Public Libraries

LCSD operates HKPL network of 67 static and 12 mobile libraries. It also manages the Books Registration Office. The library system provides free library and information services to meet the community’s demand for knowledge, information, research and recreation, and to support lifelong learning. HKPL promotes reading and the literary arts, and offers library extension activities for people of all ages.

HKPL network, with 4.29 million registered borrowers, includes a comprehensive collection comprising 11.88 million books and 1.76 million multimedia materials. During the year under review, users borrowed more than 52.01 million books and other library materials from Hong Kong’s 79 public libraries.

The Hong Kong Central Library is a major information and cultural centre, offering more than 2.56 million items of library materials and a wide range of library facilities. Special features there include an arts resource centre, a multimedia information system, over 480 computer workstations providing access to HKPL network and online electronic resources, a central reference library with six subject departments, a Hong Kong literature room, a map library, a language learning centre, a young adult library, and a toy library.

Facilities are also available for hire, including a 1 540 square metre exhibition gallery, a 290-seat lecture theatre, two activity rooms, a music practice room, and eight discussion rooms.

Public Libraries Advisory Committee

The Public Libraries Advisory Committee, comprising professionals, academics, and prominent community and government representatives, meets regularly to advise the Government on HKPL’s overall development strategy.

District Council Co-management

In 2014-15, HKPL continued to work with the District Councils (DCs) to develop district library services and organise activities to meet the needs of local communities. Their efforts bore fruit with a growing diversity of community activities to promote reading, and a wide variety of projects aimed at enhancing library facilities and reading environments.

With the financial support of DCs, HKPL organised more than 3 500 regular extension activities and large-scale reading activities throughout the year. Examples of these activities are the summer reading programme Sporty ‘Po Po’ in Sham Shui Po; the Tuen Mun Reading Festival 2014 – Fun Reading; Summer Reading Fun in Sai Kung; Reading in Summertime@Wong Tai Sin; the programme Reading trio ‘d r m’ in Kwun Tong; and Sharing Love and Harmony@Reading in Islands District. Often co-organised with district organisations, these outreach activities helped boost the popularity of public libraries and encourage the reading habit.

To raise public interest in local history and culture, we organised a variety of extension activities in partnership with community organisations. Examples included Understanding Anecdotes and History of Kwai Tsing District; Fun with Photos – Parent Child Activities in Kowloon City; Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong: Traditional Trades and Old Shops in Central and Western District; and the Our Memories@Kwun Tong old photos exhibition with its series of accompanying talks.

DCs have also been active in enhancing library facilities and reading environments, both by initiating new projects and providing financial support for work to be carried out. Examples of projects undertaken and completed in 2014-15 include: upgrading and replacing equipment such as air-conditioning, lighting and CCTV systems; replacing wall murals and furnishings; upgrading audio-visual and public address systems; and installing power supply boxes and notice boards for new mobile library stops.

New Initiatives in Library Services

HKPL network is moving forward by extending its services beyond library premises, increasing its range of stock, enhancing its reference and information services, fully embracing information technology, and actively promoting good reading habits within the community. To further facilitate the study of Hong Kong literary authors and their works, HKPL has been regularly updating the Biographies of Hong Kong Literary Authors and is planning to launch the Hong Kong Authors Portal in 2016, giving readers easy access to author information via the Internet.

In June 2014, a Cultural and Historical Resources Corner was set up at a selected library in each of the 18 districts. These resource corners provide a one-stop reference repository for individual districts, covering areas such as local culture, history and community development.

Information Technology Initiatives and Digital Library Services

The Next Generation Integrated Library System offers comprehensive automated library services, including 24-hour online library services for catalogue searching and for the reservation and renewal of library materials.

HKPL provides a wide range of online e-services through its website (www.hkpl.gov.hk) and its newly developed mobile app My Library. The mobile app was launched on iOS and Android platforms in July and September 2014 respectively. The Library at Your Fingertips e-services campaign launched at the end of 2014 won the Best Lifestyle (Learning & Living) Gold Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2015.

To facilitate access to the wealth of online information, more than 1 900 computer workstations with Internet access have been provided in libraries, most of them equipped with self-service printing facilities and an Octopus payment option. The Government Wi-Fi service is also available at all 67 static public libraries.

HKPL’s digital library system the Multimedia Information System (MMIS) provides multimedia services at all libraries. With a newly designed user interface, the system acts as a round-the-clock portal for one-stop searching of over 2.5 million pages of digitised materials, including old Hong Kong newspapers, photos, house programmes and posters relating to the performing arts, maps, manuscripts, audio programmes, e-books and online databases. Users can explore the MMIS collections on the Internet, or by using the efficient online service to book over 1 200 workstations at the Hong Kong Central Library and other 66 static libraries. A new Multimedia Information mobile app was launched in August 2014, which gives users access to the system’s vast amount of digitised content, including e-books, images, audio and video materials, anywhere and anytime.

