Recreation, Sport and the Arts | 395
and to support lifelong and continuous education. It promotes reading and the literary arts and offers library extension activities to people of all ages.
Hong Kong's public libraries hold a total of 10.82 million books and 1.64 million multimedia materials. They serve 3.78 million registered subscribers who borrowed more than 61.66 million books and other library materials during the year.
Hong Kong Central Library
Hong Kong Central Library is a major information and cultural centre housed in a 12-storey building with a total floor area of 33 800 square metres. It has a stock of 2.4 million books and other items and provides a full range of library facilities, including a multimedia information system, a central reference library with six subject departments, an arts resource centre, a Hong Kong literature room, a map library, a language learning centre, a young adult library and a toy library.
Facilities for hire include a 1 500 square-metre exhibition gallery, a 290-seat lecture theatre, two activity rooms, a music practice room and eight discussion
rooms.
In addition to its regular cultural activities and talks, the library organises a diversity of programmes for large audiences.
Improvements to Library Services
The Hong Kong Public Libraries have worked continuously to improve their service by extending opening hours, increasing the book stock, enhancing the reference and information services, capitalising on the use of information technology and promoting a reading culture. From April, all 33 major and district libraries extended their weekly opening hours from 61 or 62 hours to 71 hours. The pattern of the opening hours was aligned to provide service seven days a week. The libraries now open at 9 am every morning except for Monday or Thursday, when they open at 12 noon, and operate until 8 pm on weekdays and Saturdays.
Throughout the year, the public libraries worked closely with District Councils. and local organisations to promote and develop further Libraries@neighbourhood, a partnership scheme involving both the community and the libraries. Participating organisations are offered a block loan of library materials and professional advice to set up community libraries that meet the needs of their target clients. By the end of 2009, there were 122 community libraries in operation throughout Hong Kong.
The public libraries work with the Education Bureau to promote a scheme providing library cards to encourage primary school students to use the library services. Course materials from the Open University of Hong Kong are available in 16 public libraries for students' easy accessibility in self-learning.
Reference and Information Services
Reference and information services are provided at the Hong Kong Central Library and the five major libraries located at the City Hall, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. The Central Library also holds the permanent collection of books deposited under the Books Registration Ordinance as well as the depository