The National Library of China (NLC), which was recently made free to the public, received more visitors during the Spring Festival holiday, with an increase of 1,000 in daily visits compared with last year, according to the statistics.

According to the fourth National Readership Survey, which was conducted by the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science in 2006, readership had decreased for six years in a row.

"In a society with easy access to various media, a library is no longer the only resource. People can gain information through diverse means," said Yu Jin, Vice President of the Cultural Relics Conservation Association of Chinese Ethnic Minorities.

Facing intense competition from such alternatives as the Internet and television, NLC authorities slashed a range of fees and charges. The cuts ranged from canceling fees for reader's cards to making copies for free on February 7, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Further, 24 public libraries in Beijing stopped charging the fee of 10 yuan (about US$1.3) for reader's cards starting on Lunar New Year's Eve.

Yu said he believed that libraries should deal with competition for the public's attention by improving services to lure more visitors.

"By lowering the threshold of libraries along with the promotion of free service, all people can enter the library equal and free," said NLC curator Zhan Furui.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2008)