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the 70's when I spent a lot of time reading in the libraries. Concerning the opening hours of libraries, members of the public raised different views in recent years. The existing opening hours of UC libraries have been adopted since 1985, and it is time to review the opening hours so as to meet the needs of the public.
Most of the public queries are about opening hours of small libraries. At present, there are 11 Urban Council small libraries and their opening hours are from 10.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Monday to Friday, with lunch period from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. during which the library will be closed. The detailed opening hours of libraries are tabled at this meeting and I will not read them out.
Small libraries are set up by the UC in certain districts which have dense population. Demand for library services in these districts is great. For example, the small library at Electric Road lent out 350,000 books and periodicals in 94/95. This figure is even higher than that of some district libraries. Of course, this is a special case. Nevertheless, it reflects that demand for library services in small libraries is not any less than in district libraries. The Democratic Party thinks that the Urban Council should make improvements in the opening hours of small libraries in 1996 by cancelling the closing hours during lunch period and extending the evening opening hours in line with the district libraries. In order to cope with changes in opening hours, the Urban Council should immediately review the staffing of small libraries to prepare for the new opening hours. Take my constituency, Pokfulam, as an example, many residents commented on the closing hour of 6.30 p.m. because most of them work in the Central and when they return from work, the library is already closed. Thus the working people could not make use of the library services effectively.
As to the opening hours of 16 central and district libraries managed by the Urban Council, the Democratic Party thinks that different evening opening hours should be adopted for different districts. Opening hours for certain districts should be longer. In reviewing the opening hours of public libraries, the options to be considered should include:
1.
2. Monday to Thursday: extended to 8.00 p.m. or 9.00 p.m.; Saturday: extended to 6.00 p.m. or 7.00 p.m.; and
3. Sunday: extended to 5:00 p.m.
We believe that any of the above options will affect existing staffing, therefore, the Urban Services Department should carry out a thorough review on staffing for libraries as soon as possible. Recently, the Democratic Party had interviewed staff members of the clerical grade at 16 UC libraries and they raised 5 suggestions which are worthy of consideration in connection with our review on service hours of libraries:
1.
2. providing boxes for collection of returned books in the libraries so that readers can still return the books when the library is closed; setting up a book reservation hotline;
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
131
the 70's when I spent a lot of time reading in the libraries. Concerning the opening hours of libraries, members of the public raised different views in recent years. The existing opening hours of UC libraries have been adopted since 1985, and it is time to review the opening hours so as to meet the needs of the public.
Most of the public querics are about opening hours of small libraries. At present, there are 11 Urban Council small libraries and their opening hours are from 10.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Monday to Friday, with lunch period from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. during which the library will be closed. The detailed opening hours of libraries are tabled at this meeting and I will not read them
out.
Small libraries are set up by the UC in certain districts which have dense population. Demand for library services in these districts is great. For example, the small library at Electric Road lent out 350 000 books and periodicals in 94/95. This figure is even higher than that of some district libraries. Of course, this is a special case. Nevertheless, it reflects that demand for library services in small libraries is not any less than in district libraries. The Democratic Party thinks that the Urban Council should make improvements in the opening hours of small libraries in 1996 by cancelling the closing hours during lunch period and extending the evening opening hours in line with the district libraries. In order to cope with changes in opening hours, the Urban Council should immediately review the staffing of small libraries to prepare for the new opening hours. Take my constituency, Pokfulam, as an example, many residents commented on the closing hour of 6.30 p.m. because most of them work in the Central and when they return from work, the library is already closed. Thus the working people could not make use of the library services effectively.
As to the opening hours of 16 central and district libraries managed by the Urban Council, the Democratic Party thinks that different evening opening hours should be adopted for different districts. Opening hours for certain districts should be longer. In reviewing the opening hours of public libraries, the options to be considered should include:
1.
2.
Monday to Thursday: extended to 8.00 p.m. or 9.00 p.m.; Saturday: extended to 6.00 p.m. or 7.00 p.m.; and
3. Sunday: extended to 5:00 p.m.
We believe that any of the above options will affect existing staffing, therefore, the Urban Services Department should carry out a thorough review on staffing for libraries as soon as possible. Recently, the Democratic Party had interviewed staff members of the clerical grade at 16 UC libraries and they raised 5 suggestions which are worthy of consideration in connection with our review on service hours of libraries:
1.
2.
providing boxes for collection of returned books in the libraries so that readers can still return the books when the library is closed; setting up a book reservation hotline;
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Page 418 of 485
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