“Library + Tourism”： A New Direction for the Sustainable Development of Libraries

Abstract

As a cultural information institution, libraries are indispensable cultural landscapes in the city. Libraries are playing an increasingly role in tourism services, extending the service function of the library, which is identified as “Library + Tourism” trend here. This paper introduces the current status about the new practices of how libraries integrate tourism industry in China, to explore a new path of sustainable development and to enhance the competitiveness of libraries.This paper uses case study and multifaceted approaches to identify 4 types of “Library + Tourism” practices, which are information services, humanistic landmarks, integration of study tours, and industrial cooperation. By examining and comparing the essential factors of these 4 types, a new “Library Tourism Attraction Index System”is developed in this paper, exploring the unique aspects of “Library + Tourism”. Natural attraction, humanistic attraction, social attraction and service attraction are the core elements of the“Library Tourism Attraction Index System”. We want to gain insights into the best way to integrate libraries with tourism, generating a richer picture of the sustainable development of library space utilization, knowledge dissemination and public cultural service.