Public book shelves, another product of shared economy, recently appeared in Shanghai, providing convenience to book readers, Chinanews.com reported on Jan. 13.
Pay 99 RMB as a deposit, scan the QR code, and users can borrow and return a book within 30 seconds. This book sharing service is available on an app or its official public WeChat account, but users will only be able to check out one book at a time
The shared book booths, seven in total, are located in culture centers and business buildings in Shanghai. Each booth has five layers, with each accommodating about 30 books.
Most books on the shelves are best sellers and classics, such as the science fiction novel the Three-Body Problem, Harry Potter series, and In the Name of the People, which has been adapted to a popular TV series about China's anti-graft campaign.
It's a good choice for paper book lovers, said Mr. Zhao, a user of the shared book service, adding that the books are clean and rich in categories.