Ex-Book was launched last year to help residents of Foshan city share books as a public resource. It is one of the first such book-sharing platforms for family collections on the Chinese mainland.

"In this program, books are our 'ex', with whom we no longer live together," Huang Baichuan, director of Foshan Library, says. "But it also means 'to exchange'. People can communicate better with each other through the book exchanges."

Book owners can set dues for each lent copy. Some are required to be returned within 60 days. Some books keep moving from one borrower to another until the owners recall them. And if the owners like, books can also be permanently transferred to strangers for free.

Huang says the project can make up for the insufficient collections in public libraries in Foshan.

In the industrial hub, with more than 7 million residents, per capita collection of public libraries is merely 1.5 copies. Nonetheless, according to Foshan Library, in 2021, family collections in the city had 115 books averagely per household.

"Family collections can be used better as public resources to encourage more people in the city to read, so this project is important," Huang says.

Chen Yan, director of the management department at Foshan Library, says over 1,000 people uploaded more than 10,000 books on Ex-Book in 2021. It is estimated that over 30,000 books will be uploaded by the end of this year, she says, adding that the platform can save time and cost as compared to "traditional logistics through public libraries".

Chen says,"We also set lists of recommended books, according to recent buzzwords, and it can help users (of the platform) upload related books and have their books more easily borrowed."

Once a borrowing agreement is reached, users can choose whether to send the books through express delivery or bring themselves. Many owners prefer the latter.

"I met people who have read an amazing number of books," Lu says. "I gained knowledge and new thoughts of life from them. When returning my books, some people also give me snacks or gifts to show their gratitude."