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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1978
MORE PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO OPEN IN NT ******
A NUMBER OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES OPENED LAST YEAR IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THERE ARE PLANS FOR MORE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON. DAVID AKERS-JONES,
SAID TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. ALEX WU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE SHEUNG SHUI LIBRARY WOULD OPEN
IN A WEEK'S TIME AND THE TUEN MUN LIBRARY IN JULY,
+AT KWAI CHUNG, CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO LEASING 12,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS PENDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT PREMISES,+ HE SAID.
IN YUEN LONG, HE SAID, THE NIXON LIBRARY IN THE TOWN HALL WILL BE SHORTLY TRANSFERRED TO THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND BECOME A PUBLIC LIBRARY.
A BOOK BOX SERVICE TO CHEUNG CHAU STARTED LAST SEPTEMBER, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A LIBRARY SERVICE TO SAI KUNG IS NOW BEING EXAMINED, HE SAID.
IN THE NEW TOWNS, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO PROVIDE, FOR EACH POPULATION GROUP OF 200,000, A LIBRARY OCCUPYING ABOUT 12,000 SQUARE FEET OF FLOOR SPACE TOGETHER WITH A STUDY ROOM FOR 220 STUDENTS.
+ IN OTHER PLACES, THE NEED FOR STUDY ROOMS IS BEING TACKLED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AND A TOTAL OF EIGHT CLASSROOMS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR THIS PURPOSE,+ HE SAID.
LAST YEAR, THE TAI PO LIBRARY OPENED IN SEPTEMBER AND IS LENDING SOME 22,000 BOOKS A MONTH. AND A LIBRARY AT SHA TIN IN THE LEK YUEN ESTATE OPENED IN NOVEMBER LAST, AND IN DECEMBER
ISSUED OVER 13,000 BOOKS - TWICE THE NUMBER OF BOOKS IN STOCK.
+CLEARLY, HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE OVERWHELMING USE BEING MADE OF OUR LIBRARIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WE WILL HAVE TO RE-EXAMINE THE TIMING AND ADEQUACY OF OUR FUTURE PLANS FOR LIBRARIES AND TO KEEP THE PROVISION AND NEED FOR STUDY ROOMS UNDER REVIEW, + MR. AKERS-JONES SAID.
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