ENG-1975 — Page 239

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RECREATION

mainly in English and Chinese, from all over the world. In the 13 years since the first library was opened at the City Hall, 664,907 people have registered as borrowers. In 1975, books borrowed from the lending sections totalled 3,064,039, while 371,675 books were consulted in the reference sections. A Hong Kong Bibliography was compiled by the library staff during the year.

The libraries organise regular book exhibitions, children's story hours, talks, film shows, essay and Christmas card competitions, and library visits. A mobile library service for Sham Shui Po and North Kowloon and a gramophone record library service are expected to come into operation in 1976.

The British Council

The British Council amalgamated its two libraries in 1975, closing the one at Gloucester Building in Central and transferring the books to the council's centre at Star House in Kowloon. The move took place in May. It caused no reduction in the titles available for borrowing and throughout the year more than 70,000 books were loaned to 7,500 members.

The readers mainly students-also made full use of the reading room, which provides more than 200 British newspapers and magazines on a wide range of subjects.

In March the council presented a book exhibition on social sciences, which was also displayed at the New Asia College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The exhibition was seen by about 2,300 people.

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In the academic field, assistance was given to government departments and the two universities to enable staff members to visit British universities and other institu- tions and to attend specialist courses. Six British Council scholarships were awarded during 1975 for training in the teaching of English overseas. Acting for the Sino- British Fellowship Trust, the council arranged six scholarships for post-graduate studies in Britain. The council also completed placing and travel arrangements for eight British Commonwealth Fellows and Scholars from Hong Kong going to Britain.

The council continued to give advice and information to any student leaving for higher studies in Britain. Close co-operation was maintained with the Education Department, and a large number of students were assisted and met by the British Council on arrival in London.

The council also made arrangements for specialists from Britain to visit Hong Kong for consultations with government departments, the universities, and with local experts in their fields. Subjects covered included medicine, applied linguistics, drama and music, thoracic medicine, economics and education. Among the visiting specialists were Professor A. Duncan, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Edinburgh; Professor J. G. Scadding, formerly Professor of Thoracic Medicine, Brompton Hospital, London; Dr Alan Davies, Deputy Head of the Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Edinburgh; and Mr D. Grattan, Controller, Educational Broadcasting, BBC.

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