RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
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Bibliographic and information databases on Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) are provided in Kowloon Central Reference Library, the City Hall Reference Library, the Arts Library, Sha Tin Central Library and Tuen Mun Central Library.
In addition to large-scale events, regular extension activities organised by the libraries in 1991 included book exhibitions, interest clubs, subject talks, children's story hours, computer literacy projects and library visits. Some 3.9 million people took part in the library extension activities.
Installation of book detection systems in the Urban Council libraries continued during the year and brought the total number of libraries thus equipped to 17.
Urban Council Libraries
The year saw the inauguration of two full-scale district libraries at Ngau Tau Kok and Shek Tong Tsui, which replaced three smaller libraries.
The Urban Council now operates 29 libraries (including a specialised Arts Library at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre), and this number will be expanded to 41 by 1997. Plans are also in hand to redevelop the City Hall Public Library into a Central Library on Hong Kong Island.
During the year, Urban Council's library collection increased to a total of 2.7 million items including 2.5 million books and 140 034 items of audio-visual material. The council's ultimate target is to provide one library book per head of the urban population. The library collection also includes 4361 copies of local and overseas periodicals. Notable accessions this year included the donation of the library collection of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Limited.
In addition, the Urban Council libraries house a number of unique special collections for public use. The collections include the complete set of British Standards, the Hok Hoi Collection of classical Chinese thread-sewn rare books, the Kotewall Collection of old time Chinese and English books, the Royal Asiatic Society Collection on Hong Kong and China Studies, the Oriental Ceramic Society Collection, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects and the Institute of Marine Engineers Collection and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Collection. A complete set of course materials has been deposited by the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong in the City Hall Reference Library, Kowloon Central Library, Shui Wo Street Public Library and Quarry Bay Public Library since October 1990. The City Hall Library is the depository library for Hong Kong publications and United Nations publications.
More than 8.1 million books and 311 966 audio-cassette tapes were on loan during the year while 16.8 million books were read in the libraries.
Two competitions on Creative Writing in Chinese were organised in 1991, and the winning entries were published. Biennial Awards for Chinese Literature were introduced for the best locally-published Chinese literary works for adults and children, to recognise the achievements of established local writers.
To publicise the high standard of books printed and published locally, a competition for the Best Produced Books in Hong Kong was organised jointly with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Twenty winning entries were exhibited at the Hong Kong International Book Fair in August and at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany in October.