Self-service libraries in Beijing log onto WeChat

Self service library in Chaoyang District Beijing. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Librarians in Chaoyang district, a bustling business and residential hub in northeast Beijing, has launched a program on WeChat– one of China's most popular instant messaging software – with hopes of encouraging and guiding people to borrow books from the district's 125 self-service libraries.

By typing in "cyzz24h" or swiping the designated bar code, people can get access to the librarians in charge of the self-service libraries for consultation. These libraries contain and convey more than 400 books.

Although identity cards are the only valid credentials that these self-service libraries recognize, the possibility to lend books to foreigners cannot be ruled out, said Li Kai, deputy executive head librarian in Chaoyang Library.

"We still need to improve our technologies and services to make more people enjoy reading," Li said. "Nowadays, there is a trend among people who relish reading paper books even in this digital age. And we have been motivating people to read by providing these convenient technologies."

Since they were initiated in 2011, self-service libraries in Chaoyang have received 871,200 visits, consisting of more than 400,000 borrowings and returns each. This type of service first appeared in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.