Our Library Poverty Relief Story

As the UN SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) calls for the global eradication of absolute poverty by 2030, China has resolved to accomplish it by 2020. Apart from economic growth, the aid in cultural development is equally important to change the backwardness of the poor areas. Since the establishment of the Library Poverty Relief Committee, Public Library Branch, Library Society of China in December 2016, the Chongqing Library, as the leading member of the Committee, has devoted itself to assisting the poverty-stricken areas in enhancing their capacity and quality of public cultural services, improving the reading environment and reading level of children and teenagers, and heightening their awareness and resolution. The Library has carefully planned poverty alleviation activities and organized library staff, volunteers and social enterprises to carry out a series of public welfare activities. Included in the achievements are 35 Dandelion Dream Houses, which has benefited over 60,000 children and helped them realize 700 dreams, and 40 lessons delivered to over 120 young library staff in poverty-afflicted areas for the purpose of broadening their vision and enriching their cultural life. Eventually, the Library Poverty Relief Committee has blazed a trail in alleviating poverty through library cultural services with Chinese characteristics. In our poster, Tutu, a cartoon character deriving his name from the repeated pronunciation of the first Chinese character for “library” and representing our entire staff, will share with you his marvelous experience in the poverty alleviation of the library industry in China. Our poster will take the form of five elaborately designed illustrations, complete with brief facts and data.