Heaven should be like a library

Recently, something happened in the Hangzhou Library: Not only is the Hangzhou Library open to all readers free of charge, but also beggars and scavengers. Feel free to enter and read. Some readers were dissatisfied with this and complained to the director Chu Shuqing: "The library is an elegant place. If beggars and scavengers are allowed to enter to read, it will be disrespectful to other readers." Chu Shuqing replied: "I have no right to refuse them Come inside to read, but you have the right to choose to leave.”

On January 18, this story was posted to Weibo by a netizen and was forwarded more than 10,000 times in an instant. Netizens called Chu Shuqing a "great director" and the Hangzhou Library "the warmest library in history."

Chu Shuqing, who was born in 1963, loved reading when he was a child. His mother asked someone to send him to the Children’s Branch of Hangzhou Library to work as a voluntary waiter. He has formed an indissoluble bond with the library ever since. , has been working in Hangzhou Library since joining the work force. In 2000, Chu Shuqing was appointed Director of Hangzhou Library through open recruitment and selection by Hangzhou City.

Chu Shuqing’s ideal library is fair, open, modern, diverse, threshold-free and comfortable. To this end, he said at the "Service Convention" press conference: "My ultimate goal is to build the Hangzhou Library into a paradise for every reader."

To achieve this goal, Chu Shuqing After taking office, he was the first among his colleagues in the country to introduce a card-free reading system, which means that no one is required to borrow books in the library without a certificate or fee. In 2003, he united with 9 public libraries in 1 city and 5 districts in Hangzhou at that time to implement the "one card pass" for borrowing. In order to allow migrant workers to also enjoy this service, Chu Shuqing has worked hard. Since 2008, all workers in Hangzhou have enjoyed this treatment.

Chu Shuqing has told employees many times: "No matter who enters the library, they all have equal rights in the face of knowledge, and there must be no distinction between high and low." When I was still in the old library, beggars and scavengers often came into the library to read. Chu Shuqing not only received them personally, but also encouraged them to come often: "Reading and studying is everyone's right. It would be great if you could take time to read for a while every day." After observation, Chu Shuqing found that beggars and scavengers The reader's favorite thing to read was "Reference News", so he specially ordered a few more copies to make it easier for them to read.

Regarding the "zero threshold" approach implemented by the library, Liu Lidong, director of the library office, has deep feelings: "Since the implementation of the zero threshold, not only have we not felt the pressure increase, but we have felt that the longer the opening time, the more pressure we have. The fewer readers who don't respect this right, we and the readers will be changed by this harmonious environment. As for washing hands before entering the library, there is no hard and fast rule in the library. After a long time, everyone will be influenced by it. I consciously wash my hands first and then read. What I remember most is that I saw a scavenger carrying a snakeskin bag with bottles and cans in it. He put the snakeskin bag at the door, washed his hands and face again and again. I just entered the reading room to read and read the newspaper. That scene will never be forgotten by me."

Regarding his remarks suddenly becoming popular on the Internet, Chu Shuqing told the media: "In the eyes of many people, beggars and scavengers are. People are dirty and ugly, and they have low IQs. But I think there is no distinction between high and low in knowledge. Scholars can go to the library to seek knowledge. Beggars and scavengers also have the same right. In fact, their quality is not bad at all, and they have great qualities. They have strong cultural needs, but they are forced by life to not have time to sit down and read quietly. They wash their hands every time before reading, and they even read books and newspapers at a higher level than ordinary readers.”

Once. , Curator Chu saw a beggar holding a copy of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" and reading attentively. When he passed by, he walked slowly for fear of being disturbed, but was told by a beggar next to him that he was the curator. So, the two stood up humbly and said thank you to the curator five times in a row. At that moment, his eyes couldn't help but moisten, "The feeling of warmth and smile spreading in the bottom of my heart, I am moved every time I think of it. Everything I have done is just to fulfill my wish for everyone in Hangzhou through actions." "If there is a paradise, it should be like a library." This is Borges, a literary master and former director of the National Library of Argentina. A famous saying. In a context where people's hearts are becoming increasingly deserted, Chu Shuqing and his library are open to beggars and scavengers free of charge. They are like the bright rays of the sun, which not only warm the beggars and scavengers, but also clarify and purify us. mind.

The first volume of the 4th issue of "Discover" magazine in 2011 was published