A rendering of a city book room that uses geometrical shapes and optical illusions to extend the interior space and spur creativity among readers. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

"City book rooms" are public reading spaces and platforms available to all residents in a city. Two such city book rooms in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC) are scheduled to open to the public at the end of April.

Located in the East Lake High-tech University Science Park and the Beichen Guangguli community, respectively, the two rooms revolve around culture, education and creativity. Books in the rooms are provided by the Hubei Provincial Library and registered in the library's book borrowing and returning system, allowing people to borrow and return books at either of the places mentioned above.

Each book room has three workers and is equipped with digital readers, self-service book borrowing machines and other smart devices. People can apply for the reader's card and read and borrow books for free.

The book rooms will open from 9 am to 8 pm and will reportedly organize regular salons, reading club activities, exhibitions and other cultural events in an effort to elevate the OVC's cultural tastes.

As part of a cultural welfare project being carried out in the Optics Valley of China, there are a total of five such book rooms planned in the first phase, with two ready to begin operating and three under construction.

*In light of the ongoing pandemic, visitors must bring negative nucleic acid test results from within 48 hours and have their temperatures taken before entering the book rooms. Children aged under 12 must be accompanied by a guardian. Food, drinks and pets are forbidden.