I think there is a fundamental difference in the way that libraries in the states and libraries in China approach their missions. For the US, the focus seems to be on bringing in the most people and getting their books and media in front of as many eyes as possible. This doesn’t seem to be the case in China, where the fundamental drive is to protect the information they hold. This makes sense in some ways, of course. In China you have a number of voracious readers that US libraries would love to have. The bookstores here, as I’ve mentioned, are literally strewn with people reading – people in the aisles, on the window sills, on the shelves, on the stairs, everywhere.
What this ends up meaning in a practical sense is that the controls over books are much more stringent. At the Shanghai Municipal Library (which to be honest, is the only library here that I have any extensive experience) a full lending privileges library card requires a local ID (neither my US university ID or my travel-visa stamped passport cut it, although once I had a student visa I was alright) and a significant deposit of over 1000 yuan and a 50 yuan fee ($146.50). This card allows you to have 5 books out at a time for 28 days.
Now all that isn’t too different really, but the fun begins when you want to check out a book. Now there are stacks you can wander, but I’ve only ever found one book up there I wanted, the bulk of the collection is hidden away. To get a book, you have to log on to one of the very persnickety computers and find the call numbers of the books you need (and don’t think your Dewey or LoC skillz will help here – it’s a classification system with Chinese characteristics). You make the request on the computer and then go take a seat. Hope you brought a book. Or some books. Or maybe you can go get a bite to eat. Because you’re going to be awhile. The books are apparently hand copied by illiterate turtles when you request them, because it generally takes about an hour or so to get what you need. But here’s the thing that makes it all worthwhile. The books come trundling down on a little folder-box on a conveyor belt! It’s like those pneumatic tubes in the old banks and Sears (this is an age check. Do you know what I’m talking about? If so, congratulations, you are old). Anyway, they come down to the desk in the picture, and your name pops up on the digital board telling you to wake up and come get your books.
Like I say, I’m not sure I think the system is actually bad. It’s slow and inconvenient – especially to people who aren’t used to it – and it uses far too much manpower, but all that seems to be in keeping with China in general. And again, it seems to all be based on the foundation that books and information in general are not seen as open and free. They are all first and foremost the property of the state and if you are allowed to take advantage of them, that’s a privilege; you should be thankful to have the opportunity, not curse the implementation. Libraries in the US simply operate with a different set of foundational values, but I imagine that more than a few would like to have some of the problems that Chinese libraries do.
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