Zhengzhou Library has been evaluated as a "First-level National Library" five times in a row, a national key protection unit of ancient books, a civilized unit in Henan Province, and an advanced public library in Henan Province... Over the years, Zhengzhou Library has attached great importance to the cultivation of "internal strengths", promoting the "revitalization" of library resources and the construction of intelligent digital libraries. It has actively explored new models of public cultural services to ensure public access to reading facilities within 15 minutes, and has striven to make greater contributions in pursuit of "a city of literacy, an era of endeavor".

Zhengzhou Library now holds a total of 3 million copies of various documents and 450TB of digital resources available for readers. Each year, it receives 3.6 million visits and holds more than 300 public reading promotion activities.

Over the years, Zhengzhou Library has focused on building a service alliance covering 24-hour self-service libraries, nighttime reading bars, branch libraries, reading stations, grassroots public libraries, urban book houses and cross-regional public libraries, facilitating the borrowing and returning of documents and the co-construction and sharing of digital resources, and forming a "one network and full coverage of services in the city".

Mental-health-themed branches, government branches, enterprise branches and reading stations are being set up... In recent years, Zhengzhou Library has continuously expanded the coverage of specific reading services in the city while spreading culture to the grassroots.

In recent years, Zhengzhou Library has introduced the construction concept of an intelligent digital library. With the help of modern information technology, various technologies and equipment such as library digital resources, multimedia display and information interaction, book management system, and reader self-service are integrated here to realize intelligent management and service.

As one of the fourth batch of public cultural service demonstration projects in Henan Province and the "Excellent Reading Promotion Project" of the Library Society of China, the "Tianzhong Lecture" has been held more than 380 times, covering multiple fields including ancient civilization, literal history, local opera, folk art, intangible culture and traditional Chinese medicine.

In addition to the "Tianzhong Lecture", the Qiyuan Story Meeting and the series activity of "Tule (library fun)" are other excellent reading brands in Henan Province, which gain popularity among young readers.

Statistics suggest that since 2020, the number of online resource visits and the utilization rate of digital resources have been increasing, although the number of offline readers has decreased due to reservation and traffic restrictions amid COVID-19. Online reader activities alone have attracted an average of more than 10 million readers annually.

Promoting Cross-regional Cooperation in Libraries

In September 2020, Zhengzhou, along with other nine cities such as Wenzhou and Shanghai, initiated the "National Urban Book House Cooperation and Sharing Mechanism". In October 2021, Zhengzhou Library became one of the first contracted alliance units of the "Reading Promotion Alliance+ of Major Cities in Yellow River Basin". Up to now, Zhengzhou Library has led the establishment of more than 480 public libraries in Zhengzhou and trans-regional public libraries under the service alliance, thus realizing the interaction and sharing of cultural resources effectively.

For the future plan, Li Hongyan told the reporter that the library will continue to innovate working mechanisms and service modes, and rely on the public library service alliance, general and branch library construction, urban book house construction, and projects of bringing public cultural service to the grass-roots level. The library will accelerate the construction of a modern public cultural service system, and contribute to the construction of "Literary Zhengzhou" and a modern national central city.