The city’s first subdistrict ocean-themed child-friendly library was unveiled in Kuichong Subdistrict of Dapeng New Area on June 1. Child-friendly concepts and rich ocean elements were blended into the construction of every corner of the library in order to enhance the reading environment for kids and stimulate children’s interest in ocean knowledge. The library covers a total area of 1,000 square meters with 150 square meters for the ocean-themed child-friendly core area. The core area consists of eight functional sections: a book section, a reading section, a children’s drawing section, a photo section for love ocean events, a marine organism exhibition section, a game section, a duty wall, and a small stage. The library houses a total of 15,000 books for kids and youth, including more than 3,000 children’s picture books and over 1,500 ocean-themed books, which can fulfill the reading demands of children of all ages. The library construction suits children’s aesthetics and offers a comfortable environment for readers. It can accommodate nearly 150 readers at the same time. Dapeng New Area is endowed with rich and precious ocean resources. It has nearly one third of the city’s sea area, a half of the city’s coastal line, and 54 of the city’s 56 beaches. One hundred percent of its nearshore sea water reaches the first-level national standard of quality. Currently, there are 26,000 children under the age of 18 in and around Dapeng New Area. “The establishment of the city’s first subdistrict ocean-themed child-friendly library is a concrete step by the Working Committee on Children and Women and Social Organization Work Department of Dapeng New Area that combines the intent of Shenzhen to build a child friendly city, as well as a way to create a brand blending ocean and children-friendly environment in a creative way,” said a person knowledgeable of the library. (Chen Xiaochun) | 