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The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of Chinese digital library (DL) projects via the corresponding web sites, It also seeks to illustrate the current situation of DLs in China by offering insights into the digitization of resources, technologies and services.

A questionnaire was designed on the basis of the definition and features of digital libraries, together with the relevant library homepages and services. Overall, ten comprehensive universities and their library web sites, five public libraries and one science library were selected for comparison and analysis focusing on the content set‐up, digital resources, navigation systems, mainstream modes, home‐grown databases construction, user instruction training programs etc. Other issues including the virtual reference, service (VRS), academic information resource portal and integrated searching system or platform, personalized service, logon and authentication are also discussed.

All the selected libraries are operational digital libraries or prototypes. The electronic or digital resources are made up of two parts and the mainstream modes are service‐oriented. Most have their own library information portals and provided integrated searching. However, there are some defects in term unification on some home pages, unified retrieval platform selection among various databases, and navigation system construction.

This paper presents a perspective of how DLs in China have been developing in the past few years. It also indicates the existing problems and difficulties and suggests the practical ways to optimize the application, standards, laws and rules, personal information environment, logon and authentication based on encryption. In addition, Open Access resources' utilization, conflict between copyright protection and resources sharing, and user interface customizing are addressed.

This paper describes the general status of Chinese digital library construction. It provides relevance for researchers and the public in China as well as other countries on the DL construction experiences, efforts and achievements. It also highlights the importance and value of sharing experience in DL construction.

This paper aims to give a snapshot of planning, building and developing the information commons at a comprehensive research university library in China. It seeks to frame and confirm a new and effective strategy for the future development of university libraries illustrated by its actually positive outcomes.

The paper begins with an overview of information commons as a major international concern that represents a strategic direction of library development, followed by the changing academic landscape in China. It then explains the background and process of building the information commons at Sichuan University Jiang'an Library with its emphasis on its positive outcomes, illustrated by the latest factual data compared with other university libraries in Sichuan. It also discusses the future prospects of developing the information commons.

The paper reveals that information commons is undergoing its international journey from theory to practice and has proved its positive impact on improving the usage of physical and virtual space, resources and services of university libraries in the changing information environment.

Detailed recommendations regarding the construction and development of information commons in Chinese university libraries are provided.

This case study offers insight into practical and effective approaches to enhancing the usage of university libraries in China and emphasizes the importance of integrating the actual situation and background of the university, the region and the nation.

This study aims to analyse the joint impact of institutional distance (ID) and the generation of commercial intelligence (GCI) on export proactivity and coordination capacity, as well as the effect of these last ones on the export performance.

This analysis was carried out by using structural equation modelling for 89 Peruvian agro-exporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

This study demonstrates the positive impact of relational norms on intelligence generation, and that of the latter on coordination capacity and export proactivity. Likewise, ID has a negative impact on coordination capacity, revealing its inverse effect on this relationship.

The paper has limitations due to its cross-sectional nature. In addition, future studies could increase the sample size and studies in other sectors for comparison purposes. Also, studies on ID in emerging countries should be deepened.

Managerial implications are reported and show the influence of the institutional context on the coordination capacity and export proactivity of the firm.

In the literature review on exporting SMEs in emerging countries, it has been little studied the impact of activities such as relationship management and ID from markets as antecedents to the GCI, export proactivity and coordination capacity as well as their effect on their export performance. Therefore, the originality relies on the insights provided by Peru, because this country bases its exports on its comparative advantages and the reactive behaviour of most of its small and medium enterprises (SMEs).