RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS
research. The conservation website has also been revamped to enable people to book Resource Centre facilities, or make enquiries, through the Internet. To encourage schools to participate in cultural activities, the section received visits from 10 schools. under the School Culture Day Pilot Scheme. In support of the 2002 International Museum Day, the section presented a series of academic and educational programmes for the public.
Public Libraries
The LCSD provides free public library services to meet community needs for information, research, informal education and the profitable use of leisure time as well as to promote reading and the literary arts. It also manages the Books Registration Office.
The Hong Kong Public Libraries system provides a network of 70 public libraries, including the newly opened Fanling Public Library and Fu Shan Public Library. The library collection in 2002 consisted of 8.51 million books and 1.05 million multimedia materials. There were a total of 2.77 million registered borrowers, who checked out 53.27 million items of library materials during the year. Staff handled 3.76 million reference enquiries.
Hong Kong Central Library
Overlooking Victoria Park in the heart of Causeway Bay, the Hong Kong Central Library is a major information and cultural centre in Hong Kong. Occupying a gross floor area of 33 800 square metres with a total stock of 1 633 405 books, the 12-storey building provides a wide range of facilities. Special features include a Multimedia Information System, a Central Reference Library with six subject departments, an Arts Resource Centre, Hong Kong Literature Room, Basic Law Reference Collection Room, Map Library, Language Learning Centre, Young Adult Library and a Toy Library. There are also hiring facilities including a 1 500 square-metre Exhibition Gallery, a 293-seat Lecture Theatre, two Activity Rooms, a Music Practice Room and a number of Discussion Rooms.
By year-end, the Hong Kong Central Library had attracted a total of 8 821 114 visitors since its opening in May 2001, with an average daily attendance of about 16 000. In addition to a wide range of cultural activities and regular subject talks, the library has organised notable events such as a 'Lecture Series on Humanities, Science and Technology by Contemporary Eminent Scholars', which was hosted by prominent scholars, and a 'Seminar Series on Hong Kong History' hosted by leading scholars and local historians.
The library launched two major projects in its first year. The Document Collection Campaign appealed to collectors and the public to donate literary treasures to the library to help set up a special collection to promote local research and advanced studies in Hong Kong. Over 70 000 items have been collected, including rare books, periodicals, letters, manuscripts, maps, old legal documents and documents on folk etiquette. The Music Collection Campaign, which is a joint project with the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Composers and the Authors Society of Hong Kong, appealed to local musicians, record companies and the public to donate music items for setting up a music databank.
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