RFID technology has already achieved a high penetration rate in public libraries, with
RFID libraries becoming standard equipment in provincial and municipal libraries. The use of intelligent equipment such as
RFID book anti-theft systems,
RFID inventory systems, and
RFID self-service borrowing and returning systems has brought great convenience to readers and librarians. Furthermore,
RFID libraries are no longer limited to fixed locations but have extended to city streets, communities, and government units in the form of 24-hour urban bookstores and shared bookshelves, solving the "last mile" reading problem. But how far are we from "reading for all"? Or, how can we break down the boundaries between urban and rural areas, bringing "cultural sharing" to rural areas and ensuring that the benefits of
RFID technology reach the grassroots?
Is the idea of
RFID libraries being implemented in rural areas a false proposition? Let's first look at the user profile of urban libraries. Data shows that the urban library readership is trending younger, with company employees, students, and science and education personnel making up the largest proportion. Moreover, this group generally has a bachelor's degree or higher; high education and youth are characteristics of current library users. Let's look at the situation in rural areas. For many years, the urbanization strategy has led to a large-scale outflow of rural population, resulting in a significant decrease in the young and middle-aged population in rural areas. Currently, rural grassroots communities face the problems of a "hollowed-out" and "aging" reading population. Simply put, both the reading population and the demand for reading in rural areas are "severely" insufficient. Some even believe they don't need libraries, let alone
RFID libraries.
The concepts and funding for the construction of rural grassroots libraries lag far behind those in cities. In fact, the country has consistently provided strong support for and developed rural cultural construction, and rural libraries, especially those below the county level, have achieved certain results. However, grassroots staff, limited by their knowledge, cannot keep up with the times in their planning and concepts for library construction, and they neither understand nor value the technological upgrading and transformation of grassroots libraries.
Therefore, although the rural grassroots population is not small, the enormous demand for reading has not been stimulated. In fact, whether urban or rural residents, whether highly educated or less educated farmers, everyone has a need to acquire knowledge, and libraries are the best place to obtain spiritual nourishment and knowledge and skills. How can technology truly serve people and
RFID libraries truly reach grassroots communities? While national-level policy support exists, the challenge lies in the wisdom and determination of grassroots decision-makers.
The national rural revitalization strategy places great emphasis on rural population mobility, requiring grassroots organizations to provide corresponding institutional support to retain rural residents and attract urban residents to rural areas, effectively addressing rural depopulation and aging. Once a large-scale return of people to rural areas is driven by the rural revitalization strategy, new rural construction will require the application of knowledge, and libraries will once again flourish in rural areas.
Material poverty alleviation is important, but spiritual and cultural poverty alleviation is equally crucial! Rural cultural poverty alleviation requires the establishment of exemplary libraries. Providing farmers with high-quality book resources and a good reading environment, and establishing modern exemplary libraries in areas with the resources, will fundamentally change their perceptions, attracting them to libraries and allowing them to enjoy the benefits of targeted cultural poverty alleviation. "Common prosperity" has recently become a hot topic, and how to achieve it has also become a popular subject. I believe that common prosperity is more easily achieved in the fields of knowledge and culture. Why? Because libraries don't discriminate between city dwellers and rural residents; anyone can enter and acquire the "wealth of knowledge." Finally, I would like to reiterate that to achieve "reading for all," we must bridge the resource and technological gap between urban and rural areas, allowing the spiritual world of rural people to also become "rich."
