Do Smart City Policies Promote the Development of Public Libraries?: An Empirical Study Based on the Difference-in-Differences Method from China

The role of public libraries is evolving with the Smart City (SC) trend, but the impact of SC policies on libraries remains under evaluated. Using the Chinese SC program as a testbed, we applied the Difference-in-Differences (DID) method to assess these policies’ effects on infrastructure and services. Results show SC policies enhanced physical collections but negatively impacted space and seating, with no significant effect on services. We discuss the complexity underlying the interplay between digitization and public libraries’ roles in the SC context, suggesting a need for further research and policy consideration.