China kicks off program to build village libraries for 900 mln farmers
26/7/2006 17:11
Although China is a nation of avid readers, with large crowds browsing
almost every urban bookstore and a 100 million newspapers printed daily, China's
rural residents have long had a dearth of reading material. That's expected
to soon change as the country plans to fund 200,000 village libraries to bring
more of the written word to the country's 900 million farmers, according to the
State Press and Publication Administration of China. A prototype village
library can be found in Zhuzuiling, a landlocked village in northwest China's
Gansu Province. The 80-square-metre library has become a favorite leisure spot
for villagers to read and learn. It's the first time many of them have had
access to any reading or learning materials since they left school. The
library offers 5,000 books and periodicals and over 300 compact discs. Like all
good libraries a borrower in Lanzhou can select books on a wide range of topics
from planting and animal husbandry techniques to culture, art, law and
children's literature. Books have long been seen as a luxury to many Chinese
farmers who toil all day simply to make ends meet. Now, though, more people in
the countryside are realizing there is a figurative mountain gold to be found in
books. This has made rural readers discerning readers, as they want publications
that are about them and their needs. "Only 3,800 books out of the 200,000
books published in China in 2005 are related to agriculture or farmers' lives, "
said Long Xinmin, director of the Press and Publication Administration. The
official pointed out that more cultural products are needed to cope with the
rising demand for recreation and culture in the countryside. Huo Chengxi, a
farmer in Zhuzuiling Village, said that farmers with only a basic high-school
education are coming to the library to learn about growing cash crops such as
flowers and vegetables . "With these borrowed books and materials, I can read
and learn at my own pace," said Huo who also borrowed DVD's from the
library. So far, there are more than 300 such public libraries in Gansu
Province, and some of them have been set up where ever there's a clean enough
room. Jin Hongfang, a villager in Fengjiawan village in Gansu, gave up a room
in her house to set up a library and has become the village librarian. "Over
300 people have borrowed books here. It is also a fun place for young people and
kids. Right now I only have books to lend but soon we'll sell books too," said
Jin, eyeing a new business opportunity.
Xinhua
|