How to provide public digital cultural services in China?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the consumption and demand of Chinese citizens for public digital culture, and make suggestions for government-supported public digital culture providers. Design/methodology/approach Through a questionnaire survey, this study investigates the provision of public digital cultural services (PDCS) from the perspective of consumption and demands. Findings The results indicate: the Chinese populace as a whole had low expenses on digital cultural services, and had not effectively utilized them to support their own development; significant disparities exist between demographics, particularly between urban and rural residents; the populace were strongly interested in participation in public digital culture, but the services had low actual utilization rates; and the services had been unable to meet the users’ quality-related demands. Originality/value The first study to approach the provision of PDCS from the side of consumption and user demand.