Calculation and Analysis of the Influencing Factor on Public Libraries' Efficiency at the Provincial Level in China from a Spatial Perspective postprint

Abstract: [Purpose/significance] Public library is an important part of the public cultural service system in China. It is of practical significance to measure its efficiency and study its influencing factors from the perspective of space. [Method/process] Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2016, three-stage super-efficient DEA model and Markov chain model were used to measure and analyze public libraries' efficiency. Then, the spatial effect factor was introduced into the testing process of the influential factors of the public libraries' efficiency, so we can estimate the influence level through the spatial econometric model and discuss its differentiation characteristics in different regions and in the time interval. [Result/conclusion] The results are as follows. Firstly, external environment and random error factors have a significant impact on the efficiency of public libraries in China. After the adjustment, the efficiency value shows a significant spatial disequilibrium feature in the regional distribution, the highest in the east, the second in the middle and the smallest in the west. Secondly, there are significant spatial positive correlation and spatial spillover effect in public library efficiency. Finally, under the condition of considering the space element, the efficiency of the public library is affected by some internal influencing factors such as the new inventory purchase expense, the quantity and structure of the professional technical personnel, the per capita space area of the library, the activity degree of the library and the fair index.