Abstract: The Regulationon on Promoting Nationwide Reading officially came into effect on February 1,  2026,  marking a new era of legal protection for nationwide reading initiatives. Xu Yan points out that the secondhand book industry is an important carrier of cultural heritage and knowledge dissemination. In response to the shortage of quality secondhand book sources,  Xu calls on libraries to remove excessive duplicate copies,  different editions,  and books with zero circulation from their collections so that these books can re-enter the circulation market. This would optimize resource allocation,  support the development of the secondhand book industry,  and promote nationwide reading,  thereby forming a virtuous cycle. Li Donglai notes that libraries should seize this opportunity to assume the role of the “core force,  main platform,  and key organizer” of nationwide reading. Addressing issues such as insufficient funding in some county and district libraries and the lack of grassroots reading facilities,  Li calls on libraries to make effective use of legal frameworks,  actively act as advocates for citizens‘ reading rights,  and strengthen their own institutional capacity. This would help extend reading promotion to grassroots communities and deepen its impact,  enabling libraries to achieve transformative development within the process of rule-of-law advancement. Xu Qiang interprets the core principles of the Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading and outlines how they connect with the Public Cultural Service Guarantee Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Public Library Law of the People‘s Republic of China. Using Shanghai as a case study,  Xu analyzes the statutory positioning and service innovations of public libraries in promoting nationwide reading. Shanghai has developed a structure characterized by “a leading central library,  coordinated branch libraries,  and full coverage via grassroots service points”,  though challenges such as uneven resource distribution remain. Future efforts should focus on improving the legal framework and deepening practical implementation,  while strengthening digital transformation and full life-cycle services. Zhang Yan points out that,  compared with the Public Cultural Service Guarantee Law of the People's Republic of China and the Public Library Law of the People's Republic of China,  the Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading demonstrates significant differences and distinctive highlights. By establishing rigid coordination mechanisms and accountability clauses,  the regulation shift nationwide reading governance from “soft advocacy” to “hard constraints”, significantly strengthening the network and collaborative influence of libraries in reading promotion. Jin Keke explores the central role of libraries in promoting nationwide reading and possible pathways for local legislation. From three perspectives,  namely,  spatial infrastructure,  activity organization,  and reading surveys,  Jin demonstrates the unique functions of libraries. Compared with the  Public Library Law of the People's Republic of China,  the Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading further strengthens the responsibilities of public libraries in areas such as reading guidance,  facility upgrades,  and safety assurance,  while also offering recommendations for local legislative development.

Key words: Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading, , Rule of law protection, , Public libraries, , Reading promotion, , Secondhand book circulation, , Local legislation, , Reading-oriented society