Abstract: [Purpose/Significance] Urban library is the basic unit of public cultural space governance, and its role orientation guides the action direction of the new library construction, renovation (expansion) of space and the socialized expression of its space value [Design/Methodology] Using the methods of qualitative text analysis, deduction and induction, literature and network survey, this paper examines the role orientation of urban libraries in the public cultural space from the three dimensions of policy arrangement, practical needs and public expectation. [Findings/Conclusion] The national cultural governance policy points to the shift of urban libraries from "participants" to "leaders", from "user center" to "social intervention", and from "people center" to "high-quality development". The industry practice requires urban libraries to become the constructors of the city's public "justice space", the cultivators of "resilience space" and the providers of "development space". The public expects the urban libraries to provide emotional healing, ubiquitous interconnection and inclusive public cultural space. In order to fully participate in the construction of public cultural space, urban libraries should refine the spatial value integration system through brand building, improve the spatial collaborative governance framework through mechanism innovation, and reshape the spatial cultural scene through integration of digital and real scene. [Originality/Value] From the perspective of national public cultural space, this paper examines and clarifies the action direction of urban library space construction and service, and provides a multi-dimensional examination framework for spatial transformation.

Key words: Urban library, Public cultural space, Role orientation, Policy and practice, Public expectation