XN000022-1972-12-05 — Page 2

1

Tuesday, December 5, 1972

FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR NEW TERRITORIES

The first public library to be set up by the Urban Services

Department in the New Territories will soon be ready to serve residents in

the rural areas, particularly in Tsuen Wan.

The library, at Wing Hong House in the Fuk Loi Estate, will be

open to the public as soon as fitting-out works have been completed.

It will be operated on an experimental basis to cope with the

present need of library services in the rural areas, and may be reprovisioned

into larger premises in the future if it proves necessary.

With an area of 5,600 square feet, the library will occupy the

ground floor of Wing Hong House. The facilities offered will be similar

to those of the five existing public libraries in the urban areas.

There will be an adult lending library, a junior lending library,

a newspaper and periodical section and a students' study room with seating

accommodations for about 100 people.

The library will have a basic stock of 24,000 booke. Special

emphasis will be placed on the collection of books on the textile industry

and agriculture to meet the demands of the local residents.

Membership will be free and applications will be accepted upon

production of a Hong Kong identity card.

Readers who already have library tickets issued by any of the

existing Urban Council public libraries may also use them to borrow books

from this new library.

/It is