RECREATION
Libraries
189
Two new libraries were opened during the year—a gramophone record listening library in the City Hall Library and a mobile library for Sham Shui Po. This brings the number of Urban Council libraries to eight-five on the Kowloon peninsula and three on Hong Kong Island. There is also a separate Urban Council study room at Kowloon Park. In the New Territories, the Urban Services Department provides a public library at Tsuen Wan. The facilities of all these nine libraries and the study room are freely available to all residents of Hong Kong.
During the year 57,344 new books were acquired, bringing the book stock to 686,717. The libraries also have a stock of 3,120 reels of microfilm and 4,870 gramo- phone records and cassette tapes. They subscribe to 505 current newspapers and periodicals, mainly in English and Chinese, from all over the world.
Some 60,117 people registered as library members in 1976, bringing the total registered membership to 611,014. Books borrowed from the lending sections totalled 3,198,526, while 418,278 books were consulted in the reference libraries. Special em- phasis was given to extension activities for children and young people in the form of subject talks, story hours, book and art exhibitions, film shows, essay and Christmas card competitions, and organised group library visits. Some 17,000 youngsters attend- ed or took part in these functions. The libraries also provided training for staff work- ing in government and school libraries, and participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. A total of 2,126 new publications were registered under the Books Registration Ordinance.
New libraries for Sham Shui Po in Kowloon and Western District on Hong Kong Island, and for Tai Po and Sheung Shui in the New Territories, are expected to come into operation in 1977.
The British Council
Valuable contributions to the educational and cultural activities of Hong Kong are made by the British Council. In 1976 assistance was given to government depart- ments and the two universities to enable staff members to visit British universities and other institutions and to attend specialist courses. Four British Council scholar- ships were awarded for training in the teaching of English overseas. Acting for the Sino-British Fellowship Trust, the council arranged five scholarships for post-graduate studies in Britain. The council also completed placing and travel arrangements for 10 British Commonwealth Fellows and Scholars from Hong Kong going to Britain.
Conversely, the council made arrangements for specialists from Britain to visit Hong Kong for consultations with government departments, the universities, and with local experts in their fields. Subjects covered included medicine, education, mechanical engineering, social services and library management. Among the visiting specialists were Professor F. T. Barwell, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Univer- sity College of Swansea; Mr R. H. Hassell, Assistant Chief Librarian, East Sussex County Library; Dr S. A. Feldman, Consultant Anaesthetist, Westminster Hospital, London; and Mr D. T. White, Director of Social Services, City of Coventry.