Later, I was transferred to the Literature Development Department to investigate the needs of readers and try some professional book services. I have participated in the proposal to set up an artistic design data room. Because this type of resources are more expensive, the data room is very popular as soon as it is open. Many schools in schools and designers will often come to check the information. I was hired as the deputy curator of the Guangzhou Library in 2005, and was the curator in 2012, until now. I can always be with the book, I feel lucky.

Yangcheng Evening News: In many people who love books, library administrators may be the happiest occupation in the world. Bolges also said, "If there is heaven, it should be the library." He himself was the curator of the National Library of Argentina. What are your biggest gains along the way? What do you think of books on people?

Fang Jiazhong: For a person who loves reading, the library is naturally a treasure. I often receive a variety of books. I personally prefer the classics of literature and history, and I often read such books. A person's reading history is actually his spiritual development history. Reading provides our limited life with unlimited life experience, and also makes our spirit rich. From a social perspective, books are the most important carrier of inheritance of human civilization. As long as the library is still there, human civilization can continue.

Ten years of Guangtu

From "book -centered" to "people -centered"

Yangcheng Evening News: Guangtu New Hall has been put into use for nearly ten years. In this ten years, what important nodes have the development of the new museum? What innovative services are at the forefront of the country?

Fang Jiazhong: At the end of 2012, the Guangtu New Pavilion was partially opened. By 2013, it was fully opened, and it has been loved by the general public. I remember that when we first opened the museum, we were worried that there were not enough readers. We specially set up a department called the Social Activities Promotion Department. I wanted to promote the new museum. Later, I found that the worry was superfluous. The basic service benefits are ranked first in the national public library, and this record has continued. To this day, our collections are more than 10 million copies, ranking third in the country, and registered readers exceed 2.4 million.

Behind these data leap development is inseparable from government investment. The funds for the purchase of books in Guangtu were 187,000 yuan in 1982, which increased to 59 million yuan in 2019. Some of the innovative services we launched also have a very important "drainage" effect, including free opening and registering services without deposit. This directly reflects our level of service guarantee and the level of resource construction, and is in the leading position in China.

Yangcheng Evening News: In addition to the basic services of "book -centered", what public cultural services have been opened up in Guangtu? What do you have in the development of the library's diversity and cultural function? Fang Jiazhong: This involves the most important innovation in our past ten years, to expand the library's function from "book -centered" to "people -centered". The total investment of the Guangtu New Museum is 1.3 billion yuan, covering an area of ​​100,000 square meters. How to maximize the use of such good public cultural facilities, we have been exhausted our brains. Moreover, many traditional functions of the library have been replaced by the Internet, and the function of the library must be changed. This is a global trend. The completion and opening up of the Guangtu New Museum provides us with an opportunity to re -plan the layout of the service structure. On the one hand, we will continue to strengthen basic services to provide the public with first -class reading learning space. Provide more opportunities for public exchanges.

We used to have only dozens of cultural activities every year in the old museum, and the new museum increased to thousands of games per year. The online activities during the epidemic were still active. Public cultural activities were just a supplementary service of Guangtu, and now they have become basic services. By holding activities, attracting more people to enter the library and actively promote the reading service that activates the foundation, which can make the library more fully exert social benefits. The transformation of Guangtu in this regard is recognized by the industry. Many domestic and foreign counterparts come to study. Therefore, we believe that this "people -centered" service structure is vitality and is also facing the future.

Yangcheng Evening News: As the central library of Guangzhou Public Library, Guangtu has actively participated in the construction of the "City of Library". It has taken the lead in building the main branch system of the central museum nationwide and formulated a unified logo and service specifications. Can you introduce the highlights of this work?

Fang Jiazhong: The saying of "the city of the library" is mentioned in many places, but Guangzhou goes smoothly and faster. In addition to the Pearl River New Town Central Hall and the Divided Museums, we have also opened many service points, self -service libraries, etc. As of the end of June 2022, a total of 1,315 are, it is a veritable "city of the Thousand Museums". The legislative implementation of the 2015 Regulations on the Public Library of Guangzhou Municipal Public Library allows the construction of the "City of Library" in Guangzhou. We have a system guarantee. We explore the diversified service structure and be promoted to all libraries in the city in the central library. In the past five years, many branches have completed upgrading and transformation. In addition to the transformation of hardware, the cultural activities of each branch have also been fully exerted. Combining different community characteristics, many colorful cultural activities have been held.

Photo by Deng Bo, a reporter from Guangzhou Library Yangcheng Evening News

The next five years

From "Library City" to "City of Reading"

Yangcheng Evening News: Recently, the Five -Year Action Plan for the Construction of the Library of Guangzhou (2022-2026) "proposes that Guangzhou must comprehensively build the" City of Library "," City of Smart Library "and" Castle of Reading " Target. What other work layouts are there in the construction of the "City of Library"? Focusing on the goals of "City of Smart Library" and "City of Reading", what measures will be launched in the future?

