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Chapter 1 General ProvisionsArticle 1 (Purpose of legislation) These regulations are formulated to promote citywide reading in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to cultivate in citizens core socialist values, ensure citizens’ rights to reading, and enhance the city’s cultural soft power and competitiveness.
Article 2 (Interpretation of citywide reading) Citywide reading, in the context of these regulations, refers to measures taken by governments, enterprises and NGOs to serve citizens, improve reading environments and ensure equal access to libraries and books.
Article 3 (Interpretation of rights to reading) Rights to reading, in the context of these regulations, refer to:
1. Citizens’ rights to use public reading facilities, resources and equipment;
2. Citizens’ rights to organize and participate in public reading events;
3. Citizens’ rights to research, read and write their own books;
4. Citizens’ rights to ensure IPR protection of citizens’ literary works.
Article 4 (Principles of citywide reading) Public benefit, equality, inclusiveness and expedience are the guiding principles for organizing citywide reading events. Governments shall initiate efforts to promote citywide reading, and other organizations shall assist in the efforts.
Article 5 (Administrative departments) Governments at municipal and district levels are in charge of promoting citywide reading within their jurisdictions. Citywide reading efforts shall be included in their economic and social development planning, with a coordination mechanism established to support their efforts.
The cultural, sports and tourism department is in direct charge.
Publicity, education, finance, urban planning, land and resources, civil affairs, human resources and social security, housing and construction and urban administration departments shall assist in this endeavor.
Science and technology societies, workers’ unions, the Communist Youth League, women’s associations, disabled people’s federations, social sciences societies, literature and art federations and other social organizations shall assist within their respective fields.
Article 6 (Decision-making institution) The Shenzhen Municipal Government shall establish the Citywide Reading Commission to perform the following duties:
1. Compile citywide reading promotion plans;
2. Formulate rules, regulations and standards of citywide reading;
3. Verify the feasibility of large projects;
4. Guide, coordinate and supervise citywide reading and other responsibilities.
Commission members shall include the departments of publicity, culture, sports and tourism, education, development and reform, scientific and technological innovation, finance, urban planning, land and resources, environment, transportation, health and family planning, civil affairs, human resources and social security, housing and construction, urban administration, science and technology societies, workers’ unions, the Communist Youth League, women’s associations, disabled people’s federations, social sciences societies, literature and art federations, and other relevant departments.
An office shall be set up under the Citywide Reading Commission to take charge of the details, which will be located at the cultural, sports and tourism department.
District-level governments shall set up district-level commissions to promote reading within their jurisdictions.
Article 7 (Applicability) These regulations serve as the guidelines for providing services and allocating resources in promoting citywide reading in the Shenzhen SEZ.Chapter 2 Reading ServicesArticle 8 (Administrative department) Shenzhen’s culture, sports and tourism department is obligated to fulfill the duties below:
1. Draft a citywide reading plan and ensure it is implemented;
2. Establish and improve work mechanisms for citywide reading;
3. Guide public organizations in carrying out the citywide reading plan;
4. Organize reading-related activities and events;
5. Encourage volunteers to participate in promoting citywide reading;
6. Proceed with other reading-related work.
Article 9 (Public reading places) Public institutions such as public libraries and schools are obligated to fulfill the duties below:
1. Run the public reading places;
2. Provide reading materials;
3. Train reading guidance professionals;
4. Organize fun reading-related activities;
5. Promote a culture of readers.
Article 10 (Social organizations) Social organizaions are encouraged to participate in citywide reading in the following ways:
1. Build reading facilities;
2. Host reading-related activities;
3. Hold reading-related training and coaching;
4. Conduct surveys and research on public reading;
5. Undertake reading-related projects assigned by government departments.
Article 11 (Community reading) Public libraries and social organizations are encouraged to set up branches in residential communities and to promote reading especially among the elderly and children. Government agencies must provide support in the following ways:
1. Incorporate support into the work of the culture, sports and tourism department;
2. Make reading venues part of community construction;
3. Provide subsidies and allowances for professional training.
Article 12 (Role of enterprises) Enterprises are encouraged to invest in or donate to public reading facilities, to be engaged in public reading and to host or fund public reading events.
