Nowadays, residents in a compound are paying attention not just to its physical environment, but also to its cultural environment. This case is derived from Yihai Compound of Changsha City in Hunan Province, which has established its own library under the theme of “Gongxiangyibenshu, Zhongchouyizuotushuguan” –meaning “sharing a book with one another, building a library together”. The library provides nourishment for residents’ minds and serves as a platform on which various cultural activities are organized for residents.

These two positive results have been achieved mainly in three ways. First, the library has built an inclusive book borrowing system. Anyone living in or out of the Compound can borrow books from the library as long as he/she donates books to it. Second, the Compound regularly uses the space of the library to offer residents training sessions related to topics such as popular science, reemployment, and legal knowledge. These sessions have facilitated attendees to build their value system as well as their outlook on career and life. Third, the Compound has organized various kinds of cultural and sports activities (e.g., Chinese chess competition and cultural knowledge contest) in the library, all of which have been greatly enjoyed by a large number of residents. In this sense, the library has become a spiritual home for many residents.

The compound library in this case has two implications for community building. One is that a library can contribute to developing the compound of its location into a learning community. The other is that it can contribute to developing a sense of community and social cohesion among residents who live in separate high rises within the same compound.