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移动图书馆给居民生活带来趣味 - 2023年04月25日

Mobile library helps residents turn a new leaf


A "mobile library" is seen in a community in Dongming Road Subdistrict in the Pudong New Area.

While many are immersed in the digital world of the city-building game "Cities Skylines," many residents in Shanghai's Pudong New Area have become real builders under the guidance of community planners.

Recently, a "mobile library" was made by eight families selected by the community planners in Pudong's Dongming Road Subdistrict. Every weekend, a tricycle carrying a large bookshelf and second-hand books goes to different communities in the subdistrict, where people, especially children, can donate or read books.

"Many residents have spare books, especially picture books, and the turnover of these books will be a treasure for the communities," said Lu Jiayi, a community planner who is in charge of the project.

He is also a member of Juminxi, the city's first social organization specialized in community planning. Juminxin literally means rallying public support for communal development.

"In the digital age, people are often too busy to go to the library and read," he said. "So, we bring books to their doorsteps and hope they may enjoy reading without mobile phones."

Community planning was first created in 2021 for improving the public green space in the residential subdistrict with nearly 130,000 residents. The messy environment was a vexing problem.

In recent years, the growing group has nearly 800 full- and part-timers in different age groups from all walks of life. More than 70 dirty places have been transformed to beautiful gardens with their help.

"Community planners not only need to transform public spaces but also plan many other projects and activities," said Zhu Yueyue, head of the organization and a community planner. "We are a communication bridge between the residents, companies and departments like the neighborhood committee."


Children read books beside the "mobile library" at a community in Dongming Road Subdistrict in the Pudong New Area.

In March, the "family company," consisting of eight families, received a 4,000-yuan (US$580) start-up fund for the mobile library project, covering the cost of the vehicle and bookshelf, after the community planners had talked with the local authorities. And the following plans about construction, operation and advertisement were all done by these families.

Zhu said: "They called on other residents and completed it one month ahead of the schedule. Their initiative and efficiency exceeded our expectations."

Now the mobile library has hundreds of donated books. Most books will be stored in a subdistrict's activity room and a joint cabin made by around 50 families in December.

"In the future, residents and the 'family company' will be responsible for its maintenance and operation alternately," said Li Ran, a father and community planner in the eight families.

At the beginning of the mobile library project, Li led other inexperienced team members to promote the discussion and decision.

As a designer majoring in construction engineering, he also designed the vehicle, which has a yellow body and a custom-built pink bookshelf. It can carry dozens of books but cannot go outside on a rainy day because it hasn't a rain-proof shelter.


A boy installs a wheel of the "mobile library" with community planners' help in a workshop at Pudong's Dongming Road Subdistrict in March.


A mother and her daughter spray paint on the "mobile library" in a workshop at Pudong's Dongming Road Subdistrict.


Residents make the bookshelf of the "mobile library" in a workshop in March in the subdistrict.

Li worked for a design company but his ideas could not be realized sometimes.

Later, he discovered that the community needed talented workers like him and he then helped transform many messy places in the subdistrict into gardens in his spare time.

"I always see children draw flowers and chase each other and elderly people chat casually in the place I designed," he said. "I am happy to see my ideas implemented and benefiting my neighbors."

He quit his job recently and is planning to make public welfare undertakings in the subdistrict his new career.

Li's wife Zhang Jiuli also found her value in community governance activities. She was a designer as well but now, as a housewife, she struggled with housework and kids every day and it seemed to be destroying her, Li said.

"She didn't want to get up every morning, was uninterested in everything and got the shakes when talking to strangers," he said. "I tried to give her a hand."


Li Ran, a community planner, and his daughter paint a wall during a renovation activity for a community garden in the subdistrict last year.

The turning point appeared after Li invited her to participate in these programs and activities with him.

"I saw her eyes shining with excitement and confidence after a resident bought a painting she drew in a community market, although I didn't think it is perfect enough," Li laughed. "Through these activities, I find she is a creative person that I have never noticed before."

For Zhang, the definition of home has expanded from an apartment to her community and subdistrict.

"Now I am a community planner as well," she said. "Sometimes I discuss with my neighbors about the renovation programs until 10pm. Although we are not Shanghai natives, the community and subdistrict are our beloved home."

Other families told similar stories to Shanghai Daily. They used to be busy with their respective work and had no time to maintain the parent-child and marital relationships. But when the whole family has a common goal in community activities, the dilemma is broken.

Qin Di, a warmhearted woman from another subdistrict, was attracted to sit in a weekly symposium on the library project. Qin also wants to circulate second-hand books in her community, and the discussion is a valuable learning experience for her.

"We witnessed the power of residents in the community governance during the three-year anti-COVID campaign and I hope it can be continued in the post-pandemic era," she said.


After donating books, a child wins a seal for encouragement during an activity of the "mobile library" in the subdistrict.

However, the community activities do not always go smoothly all the time, because renovation projects cannot satisfy everyone.

For example, once the community planners wanted to transform a dirty place with garbage into a garden and received the majority of residents' approval.

But a person reacted strongly against the change, saying that he was not willing to walk for a few more minutes to the dumpsters. And several people wanted more space for the parking lot.

"When the conflict escalated, the police were informed," Zhu said.

After negotiation, more people chose to side with the planners.

Zhu said: "At first, the neighborhood committee was pessimistic, considering that we couldn't smooth things out. But now they are impressed by our communication skills."

Chen Wei, an official with the subdistrict, said that grassroots governance work in the subdistrict has been handed over to community planners.

Thanks to the group, community planning proposals have been made in 39 residential areas and an increasing number of community gardens have been established in the subdistrict. Recently, they are continuing to collect the residents' opinions about transformation.

In 2021, the Shanghai government said in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) that the coverage rate of community planners in the urban area will reach 90 percent.

The system of community planners will be improved with professional talents listening to residents' demands, providing consulting services and helping better the living environment with a sense of design and artistry.

"Through our coordination and organization, we aim to mobilize more residents in the future to improve our communal self-governance," Zhu said.


A girl reads a book during an activity of the "mobile library" in the subdistrict.

Source: Shanghai Daily

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