During the year, more than 21.48 million virtual visits to the websites / online services of the Hong Kong Public Libraries were recorded.

Reference and Information Services

Reference and information services are available at the Hong Kong Central Library and six major libraries – City Hall, Kowloon, Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. The Reference Library at the Hong Kong Central Library has six subject departments with a collection of over one million reference material items and a wide range of electronic resources to meet the reference, self-study and life-long learning needs of users. The Reference Library is continually adding reference materials to the Collections, as well as collecting heritage documents through regular Document Collection Campaigns. It also houses the depository collections of nine international organisations.

Specialised reference services are available from the Arts Resource Centre, the Hong Kong Literature Room and the Map Library in the Hong Kong Central Library. The City Hall Public Library offers specialised reference services through its Business and Industry Library, its Creativity and Innovation Resource Centre, and the Basic Law Library. The Kowloon Public Library provides specialised resources and services through its Education Resource Centre. The Sha Tin Public Library hosts a thematic collection and a webpage providing sports and fitness resources. The Tuen Mun Public Library also holds a thematic Food and Nutrition Collection that enables one-stop access to useful and up-to-date information in this field. These wide-ranging reference materials and thematic resources are promoted through workshops, library visits and subject talks, in collaboration with the Education Bureau, academics, and NGOs involved in specific areas. The Hong Kong Central Library operates a referral service by which registered users can access the collections of the University of Hong Kong Libraries.

During the year, HKPL handled 3.46 million enquiries.

HKPL provides 61 e-databases and 200 000 e-books. Registered members can access all e-books and 21 e-databases in the e-resources collection via the e-Resources page on HKPL portal. The remaining 40 e-databases are licensed for use at designated libraries during opening hours. The general e-databases are accessible at all public libraries, while the specialised e-databases are accessible at the Reference Library of the Hong Kong Central Library and other major public libraries.

Extension Activities and Promotion of Reading and the Literary Arts

Outreach programmes are integral parts of library services, and the libraries organised a wide range of such activities throughout the year, including storytelling programmes, book displays, exhibitions and community talks on many different subjects. A total of 21 374 library outreach programmes were organised in 2014-15.

A variety of reading programmes and reading-related activities were organised to promote interest in reading on diverse subjects. Planned under the same theme, programmes held in the year included 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition in 2014 - The Earth and I, Meet-the-Authors 2014: A Smarter Life. A Sustainable Future, Thematic Storytelling Workshop: Simple Life, and Summer Reading Month Exhibition: The Earth and I: Sustainable Development. Other talks, on Cosmopolitan Hong Kong and on various art and culture topics, were also organised.

During the year, Teen Reading Clubs were set up at 36 libraries, and Family Reading Clubs at six major libraries and at the Hong Kong Central Library. HKPL also joined with other organisations to organise territory-wide reading activities, such as the Reading Carnival.

Other special programmes and competitions were held throughout the year to promote creative writing and encourage appreciation of the literary arts. One highlight was the 10th Hong Kong Literature Festival, which presented a variety of literary programmes led by local and overseas scholars and writers. The festival has become a focal point for literary enthusiasts in the territory. Other major creative writing competitions in the year included the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition and the Competition on Story Writing in Chinese for Students.

Book Drop Service

HKPL continued to provide a book-drop service at three major MTR interchange stations, namely Central, Kowloon Tong and Nam Cheong, making it convenient for readers to return borrowed library materials while out and about.

Community Collaboration

As part of its promotion of lifelong learning, HKPL continued to collaborate with the Education Bureau on the Library Cards for All School Children Scheme, which encourages students to use public library services. Sixteen public libraries stock Open University of Hong Kong course materials designed for self-learning.

The Libraries@neighbourhood - Community Libraries Partnership Scheme provides community-based library services in collaboration with non-profit local community organisations. These organisations are offered block loans of library materials, together with professional advice on setting up community libraries tailored to their target audiences. By the end of 2014-15, 213 community libraries had been established.

Books Registration Office

The Books Registration Office helps preserve Hong Kong's literary heritage by registering local publications and monitoring the effective use of the International Standard Book Number system. Every quarter it publishes A Catalogue of Books Printed in Hong Kong in the Government Gazette, also accessible online. In 2014-15, the office registered a total of 14 785 books, 9 688 periodicals and 987 new publisher prefixes conforming to ISBN standards.