The library's opening marks the establishment of a complete public library system in the city. Beijing has now managed to equip each district and county under its jurisdiction with at least one public library.

Beijing is marching towards the status as an international metropolis not only economically, but also culturally, said Feng Shouren, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Culture Bureau.

The municipal government stepped up its efforts to improve local cultural facilities in the late 1990s. A national report released at that time indicated that the Chinese capital was astonishingly culturally backward in relation to municipal libraries, which were only just better than those in Tibet, and that not one theatre or music hall, besides those directly under the central authorities, matched its position as a capital.

The new Capital Library expects to rank among the country's best libraries next year because of its advanced technology, its incomparable collection of historical material about North China and its excellent services, Feng said.

A computer network connecting all local libraries to create "a grander and more convenient online library" is being developed. For those who have spent time in the crowded reading room of the old Capital Library in Guozijian, where students of emperors studied during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, and who have endured suffocating summers and freezing winters because of the lack of air conditioning, the new library is a dream coming true.

No readers will have to wait long for a seat any more. While the old Capital Library had a reading area of 390 square meters which accommodated 250 seats, the new one provides 1,200 seats in its air conditioned reading rooms of 10,000 square meters.

The new library also has an electronic reading room which allows 80 people to read at the same time, and an audio-visual room able to satisfy the different requirements of individuals, families and group viewers.

(China Daily 04/25/2001)