Article 13 (Families and individuals) Family reading is encouraged, and everyone is advised to dedicate one hour to reading every day.
Families and individuals are encouraged to donate books or reading equipment or to support public reading in other ways.
Article 14 (Statutory festival) November is designated as Shenzhen Reading Month.
Initiated by the city government, the event will invite professionals to provide guidance on reading, encourage public participation and promote reading through the media.
During the month, city-level agencies are required to host or organize no less than 40 reading activities while district-level agencies will host or organize at least 30.
Local media must carry no less than 50 reports on reading-related events during the month.
Enterprises and social organizations are encouraged to host, organize and take part in various reading activities.
Article 15 (Citywide reading activities) The city’s culture and education departments at all levels should stage a variety of reading activities on special occasions such as World Reading Day on April 23 and during library service promotion week, social science popularization week and residents’ lifelong study week.
Article 16 (Naming of activities) Welfare reading activities must bear a name that fits its context and should not cause misunderstandings.
Article 17 (Reading exchange and cooperation) Local social organizations and publishers are encouraged to set up international and professional reading cooperation organizations and to hold reading festivals, book fairs and themed reading activities. Local reading organizations are encouraged to exchange and cooperate with international peers.
Article 18 (Security) Security measures must be taken at public reading activities to guarantee readers’ physical safety, protect their property and protect public property. Hosts, either organizations or individuals, bear security responsibilities.Chapter 3
Reading ResourcesArticle 19 (Facility planning) Public reading facilities such as libraries should be included in city-level and district-level government planning according to the population within their range of authority.
Public reading areas and facilities should be in newly built, renovated and expanded public cultural venues like museums, art galleries and exhibition halls and at the Children’s Palace.
Bookshelves, public reading areas or mobile reading facilities should be set up at public venues such as the airport, train stations, ferry terminals, metro stations, hotels, banks, parks and public squares.
Article 20 (Grassroots reading facilities) Public reading facilities should be in newly built, renovated and expanded residential areas in accordance to related regulations. City-level and district-level administrators of culture, sports and tourism industries should take the lead and work with administrative departments governing reform and development, finance, urban planning, land and resources, and transportation sectors in planning and installing automated library machines and mobile libraries.
Article 21 (Facilities for special groups) Accessible routes for wheelchair users and people with physical disabilities, reading areas with special reading equipment and reading resources for people with reading difficulties should be provided in district-level and city-level libraries.
Article 22 (New media reading facilities) New media reading facilities such as digital service platforms and mobile reading terminals should be installed in libraries and educational institutions.
Article 23 (Access to facilities) All public libraries should be open free to citizens. They have the obligation to set their own service regulations and make them known to the public.
Libraries in schools and research institutes are encouraged to open to the public.
Article 24 (Company-level reading facilities) Reading rooms and bookshelves should be set up in government buildings, companies and organizations.
Article 25 (Profit-oriented businesses) Profit-oriented book cities, bookstores, book bars and other cultural venues should be set up.
Article 26 (Protection of facilities) No party or individual should occupy, damage or dismantle public reading facilities without permission. The scale, nature and purpose of public reading facilities should not be altered.
When facilities are dismantled or their functions are altered according to city planning, new facilities should be built before or at the same time as when the old ones are changed. The new ones should be no less in scale and quality than the old ones, and the location should have convenient access.
Article 27 (Document resources: public libraries) It is the duty of public libraries at city and district levels to:
1. Purchase, make ready for shelves, and keep paper books;
2. Purchase, provide service for, and share digital reading resources;
3. Develop, build and manage library databases;
4. Collect, organize and keep documents of local interest;
5. Push forward the building and sharing of library resources;
6. Make reasonable annual book purchase plans.
Article 28 (Document resources: schools and scientific research institutes) Libraries in schools and scientific research institutes should join the information-sharing platform to make library resources accessible to the public.
Article 29 (Document resources: publishing industries) People are encouraged to create and publish their works.
Publishing houses in the city are encouraged to publish and promote works by local writers or books featuring local characters.
