Discussion keeps the world turning.
You are listening to Roundtable.
I am Niu Honglin, joined by Steve and Yuxuan.
Around the world, shared spaces are under pressure.
Trains at rush hour, cafes with remote workers,
and libraries full of examiners, freelancers, parents, and retirees.
China's public libraries are now a vivid case study in this global squeeze.
Sea talking, booking apps, patrols, and time limits raise a bigger question.
Do we design public spaces when everyone needs something different from them?
And sometimes all it takes to brighten your day is a fresh perspective.
Yes, it's time for Roundtable's Happy Place of the Week.
Here, we share something that made us feel lighter, happier, or just a little more grateful.
But now.
Give humans a public space and will invent rules, official or not.
In China's libraries, the unofficial rules are everywhere.
Leave your bag, claim your spot.
Take two seats so you have a buffer.
A quick break never counts as giving up the seat.
These behaviors aren't uniquely Chinese.
They're universal reactions to scarcity.