{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T22:26:32Z","timestamp":1767651992552,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,6]],"date-time":"2017-02-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1486339200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["EL"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This study aims to introduce a new mode of mobile library service, named \u201cWeChat Library\u201d, developed under the WeChat (social media platform) public service platform. The design and realization of WeChat Library is also presented with Chongqing University Library taken as the example.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This study designed a new mobile library service system, WeChat Library of Chongqing University Library, analyzed its construction cost and usage statistics and discussed the advantages of the new service mode.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Investigation results showed that 84.6 per cent of the \u201c985\u201d universities opened up WeChat Libraries, which signified that WeChat Library has become one of the important mobile service modes for Chinese university libraries. WeChat Library received high appreciation from the patrons; in 20 months of operation, 20.3 per cent of patrons in Chongqing University had used WeChat Library. The five most commonly used services are OPAC retrieval, items borrowed, personal center, resource discovery and announcements. WeChat Library was found to have many advantages, such as low development cost, automatic cross-platform service, adaptive screen, low acceptance cost, easier promotion, strong user viscosity, strong interactivity and real-time consulting.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The functional design and technological architecture of WeChat Library was presented with Chongqing University Library taken as the example. The technical realization of several unique services, namely, QR code access, space reservation and overdue reminders, was also demonstrated. The study will provide favorable suggestions and references for other libraries that have also launched the WeChat Library.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The mainstream service mode of mobile libraries is application for mobile terminals (APP). Although mobile services are applied extensively in China, numerous small- and medium-sized libraries are still unable to provide mobile services for patrons primarily because the investment is too high to bear for some libraries. Therefore, mobile library services urgently need a more economical model of mobile services. The most prominent advantages of WeChat Library are its low development cost and low technology threshold. WeChat Library can provide a better solution for mobile library services.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/el-12-2015-0248","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,13]],"date-time":"2017-02-13T08:25:57Z","timestamp":1486974357000},"page":"198-208","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["WeChat Library: a new mode of mobile library service"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"35","author":[{"given":"Qunyi","family":"Wei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020120922263463000_ref001","unstructured":"Baidu Encyclopedia (2015), \u201cWeChat public platform\u201d, available at: http:\/\/baike.baidu.com\/view\/9212662.htm (accessed 3 November 2015)."},{"issue":"7","key":"key2020120922263463000_ref002","first-page":"86","article-title":"Thinking on the construction of WeChat Library","volume":"37","year":"2014","journal-title":"Information Studies: Theory & Application"},{"key":"key2020120922263463000_ref003","unstructured":"China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) (2015), \u201c36th China Internet network development statistic report\u201d, available at: www.cnnic.net.cn\/hlwfzyj\/hlwxzbg\/hlwtjbg\/201507\/P020150723549500667087.pdf (accessed 3 November 2015)."},{"first-page":"78","article-title":"The research on WeChat public platforms applied in the libraries of universities: a case study of Project 211 universities","year":"2015","key":"key2020120922263463000_ref004"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2020120922263463000_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1108\/LHTN-03-2015-0017","article-title":"WeChat in the library: promoting a new virtual reference service using a mobile app","volume":"32","year":"2015","journal-title":"Library Hi Tech News"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020120922263463000_ref006","first-page":"50","article-title":"Mobile library service of the National Library of China and the provincial public libraries","volume":"40","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Library Science in China"},{"key":"key2020120922263463000_ref007","unstructured":"Wikipedia (2015a), \u201cWeChat\u201d, available at: en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/WeChat (accessed 3 November 2015)."},{"key":"key2020120922263463000_ref008","unstructured":"Wikipedia (2015b), \u201cProject 985\u201d, available at: en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Project_985 (accessed 3 November 2015)."},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120922263463000_ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1016\/j.acalib.2014.10.012","article-title":"Applications of mobile social media: WeChat among academic libraries in China","volume":"41","year":"2015","journal-title":"The Journal of Academic Librarianship"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120922263463000_ref010","first-page":"1","article-title":"M-library: from devices to people \u2013 a comprehensive review of the 5th International M-libraries Conference","volume":"31","year":"2015","journal-title":"New Technology of Library and Information Service"}],"container-title":["The Electronic Library"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/EL-12-2015-0248\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/EL-12-2015-0248\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T01:08:28Z","timestamp":1753405708000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/el\/article\/35\/1\/198-208\/42494"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,6]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,6]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/EL-12-2015-0248"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/el-12-2015-0248","relation":{},"ISSN":["0264-0473"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0264-0473"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,6]]}}}