The City Desk Project: What If the Library Came to You?

Abstract

In Futian District, Shenzhen, rather than focusing on how to attract people into libraries, we bring library services to the spaces where people already spend their daily lives. Built around the concept of “City Furniture”, the City Desk is not just a service facility but a piece of warm, human-centered urban furniture. The project reimagines the library experience by extracting its most frequently used core services—borrowing, reading, or just sitting—and reconfiguring them as independent and mobile units. The project is integrated into various urban settings including bank branches, office lobbies, parks, and residential areas. In terms of its operational model, Futian Library provides book collections, self-service kiosks, a unified borrow-and-return system, and AI-powered technical support, while community partners contribute venues, daily operations, and programming resources. Together, they bring to life urban spaces that feel warm, personal, and alive.

Since its launch in 2023, the project has established 7 service stations, each of which accommodates 300-500 curated books and collectively serves over 30 surrounding communities. As of March 2026, the City Desk initiative has attracted over 100,000 visits, circulated more than 50,000 books, and maintained user satisfaction above 95%.

KEYWORDS: City Furniture, The Futian Library, Accessibility