Wuhan bookstore launches customized 'private study' service

Want to impress your friends with your book collection, or want some experts' guidance on your own library? Well, a bookstore in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, may have a one-stop solution.

Jiuqiu Bookstore launched a customized "private study" service in April this year, and has already received nine orders, according to Hubei Daily.

The bookstore offers three packages: First is for 1,000 books, second for 1,500 and third for 2,000 books. Out of the total books, 30 percent of the collection is mainly classics and science-related books recommended by experts, including Yang Shuzi, academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Guo Qiyong, professor of Wuhan University.

For the remaining 70 percent, customers can either choose books recommended by the store's specialists or come up with their own preferences.

Zhou Yi, manager of the bookstore, is one of the specialists.

"I have a customer who is a college teacher, with a family study of 30 square meters. The teacher wants a library for about 1,200 books for three family members," said Zhou.

As for the price, a catalogue is offered for free, and both the design of the study and shelves are also free, said Zhou. The store only charge for the books, but provides discounts, too. Take the college teacher's order as an example. The 1,200 books cost the customer more than 50,000 yuan ($7,000), which is a lot cheaper than the market rate.

Another customer surnamed Wei, a director at a tea company, said he was satisfied with the service. "If everybody is talking about a book, but you don't know anything about it then it feels embarrassing," he said. Wei's wife said she was happy with the children's books they received from the service.