Books without barriers

Ou Hailin, a 38-year-old media employee in Beijing, visits libraries often. One of his favorites is the Capital Library of China, which he says is continually improving its services and keeping them centered on the reader.

The latest improvement, he finds, is the digital platform it launched in September that allows registered readers to borrow books directly online.

"Books will be delivered to the address you provide or to the library's branches close to you, free of charge. There is a branch close to my home, so they can also send books there, and I can collect them after work. If I return books, I can go there, too, or to other libraries in the Capital Library of China's network," he says.

China now has over 3,200 public libraries at the county level and above, along with nearly 68,000 library branches and service points. This vast network forms a nationwide reading service system, connecting libraries from the national level down to townships, providing an essential platform for residents to access quality reading materials and participate in reading activities.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, public libraries across the country held a total of 332,000 events for readers throughout 2024, with a total attendance of 260 million people.

On Feb 1, a regulation to promote reading among the public issued by the State Council took effect. It highlights the importance of strategically planning and developing public reading facilities while supporting the integration of digital and traditional reading methods, as well as protecting the right to read for visually impaired people.

China has 17 million visually impaired individuals and reading is equally important for them as it is for those without visual impairments, says He Chuan, deputy director of the China Braille Library.

He stresses that reading is crucial for visually impaired students throughout their education and vocational training, as they can't rely on visual demonstrations. To fully integrate and participate in mainstream society, they also need to read to stay updated on the world and new developments, he adds.

Reading also helps them overcome the challenges they face compared to those with normal vision, offering a way to ease anxiety, combat loneliness, and find inspiration. "Many visually impaired children say that they are inspired by biographies like Beethoven the Creator by French writer Romain Rolland," he says.

In China, visually impaired individuals access classic books and the latest publications largely through reading Braille books and books with large font sizes, or through listening with the help of mobile screen-reading software or AI on reading apps.

As the only one of its kind in the country, the China Braille Library has a collection of 200,000 books that circulate in 458 libraries around the country.

In 2017, the Chinese government launched a digital reading project for the visually impaired, providing 200,000 talking book players that can access the digital resources of the China Braille Library — audiobooks and audio-described films and TV programs. All 200,000 are now in use and have "played a significant role", He says.