The Zhangjiagang government has invested 600,000 yuan ($93,750) to build a 24-hour Tujia public library in Yanhe Tujia autonomous county, Guizhou province, as part of a number of projects to help alleviate poverty in the local area.

The bookstore, covering 26 square meters, will be open 24 hours a day and houses a total of 3,000 books, including children's fiction, literature and social sciences titles.

The library features a traditional Tujia architectural style, where its eaves are grey and black in color, similar to ancient Tujia buildings. The reading room features white and bright furniture, presenting a modern style. A traditional Tujia literature area has also been set up for readers to learn more about Tujia culture.

The library is self-service, adopting an intelligent operating system. Readers can enter the reading room through face identification or ID and WeChat number. The system also functions as a self-service borrows and return service, which can be activated by voice prompt or remote control. It also can automatically controls the lighting in the reading room.

The library attaches much importance to younger readers, and so a reading area especially for them has been set up with special designed seats. The number of children's books accounts for one third of the total collection.

Yanhe Tujia autonomous county is one of 14 poverty-stricken counties in Guizhou province. It is hoped the establishment of the 24-hour library will help residents of the county to improve their literacy levels.

The launch ceremony for 24-hour Tujia library is held in Yanhe Tujia autonomous county, Southwest China’s Guizhou province on Aug 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 24-hour self-service library features a traditional Tujia architectural style. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 24-hour self-service library houses a total of 3,000 books, with the collection including children's fiction, literature and social sciences titles. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]