Shanghai promotes community libraries

SHANGHAI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's economic powerhouse Shanghai is actively increasing its library resources, as local authorities are committed to encouraging learning habits.

According to the Shanghai Association for Science &Tech, the program aimed at establishing libraries at people's doorsteps is expected to bring reading resources to within a 15-minute walk of any part of the city.

Currently, 131 community libraries are in use in Shanghai, and more than 20 others are under construction. The public reading sites are distributed across all 16 Shanghai districts.

Some of the libraries are affiliated with community services centers, parks, schools and shopping malls, and a number of them are referred to as science cafes or science houses, rather than libraries.

A community library in Shanghai's bustling financial zone of Lujiazui in the Pudong New Area has become a popular place for children's science activities.

Yi Xiaojing, a community official in Huangpu District, said that with the improvement of living standards, residents' spiritual needs are increasing. The public libraries are social venues to meet the people's needs.