BEIJING — China has set up 587,000 libraries in rural areas, according to a meeting about rural libraries held in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China’s Liaoning province, on Dec 18.

The Rural Library Project began its pilot scheme in 2005 and went into full swing in 2007. Since the establishment of libraries was basically completed in 2012, the libraries have been updating books and opening to the public.

According to statistics, each rural resident owned 0.13 book, excluding student textbooks, on average in 2007. In 2017, the figure rose to 1.63. More than 1.1 billion books have been distributed to rural residents across the country in the past decade.

Rural libraries have not only helped enrich the life of people living in the countryside, but also narrowed the gap between urban and rural residents and lifted more people out of poverty.

Problems still exist in the work of rural libraries, said Zhou Huilin, deputy chief of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT). Zhou said that some libraries have not been put into full use.

“To address these problems, we should strengthen the building of a long-term mechanism in terms of financial support, personnel, operation and maintenance,” Zhou said.