Comparison Study On Reading Promotion By Public Libraries Both Home And Abroad

Social Reading is one of the most important factors in overall competencyenhancement for the general public. Human competency enhancement is the foundationfor China to prevail over other countries in the world. With abundant literature resources,well-equipped infrastructures, libraries are bound to have natural advantages over otherinstitutions or organizations. Correspondingly, reading promotion is doomed belibraries’ duty as regulated by their key function of social education which libraries shalltake a leading role in the course.Basing on reading promotions by public libraries in China, this paper firstly studiesdifferent aspects of China’s national readership including management system, laws andregulations, capital investment allocated to activities carried out in the field.Secondly, the paper illustrates reading promotions in United States, UnitedKingdom, and South Africa, focusing mainly on management system, laws andregulations, capital investment and government support. Differences in volunteerinvolvement, formal education and multiple promotion strategies among all thesecountries are also addressed in this paper.Thirdly, Further analysis are made by comparison as per different dimensionsincluding population, education attainment, public libraries quantities to search forfactors influencing national reading rate and learn about China’s reading promotionsstatus in the world. Experiences by libraries in United States, United Kingdom andSouth Africa serve as valuable reference for Chinese libraries.Lastly, with reference to comparison results of various libraries of United States,United Kingdom and South Africa, reasons for low reading rate in China are found andstrategy suggestions are made accordingly. Hopefully, this study will serve as a helpfulreference to social reading promotions in China, which will devote to the constructionof a harmony society in China at long run.