Independent bookstores of all kinds, bookstores featuring different themes and professions and 24-hour bookstores should be set up to meet the demands of different people, to encourage expenditures on reading and to build a vibrant reading environment.
Printing companies should invest in new technologies to produce environmentally friendly reading products.
Chapter 4 Reading Promotion
Article 30 (Promotional organizations) City-level and district-level public libraries should set up reading promotion departments to:
1. Advocate and promote reading by any means;
2. Teach reading;
3. Provide professional reading promotion training;
4. Organize reading salons and meetings;
5. Recommend excellent books.
Social organizations and enterprises are encouraged to set up reading promotion organizations.
Article 31 (System of reading promoters) A system of reading promoters shall be set up and carried out.
Reading promoters are professionals who have received reading promotion training and are full-time or part-time employees with reading promotion certification.
Citywide reading organizations are encouraged to carry out professional reading promotion training and provide certification.
Article 32 (Job of reading promoters) Reading promoters can apply to public libraries, schools and government departments to carry out the following reading promotion activities:
1. Hold reading promotion activities;
2. Set up and manage reading clubs;
3. Carry out reading research and exchanges.
Enterprises and organizations are encouraged to invite reading promoters to carry out activities.
Article 33 (Rights of reading promoters) Reading promoters have the following rights:
1. The right to use public reading facilities and resources to carry out reading promotion activities;
2. The right to apply for financial support for reading promotion activities;
3. The right to apply for publishing research work about reading promotion.
Article 34 (Hiring of reading promoters) Public libraries, kindergartens and schools are encouraged to hire reading promoters to teach and promote reading.
Article 35 (Reading promotion volunteers) Reading promotion volunteers are encouraged to collaborate with special education schools, hospitals, nursing homes, charities, residential communities and migrant worker families to support reading services.
The reading promotion volunteers should be managed by the city’s cultural, sports and tourism department.
Article 36 (Reading promotion platform) A citywide reading promotion platform shall be set up.
1. Local newspapers, radio stations, television stations and websites should launch reading columns, programs or online spaces dedicated to reading;
2. Schools should promote reading among students with the aid of the Internet and radio;
3. Internet companies, mobile communication companies, NGO websites and business websites are encouraged to launch online reading columns;
4. Social organizations and publishing houses are encouraged to print and publish books promoting reading;
5. A Shenzhen Citywide Reading website shall be established.
Article 37 (Promotion) Local newspapers, radio stations, television stations and online media should release citywide reading public service advertisements in accordance with national advertising laws.
Local newspapers, radio stations, television stations and online media should report important local reading activities.
Article 38 (Reading promotion models) Citywide reading organizations shall select outstanding people and organizations that make great efforts in promoting reading.
Candidates can include schools, governmental departments, enterprises and households.
Selection work can include citywide reading model organization selection and outstanding promoter selection.
Chapter 5 Youth Reading
Article 39 (Planning) The Citywide Reading Commission lays down plans to promote youth reading and details of yearly plans. Plans will be carried out stage by stage to encourage good reading habits among youths and improve their reading abilities.
Article 40 (Youth Reading Day) April 23 is designated as Youth Reading Day in Shenzhen.
Article 41 (Public libraries) Libraries at different levels should set up departments dedicated to youth reading. Special staff should be tasked to promote reading among young people. Related reading resources and equipment should be made available.
Public libraries shall set aside an area no smaller than one-third of their service areas for youths to use. At least one-third of libraries’ collections should be suitable for young people.
Article 42 (Education institutions) Youth education institutions at different levels, including kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools, shall assume the following duties:
1. Open facilities for youth reading for at least two hours each day, excluding weekends, statutory holidays and vacations.
2. Purchase literature suitable for youth reading. Each school shall be provided with at least 10 books. At least three books shall be renewed each year.
3. Open reading courses. Kindergartens shall dedicate at least three class hours to reading each week. Primary schools and middle schools shall dedicate two and one hours each week, respectively.
4. Promote extracurricular reading in various forms.
Public education institutions shall meet the youth reading standards set by the city’s education administration. Private education institutions shall use the standard as a reference.
Article 43 (Households with newborns) City and district governments will provide households with newborns a free reading package.
