Libraries all over the world have set up spaces for students to study Chinese. (Photo : www.cbseacademic.in)
A good deed received an unexpected reaction after a 39-year-old woman from Shenyang in the northeast province of Liaoning was questioned when she opened a free library for the community.
Only identified with a surname Wang, the Chinese woman from Shenyang piqued many of the residents of her community after she opened the locality's first-ever privately funded free charity library.
Despite this, however, many people began questioning her intentions for her good deed, with some even thinking that her intentions were dubious and that she would eventually find a way to charge people for coming to the library.
According to her, she had decided to open a free library because she saw the need for a library in the locality after she sold 200 of her books at a flea market, where she had one customer who checked out her bookstall for more than two hours but left without buying anything.
Because of this, Wang realized that even though people in the community love books, they are reluctant to use the small amount of money they have to purchase them.
After making the decision to establish a free library, she then set out to purchase more books--most of which came from her own pocket--and later gathered over 1,000 books to be put in the establishment.
Included in her wide array of collection are books in literature, arts, tourism, psychology, history, and many others.
On Jan. 15 this year, her library located at an apartment above hers has finally opened, complete with tables, chairs and bookshelves that she bought with her own money.
However, she was scrutinized for her motives when she was trying to raise publicity for her free library, with some thinking that she would later charge them.
Despite this, Wang did not lose her enthusiasm and continued on with her cause. Now, her library is open to all book enthusiasts three days each week, from 6-8 p.m.
