Anna Zhao

    anna.whizh@yahoo.com

    THE second international book conference concluded yesterday with a Shenzhen Declaration by scholars and experts in the book industry. The declaration called for the establishment of an international body to promote information and resource sharing on book publication in the digitalized world, as well as to assist developing countries to be abreast with developed countries in digitalized reading.

    Hans d’Orville, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for strategic planning, read the declaration at Shenzhen Library, where the two-day event was held.

    “We realize that the rise of eBooks and other digital publications will be unstoppable and that it will bring about transformation of many industries, as in the case of telecom operators,” said d’Orville.

    The book conference is a continuation of UNESCO’s International Conference on Books in a Globalizing World, which was held in Shenzhen in 2013. It enjoyed participation by 24 scholars from other countries and 44 Chinese nationals examining tremendous challenges in the book industry against the backdrop of digitalization.

    Shenzhen Vice Mayor Wu Yihuan said that it is of great significance for Shenzhen to host such a conference. “It will help the city’s book industry, from writers, publishers, distributors to readers, to adapt to changes and seize the opportunities ahead in the digitalized world,” Wu said.

    (Special report on P3)