Abstract: [Purpose/Significance] This study aims to investigate the influence mechanisms and regional heterogeneity of three types of multicultural activities—exhibitions, lectures, and training sessions—on cultural participation in public libraries, thereby providing theoretical support and practical references for optimizing library service supply and promoting the balanced development of public cultural services. [Design/Methodology] Based on panel data from 31 provinces（autonomous regions and municipalities）in China from 2013 to 2022, this study measures cultural participation by total circulation person-times. A two-way fixed effects panel regression is employed to test the main effects of the three types of activities, and interaction terms and subgroup regressions are used to analyze the moderating effects of resource conditions and regional heterogeneity. [Findings/Conclusion] At the national level, lectures and training programs significantly enhance cultural participation, whereas the effect of exhibitions is limited. The per capita book collections and library space positively moderate the effects of lectures and training programs. Regional heterogeneity analysis reveals that training programs have pronounced promoting effects in the eastern and western regions, lecture programs demonstrate notable effectiveness in the central region, and exhibition programs yield substantial influence in the northeastern region. Robustness tests confirm the reliability of these conclusions. [Originality/Value] This study deepens the theoretical understanding of the relationship between multicultural activities and cultural participation, highlighting the critical roles of public resources and regional differences. It proposes optimizing activity offerings, enhancing resource synergy, tailoring strategies to local contexts, and leveraging digital and intelligent technologies to improve resilience, offering theoretical and practical insights for the high-quality and balanced development of cultural services in public library.

Keywords: Public cultural services, Multicultural activities, Public libraries, Cultural participation, Equitable development