Abstract: Public libraries at home and abroad have introduced the crowdsourcing model into the library
services. By carrying out the online crowdsourcing projects, public libraries invite and encourage readers
to actively participate in the digital construction and service of their characteristic collections. It has
been proved that crowdsourcing projects converge and utilize readers’ cognitive surplus resources and
thus effectively improve the libraries’ digital service efficiency. This paper introduces the crowdsourcing
cases carried out by public libraries abroad and takes the crowdsourcing service project of newspapers and
periodicals in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic-era of China in Shanghai Library as an example.
The author emphatically analyses the key factors affecting the successful development of crowdsourcing
projects, and provides reference for domestic public libraries to carry out crowdsourcing projects.

Key words: Public library, Characteristic collection, Digital construction, Crowdsourcing