Digitalization of reading as a stimulus for innovative activities in the industry of book distribution in the PRC

Abstract

The digitization of reading is considered as a stimulus for innovative activities in the field of book distribution in the information space of the People's Republic of China. The data on the continuous growth of the level of digital reading in the country are given. It is noted that reading in the electronic environment is the subject of research in various sciences: pedagogy, psychology, computer science, marketing, management. At the same time, it is concluded that integral integrative knowledge about this phenomenon can be obtained in the sciences of the information and communication cycle (library science, bibliography). The main factors (social, economic, technological, psychological, ergonomic) affecting the spread of digital reading are summarized. Reading using mobile devices is noted to be the most popular in China. Trends in the development of the e-book market are considered. The main directions of innovation in the field of hardware devices for reading (e-books), mobile applications providing access to electronic content, digital content platforms (electronic libraries) are analyzed. Innovations relate to providing convenient access to digital content for users and ease of managing its consumption for distributors based on the use of modern information technologies — artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and big data technologies. It is concluded that the further development of digital reading is a powerful driver of innovation in the PRC book distribution industry, which includes the improvement of hardware devices for accessing digital content, mobile applications and distribution platforms thanks to the capabilities of network technologies.