RECREATION AND THE ARTS
Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Two new mobile library vans were put into service to replace the old ones. The total number of libraries in the urban areas, including the two on wheels, is 29.
Facilities provided by the libraries include lending services for adults and children, newspapers and periodicals, audio-visual services, students' study rooms as well as a wide range of extension activities and block loan services to non-profit-making organisations and penal institutions. Comprehensive reference services, reading machines for the blind and microcomputers are provided in the Kowloon Central Library and the City Hall Public Library. Databases on 'Compact Disc - Read Only Memory' and current awareness services are made available at the two reference libraries for the effective retrieval of current information.
The Reading Programme of the libraries, launched in 1984, was re-organised to include new activities to encourage participation. In 1989, 7721 readers joined the reading programme and read 218 339 books. A recommended reading competition was held for programme members. The eight top prizewinners were awarded a tour to Singapore in July to visit cultural and educational facilities and exchange reading experience with young people there.
Two Creative Writing in Chinese competitions were organised. Winning entries were published to provide healthy reading for the public and encourage the publication of good quality reading materials. So far, the Urban Council libraries have printed 40 books, four of which were published during the year.
The competition for the Best Produced Books in Hong Kong was organised jointly with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to give recognition to the high standards of books printed and published in Hong Kong. Twenty winning entries were exhibited at the Frankfurt Book Fair in West Germany in October and the World Print Pack Exhibition and Conference at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in December.
In response to popular feedback and community needs, a year-round monthly programme of literary talks was organised to replace the annual Chinese Literary Week. The programme for the year was launched in August with a two-day seminar on the theme of The Development and Appreciation of Contemporary Chinese Poetry. The monthly week- end talks on various literary forms and topics of general interest were held at the City Hall Public Library. These were well received and were attended by 5 955 people.
In addition to large-scale library extension activities, regular events organised by the libraries include book exhibitions, interest clubs, subject talks, children's hours and library visits. In all, some 1.8 million people took part in the library extension activities.
The library collection was further increased to 2.4 million items. This included 2 329 843 books and 128 289 items of audio-visual materials. The libraries also subscribed to 4 107 local and overseas newspapers and periodicals.
More than 8.1 million books and 327 165 audio-cassette tapes were lent out during the year while 16.3 million books were read in the libraries. A total of 190 451 enquiries were handled and 720 295 reference books were consulted.
The Regional Council is also expanding its library services and facilities to meet the ever-growing demand by users in the region. To date, it runs 21 static libraries and two mobile libraries which hold a total of 1.2 million books and 70 000 items of audio-visual materials.
During the year under review, the council's second central library in the town centre of Tuen Mun was completed. The library is a four-storey free-standing building in the town's cultural complex. It has an area of 3 150 square metres and an initial stock of 200 000
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