The opening and sharing of data are gaining momentum in the era of big data. Libraries have been actively involved in the research and practice of open data. At present, the related research in... Show More

The opening and sharing of data are gaining momentum in the era of big data. Libraries have been actively involved in the research and practice of open data. At present, the related research in Chinese libraries is still in progress, which mainly focuses on the introduction of the abroad practices, or on the construction of open data platforms. This paper introduces and analyzes the Shanghai library open data service and provides a useful reference for the open data service of Libraries in China. For the future development of the Shanghai library open data services, this paper puts forward some measures and suggestions that include metadata work, website construction, legal protection, and developer community training.

Library maker services are a current focus of the industry's theoretical research and practice. With the popularization of the maker movement and the development of “mass entrepreneurship and... Show More

Library maker services are a current focus of the industry's theoretical research and practice. With the popularization of the maker movement and the development of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” in China, the library has been forced to re-examine itself and seek new development opportunities and spaces. Based on the experience of library maker service activities both at home and abroad, this paper explores the design of the library space transformation and the practice of the maker services in Shenyang Normal University. In the face of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” and the background of education, library maker services have become the main melody, and the construction of makerspaces is the panacea to boost the development of library services. Every qualified library needs to be transformed, insufficient ones need to be reformed, and maker services are not only a development drive of the era, but also the essential path to the future.

This paper introduces the WeChat mobile library service programme at Shanghai University Library and identifies problems and resolutions by reviewing the development process and experience and user... Show More

This paper introduces the WeChat mobile library service programme at Shanghai University Library and identifies problems and resolutions by reviewing the development process and experience and user feedback. A case study was conducted, and user feedback from a web survey was analysed to identify the programme's problems. Accordingly, recommendations and resolutions were developed. The author discovers that a WeChat account is crucial as an interaction platform between libraries and patrons, particularly on mobile devices. Patrons prefer to receive library services via WeChat rather than other channels. Their favourite features include online public access catalogue (OPAC), my library, and study facility availability. Libraries should conduct regular assessments to understand patrons' feedback or requests and make timely adjustments accordingly. The web survey and its data are novel in this area and provide a credible example to optimize WeChat library services.

Through the cooperation with the Evergreen Education Foundation in the United States, the Tongwei rural library network has been set up and a cooperation service alliance between a public library... Show More

Through the cooperation with the Evergreen Education Foundation in the United States, the Tongwei rural library network has been set up and a cooperation service alliance between a public library and school libraries has been built; using project funding by Evergreen, it reached out to the local communities, and meanwhile, it carried out small projects to enhance its service capacity. Through participation in the Evergreen-sponsored international conferences, training, and projects, librarians have improved their service capabilities and sharpened their awareness of library services. Based on the local cultural characteristics and user needs, and funded by a grant from Hangzhou Library Foundation, Tongwei County Library has established a reading room as a space where people can read calligraphy and painting materials. In addition, it carried out special collections services, shot the documentary film “Autumn Story,” and held “Tongwei impression.” It is the first county library to achieve management automation, and the national-level library in the fifth national public library assessment.

With the change of information environment, the emergence of new technology, services, and new media, reference librarians and users have more choices in information acquisition methods, tools, and... Show More

With the change of information environment, the emergence of new technology, services, and new media, reference librarians and users have more choices in information acquisition methods, tools, and means. The reference consulting service is the most valuable part of developing collections, increasing comprehensive service ability, and revealing a library's social roles in the information age. The change in user demands has accelerated the transfer process which shifts the focus of library reference work from the literature retrieval to the individualized, information-oriented deep content mining, or metrology analysis. Improving the new service capacity to accomplish library service transformation is also an important goal of functional improvements to the National Library of China. In the coming years, the National Library of China will promote new services through improving the reading guidance, developing literature resources, innovating service methods, supporting national development strategy, strengthening the library's essentials, and promoting business cooperation.

The development of new information technologies changes and affects the services in libraries. In this article, taking the interactive experience space “Tsinghua Impression” as an example, the... Show More

The development of new information technologies changes and affects the services in libraries. In this article, taking the interactive experience space “Tsinghua Impression” as an example, the authors analyzed the application of many new technologies in the information resource construction and information service of library and explained how to use multimedia, touch screens, 3D, and other technologies to enhance collections and services. They probed the new information technologies to promote the service innovation of the library in order to provide reference for the service innovation of the university libraries.