Baotou Library was reopened to the public after one and a half months’ renovation and upgrading on Dec 19, according to a report in the Baotou Daily.

The 24-hour self-help bookstore, which is located in the library, has been enlarged from 100 square meters to 600 square meters and now boasts more than 200 seats.

Each seat is installed with independent charging sockets and desk lamps. The bookstore has also added service facilities such as intelligent devices -- including machines that readers can return their books to.

There are also additional monitoring facilities in the bookstore, to ensure the safety of readers during night time.

Baotou Library, located in Hondlon district in Baotou, in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was founded in 1956. It underwent large-scale renovations and extensions and was reopened to the public in 2012, covering an area of 22,000 square meters with a floor area exceeding 27,000 sq m.

The library has introduced 24-hour self-help services to facilitate the borrowing and returning of books. It now boasts an open layout and bookshelves pushed back into the outer walls. Also, sensor lights have been installed to save energy.

Residents read in the newly upgraded Baotou Library on Dec 19. [Photo/Baotou Daily]