On this year's World Book and Copyright Day, Ningbo launched a themed exhibition，which answered the question of "who is reading".

Ningbo Library exhibits 8 stories of good folk readers in Ningbo, including a "courier" who runs for 6 hours every day to deliver books to more than 20 delivery points; an avid reader who is blind but still "reads" 30,000 words by ear every day; and an astronomy enthusiast who uses his feet to "read" at the age of 75...... This seemingly simple theme exhibition focuses on the deep thinking of Ningbo's construction of reading ecology: who is reading?

In Ningbo, the index "comprehensive reading rate of adult residents", which measures the number of readers, reached 91.2%, which is higher than the provincial average, and has increased for three consecutive years. The extremely important driving force behind this number comes from non-governmental reading organizations.

According to incomplete statistics, Ningbo currently has nearly 200 non-profit reading organizations of a certain scale. Together with various spontaneously established groups, nearly a thousand reading organizations are active in this city. The Ningbo physical bookstore has held more than 3,800 reading activities throughout the year, which reflects the surging momentum of the folk force.

In Ningbo, more and more individuals, groups and organizations have gathered together: there are reading clubs post-80s and post-90s "cultured youth", who explore "poet Nalan's mind" and trace the historical origin of Han Chinese Clothing culture; there are also the meetings for calligraphy lovers, who read ancient and modern calligraphy collections together; and the "Collection Reading Club" for collectors, who read the humanities and history behind antiques......

It can be said that no matter what age or status you are and what your needs are, you can find reading opportunities and reading services that suit you here. At present, reading organizations of all sizes in Ningbo cover all age groups. Reading is everywhere in Ningbo,  and so are the reading services.

There are a lot of public reading spaces like libraries in Ningbo. According to the average building area of public libraries per 10,000 people, Ningbo has become a leader in Zhejiang with 232.26 square meters. Non-governmental reading organizations continue to multiply and grow, and they are also invisibly gaining more cultural rights.

In addition to regular reading activities such as sharing sessions, forums, lectures, book recommendations, Ningbo public reading organizations have begun to innovate and explore a more long-term model, holding reading flash events and helping villages customize their "reading spaces", slowly forming a brand.

(Translated by Zhang Mingmin)