Fang Jiazhong: To further build the "Library City", our service system will continue to improve, and the facilities will further extend to the community. On the basis of the existing general branch system, we plan to continue to co -organize the branch with social forces in the next five years. The plan is 300, and the school is held with the school. The plan is 800, including the city's level. Service points, a total of 3,000 public service points are planned.

The goal of the "City of Smart Library" is to achieve the intelligence and management of services and management at the branches above the streets and towns. At present, some branches of management are still traditional, and new technologies are relatively small. In the future, these shortcomings will be supplemented. Essence

"City of Reading" can be said to be an advanced version of the "City of Library". We have done so many jobs to serve the whole people to read. There are 1.4 billion people across the country, and registered readers account for only about 6%of the total population. There are more readers in Guangzhou, about 10%in 2015, and nearly 25%last year. In other words, one of the four Guangzhou people is our registered readers. From the perspective of the absolute population of the population, this is a large number, but we hope that this proportion in the future will increase to 40%, gradually approaching the level of developed countries.

Yangcheng Evening News: Cultural strong city is an important support for Guangzhou to achieve high -quality development. From the "City of Library" to "City of Reading", there are still many things we have to do. Where do you think your work motivation comes from?

Fang Jiazhong: The Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government's support for the business of the public library is very great, which is very popular for our library practitioners. At the same time, our great luck comes from the strong needs of the public for reading. It is as if after the opening of the new museum of Guangtu, we will not think that there will be such a large traffic. It is precisely because the public has such a needs that the government is worth continuously investing, and our work and our services are meaningful.

Yangcheng Evening News: Do you often go to libraries from all over the country and abroad to study and study. Which libraries are impressive? What do you think of Guangtu in the future to improve the service level?

Fang Jiazhong: Take the public library of New York as an example. Its system is very complete. There are more than 8 million people in the city, with more than 240 libraries, 6 to 7 times per person per year, and borrowing about 7 books. I am very impressed that the "status" of the library in New York in the community is very high, which is equivalent to a core cultural center. In addition, the Library system in New York is also diversified at the theme level. In addition to the public, there are many theme libraries, including research, art, business, etc., such as a library. For hundreds of languages ​​in most countries around the world, its resources and service levels belong to the research level. The public library system in Hong Kong and Singapore is also very good. The average population of 100,000 people in Hong Kong is a library, but the operating efficiency is very high. The registered readers reached 50%of the total population. Each person borrows 14 books a year. There are more than 4 million people in Singapore, and there are only more than 20 libraries, but the operating efficiency is also very high, which is close to Hong Kong. Objectively speaking, the operating efficiency of our library is still different from developed countries and regions. Due to the large population base of Guangzhou, the needs of public reading need to be further stimulated and cultivated.

Yangcheng Evening News: What do you want to say to young people who are interested in joining the library? Can I recommend a few "admission" books for them?

Fang Jiazhong: From the perspective of income treatment, the library's profession is still ideal. Like my college classmates, there are not many people entering the industry. Some people came in at the beginning and later left. I think I can still be lucky until now. It happened to catch up with Guangzhou during this period. It attaches great importance to cultural construction. There are new museums, corresponding legal policies, and the construction goals of the "city of the library". It is a good opportunity. If young people want to contribute to this society and love reading at the same time, the library is a good choice.

The first book I want to recommend to everyone is "Dear Library", which is written by Susan Oeryl, a columnist of "New Yorker". This book is based on a fire in the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986 In order to cut in, review the past and present life of the Los Angeles Public Library, the social background it produces, the relationship with urban development, and the evolution of the library's function in various historical periods. Therefore, this can be used as a understanding of the modern public library. Read the encyclopedia.

The second book is the "21st Century Library New Theory" by Mr. Wu Jianzhong, the former director of the Shanghai Library. The development trend of the library industry is in deeper, which is very suitable for beginners.

The third book is Professor Yu Liangzhi's "Introduction to Library Studies". It has repeatedly seal since 2003. This book has a grand international perspective, historical perspective and theoretical framework. It is one of the well -received disciplines in recent years. Essence

The fourth book is Mr. Liang Qichao's classic masterpiece "Nearly 300 Years of Academic History". This book tells the evolution of Chinese academics since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and behind the academic history is the history of social thought. A history of literature, and literature is the core of traditional libraries. It is also understood that the role of literature actually understands the role of libraries in social development.

[U.S.] Susan Ourlin, Wenhui Publishing House, published in May 2021

Wu Jianzhong, Shanghai Science and Technology Literature Publishing House, published in April 2016

Yu Liangzhi, National Library Press, published in December 2015

Liang Qichao, Business Press, published in 2017

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