PUBLIC LIBRARIES

The LCSD operates the HKPL network of 70 static and 12 mobile libraries, and manages the Books Registration Office. The library system provides free library and information services to meet the community’s needs for information, research and recreation, and to support lifelong learning. The HKPL promotes reading and the literary arts, and offers library extension activities for people of all ages.

With 4.47 million registered borrowers, the HKPL stocks a comprehensive collection of 12.72 million books and 1.84 million multi-media materials. During the year under review, users borrowed more than 50.18 million books and other library materials from the 82 public libraries. The HKPL also provides 240 000 e-books for online access by registered members.

The Hong Kong Central Library is a major information and cultural centre. It offers more than 2.68 million library materials items, and a wide range of library facilities. Special features there include an arts resource centre, a multi-media information system, over 480 computer workstations providing access to the HKPL network and to various 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 available for hire include a 1 540 square metre exhibition gallery, a 290-seat lecture theatre, two activity rooms, a music practice room, and eight discussion rooms.

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

In 2016-17, the HKPL continued to work with the District Councils (DCs) to develop district library services and organise activities to meet the needs of local communities, such as activities to promote reading, and projects to enhance library facilities and reading environments.

With financial support from the DCs, the HKPL organised more than 3 500 regular extension activities and large-scale reading activities throughout the year to encourage reading and attract more people visiting public libraries. Examples of these included the summer reading programme Wonderful Journey through History in Sham Shui Po; the Tuen Mun Reading Festival 2016 – Positive Energy Creation; Summer Reading Fun in Sai Kung; Passion for Reading in Kwun Tong; Under the Same Sky in Kowloon City; and Children Story Theatre in Islands District.

To raise public interest in local history and culture, the HKPL also organised a variety of extension activities in partnership with community organisations. Examples included Culture and History of the Islands District; Cultural and Historical Heritage in Hong Kong – Heritage in the Central and Western District; Cultural and Historical Heritage in Tsuen Wan – Finding the Collective Memories of Laowe; and a series of talks on Exploring the History and Culture of Kwun Tong.

Enhancement projects financed by DCs during the year included the upgrading and replacing of library air-conditioning equipment, lighting and CCTV systems, as well as public address systems; and the installation of power supply boxes for new mobile library stops.

Two new libraries were opened in 2016-17. Fanling South Public Library and Yuen Chau Kok Public Library were fully commissioned in August 2016 and March 2017 respectively, strengthening library services in North District and Sha Tin District.

The adult and children's libraries inside the Fanling South Public Library.

A leisure reading area in the Yuen Chau Kok Public Library.

The Next Generation Integrated Library System offers comprehensive online library services that include 24-hour catalogue searching together with reservation and renewal of library materials. From the second half of 2017-18, there are plans to roll out three self-service library stations in phases on a trial basis, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. The self-service library stations will provide round-the-clock services such as borrowing, return and pickup of reserved library materials, as well as payment of fines and charges.

The HKPL’s digital library system, the Multimedia Information System (MMIS), delivers multi-media services at all libraries. The system provides 24-hour one-stop searching of over six 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 booking any of over 1 300 workstations at the Hong Kong Central Library and the other 69 static libraries.

Hong Kong Memory (HKM) is a multi-media website that gives free and open access to digitised materials relating to the historical and cultural heritage of Hong Kong, including text documents, photographs, posters, sound recordings, motion pictures and videos. As at March 2017, the HKM website was providing public access to 26 thematic collections, 20 virtual exhibitions and over 100 oral history records.

During the year, more than 24.6 million visits to the websites or online services of the HKPL were recorded.

Reference and information services are available at the Hong Kong Central Library and six other 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 very wide range of electronic resources. Reference materials are continually being added to the collections, and heritage documents are also collected through regular Document Collection Campaigns. The Reference Library 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 holds a thematic Food and Nutrition Collection, while the Tsuen Wan Public Library’s Modern Living Collection is designed to support green, healthy and stylish living. 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 also operates a referral service by which registered users can access the collections of the University of Hong Kong Libraries.

During the year, the HKPL handled 3.36 million enquiries.

The HKPL provides 65 e-databases and 240 000 e-books. Registered members can access all e-books, and 23 e-databases in the e-resources collection via the e-Resources page on the HKPL portal. The remaining 42 e-databases are licensed for use at designated libraries during opening hours.

The HKPL organised a total of 22 523 library outreach programmes during the year, which included storytelling programmes, book displays, exhibitions and community talks.

Professors from the University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine were invited to present the latest developments in medical technology and research in the Explore the World of Medicine: Public Lecture Series.

Several reading programmes and reading-related activities were organised to encourage reading. Programmes included 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition in 2016 - Healthy Body‧Healthy Mind, Meet-the-Authors 2016: Up Against Competition‧Celebrate Your Path in Life, Thematic Storytelling Workshop: King Tumbler Loves Sports, and Summer Reading Month Exhibition: All About Sports Events. Other talks, on Hong Kong Memory, Cosmopolitan Hong Kong and other arts and culture topics, were also organised.

Students from Hong Kong and Shenzhen share their reading and writing experiences at the Prize Presentation Ceremony of the 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition in 2016.

Readers enjoying a face-to-face encounter with a favourite writer, Lam Chiu Ying, at one of the talks in Meet-the-Authors 2016.

The pleasures of reading were promoted to children and their parents through vivid interactive storytelling workshops.

Interesting reading materials were presented via attractive props and exhibits in the thematic exhibition of Summer Reading Month 2016, targeted at parents and children.

During the year, Teens’ Reading Clubs were held at 44 libraries, and Family Reading Clubs at 19 libraries. The HKPL also joined with other organisations to organise territory-wide reading activities. As part of the Government’s efforts to make Hong Kong a more ‘age-friendly’ city, the HKPL also organised library activities to promote reading among senior citizens, while enhancing its reading environments and supporting facilities such as seating and reading-aid equipment in phases from 2016.

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 11th Hong Kong Literature Festival, with its variety of literary programmes led by local and overseas scholars and writers. Other major creative writing competitions in the year included the Awards for Creative Writing in Chinese and the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition.

Distinguished local and overseas scholars, artists, poets, writers and cultural critics, along with cultural and art groups, were invited to give lectures as part of the 11th Hong Kong Literature Festival.

An interflow programme on appreciating Chinese literature and music through classical Cantonese opera was held during the 11th Hong Kong Literature Festival.

An exhibition of the winning entries in the Awards for Creative Writing in Chinese in 2016.

The HKPL continued to provide a book-drop service at three major MTR interchange stations, namely Central, Kowloon Tong and Nam Cheong.

The 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. In the year, over 200 community libraries are in operation.

The Books Registration Office registers local publications and monitors the use of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) system. Every quarter it publishes A Catalogue of Books Printed in Hong Kong in the Government Gazette, also accessible online. In 2016-17, the office registered a total of 13 994 books, 8 850 periodicals and 936 publisher prefixes conforming to ISBN.