ENG-1986 — Page 318

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

265

difficult, greater emphasis has been placed on the breeding of stock within the gardens. An excellent record in this respect has been achieved in recent years, including success with the white-naped crane, the Count Raggi's bird of paradise, the Victoria crowned pigeon and the white-winged wood-duck.

The horticultural collection includes trees, palms and shrubs representing more than 400 species. Colourful displays of seasonal flowers can be found at the Fountain Terrace garden which was reconstructed in 1985. This formal garden has a large fountain as the central feature and the landscaped surrounds include more than 230 species of shrubs.

Public Libraries

Library services to the community are provided under the aegis of the Urban Council in the urban area and the Regional Council in the New Territories.

With the opening of two small libraries in Lok Fu Estate and Hong Ning Road, and the reprovisioning of the Happy Valley Public Library and Wan Chai Public Library in the new Urban Council Lockhart Road Complex, the Urban Council now operates 24 static libraries and two mobile libraries. Facilities provided by these libraries include adult and children's lending services, extension activities programmes, reference and audio-visual services, newspaper and periodical service, and students' study room facilities as well as block loan services to cultural organisations and penal institutions.

During the year the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club donated two reading-machines capable of converting printed English into spoken words to the Kowloon Central Library and the City Hall Public Library, thus making it possible for the blind to use the libraries' English books. The two libraries also received 10 sets of microcomputers each from a local company to promote computer literacy.

The Regional Council operates two mobile libraries and 20 public libraries, including the Tsing Yi, Shek Wai Kok and Butterfly Estate public libraries opened earlier in the year.

Last November saw the completion of the council's first central library - the Sha Tin Central Library - which is also its largest and most comprehensive library, with an initial stock of 222 000 books and audio-visual services to libraries in the surrounding areas.

Each of the nine districts in the area is provided with at least one static library. All libraries provide a free lending service of adult and junior books, and audio-cassettes.

To assist the Education Department, study rooms are provided in district libraries at Tsuen Wan, South Kwai Chung, North Kwai Chung, Yuen Long and Sai Kung.

The mobile libraries regularly visit various mainland districts to serve people. New materials acquired during the year for the public libraries included 466 000 books, 710 gramophone records, and 18 028 items of audio-visual material. Some two million people took part in the extension activities which were organised to promote the use of the libraries. More than 11.2 million items of library material were issued for home reading and 21 million books were read in the libraries.

Council for Recreation and Sport

As the government's principal advisory body on recreation and sport, the Council for Recreation and Sport advised on the disbursement of $10.4 million of government funds in 1986 to sports associations. The money was spent chiefly towards supporting competitions and tournaments at international level both locally and overseas, training, development programmes and staff salaries and administrative costs. Of this amount, $1.5 million was granted to the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong to take part in the Commonwealth and Asian Games.