Independent children’s libraries shall train and guide parents of newborns on reading skills.
Article 44 (Low-income families) Social organizations or enterprises are encouraged to subsidize at least one book for youths in low-income families each semester.
City-level and district-level public libraries shall provide reading skill training for youths and their parents from low-income families.
Article 45 (Families with exceptional children) City and district governments, as well as related government departments, shall provide customized reading services for exceptional children and their custodians.
Enterprises or social organizations are encouraged to provide free reading products, devices and services for exceptional children.
Chapter 6 Reading Guarantees
Article 46 (Fiscal guarantee) City and district governments shall include spending on reading promotion in annual budgets.
Article 47 (Reading fund) A nonprofit fund will be set up to support the promotion of public reading with a starting amount of 100 million yuan from the city government. The fund accepts donations from individuals and organizations.
The fund is mainly used to subsidize activities that promote public reading, support nongovernment reading organizations and facilitate reading activities in residential communities for youths and exceptional groups. The fund is also used to conduct reading ability tests and surveys.
Article 48 (Capital from welfare lottery sales) A certain proportion of the sales income from the welfare lottery shall be used to subsidize reading services for low-income families and exceptional groups.
Article 49 (Human resources support) Human resources and social security administrations shall provide policy support to public libraries and schools to establish professional reading service teams.
Article 50 (Document guarantee) City and district governments shall guarantee supplies of documents to libraries. City-level public libraries shall be allocated 0.1 additional paper book and 0.1 piece of electronic literature to each resident each year. District-level public libraries shall meet the same standard.
Article 51 (Encouragement and support) City and district governments, as well as related government departments, shall provide venues, resources and capital for social organizations to promote reading. Enterprises should receive support to organize and promote public reading activities.
Article 52 (Reading evaluation research) Research institutions are encouraged to carry out the following projects:
1. Public reading evaluation;
2. Public reading research;
3. Public reading index.
Chapter 7 Legal Liabilities
Article 53 (Legal liabilities of government agencies) City and district government agencies who violate these regulations and fail to perform their duties in planning and financially supporting the citywide reading program shall be ordered by the city or district governments to correct their violations within a certain amount of time or will face administrative penalties.
Article 54 (Legal liabilities of public libraries) If public libraries find themselves in any of the following circumstances, they shall be ordered by the cultural, sports and tourism department to correct their errors within a certain amount of time or will face administrative penalties:
1. City-level or district-level public libraries that fail to establish dedicated passageways and reading areas for the disabled, or fail to establish special reading facilities or resources for the disabled;
2. City-level or district-level public libraries that are not open to residents for free, or have not made reading service regulations public;
3. City-level or district-level public libraries whose document resources fail to meet requirements;
4. City-level or district-level public libraries that have not set up reading promotion departments or deploy a certain number of employees to promote reading;
5. City-level or district-level public libraries whose reading areas for youths do not meet requirements.
Article 55 (Legal liabilities of educational institutions) If educational institutions find themselves in any of the following circumstances, they shall be ordered by the cultural, sports and tourism department to correct their errors within a certain amount of time or will face administrative penalties:
1. Educational institutions that fail to establish reading areas for youths;
2. Educational institutions that fail to buy or update reading materials for youths in accordance with requirements;
3. Educational institutions that fail to offer reading classes or equip themselves with teachers tasked with reading promotions.
Article 56 (Legal liabilities of public media) If the city’s newspapers, radio and television stations and Internet media find themselves in any of the following circumstances, they shall be ordered by the cultural, sports and tourism department to correct their errors within a certain amount of time or responsible officials will face administrative penalties and a 100,000-yuan fine:
1. Newspapers that fail to devote special pages that promote reading;
2. Radio and television stations that fail to air programs that promote reading;
3. Internet media that fail to set aside dedicated web pages that promote reading;
4. Newspapers, radio and television stations and Internet media that fail to carry public service advertisements that promote citywide reading.
Chapter 8
Supplemental Articles
Article 57 (Date of implementation) Terms of these regulations will take effect on ___.
Article 58 (Naming) District governments mentioned in these regulations include administration commissions for new areas.
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