ENG-1992 — Page 393

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

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Public Libraries

Urban Council Libraries

The Urban Council Public Libraries continued to grow in 1992 which saw the opening of Lai Chi Kok Public Library, replacing Mei Foo Sun Chuen Public Library on rented premises. Pok Fu Lam Public Library, which opened in 1970, was refurbished. Renovation works to expand the City Hall Public Library also started in September.

The Urban Council operated 29 public libraries, including a specialised library on the arts at Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Under the current library expansion programme, the number of libraries will be increased to 41 in the next few

years.

Facilities provided by the libraries include lending services for adults and children, newspapers and periodicals services, audio-visual services, students' study rooms, a wide range of extension activities as well as block loan services to non-profit making organi- sations and penal institutions. Reading machines for the blind were also available in City Hall Public Library and Kowloon Central Library.

In addition to books, over 70 bibliographical and information databases on Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) were provided in the reference libraries. A computer network was planned during the year to centralise all CD-ROM databases in the City Hall Reference Library and to make available ready information to district libraries through dial access. In addition, on-line search facilities to local and overseas databases were planned to locate up-to-date information for readers.

The installation of book detection systems in the council's libraries continued during the year, bringing the total number of libraries so equipped to 22.

During the year, the council endorsed an action plan to computerise library operations to provide a more efficient library service. It is expected that the computerisation project will be fully implemented by mid-1995.

In 1992, the library collection increased to 2.7 million items, including 2.6 million books and 147 428 items of audio-visual materials. The council libraries will continue to acquire suitable materials to increase the library stock to 3.3 million items, to reach the target of one item per head of the urban population. The libraries also subscribed to 4 283 copies of local and overseas newspapers and periodicals.

Urban Council libraries housed a number of unique collections for public use. These include the British Standards, the Hok Hoi collection of classical Chinese thread-sewn rare books, the Kotewall collection of old Chinese and English books, the Royal Asiatic Society collection on Hong Kong and China studies, the Oriental Ceramic Society collection, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects and the Institute of Marine Engineers collection, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange collection and course materials of the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong. The City Hall Library is the depository library for Hong Kong, United Nations and World Bank publications.

A total of 8.2 million books and 286 000 audio-cassette tapes were loaned during 1992 while 16.9 million books were read in the libraries. The year saw the registration of 82 400 new members, bringing the total membership to 1 845 000.

The three reference libraries at the City Hall, Kowloon Central Library and the Arts Library were heavily used, with a total of 77 244 reference enquiries handled by the reference library staff and 782 796 reference books consulted.

Two competitions on creative writing in Chinese were organised to cultivate interest in creative Chinese writing. The winning entries were published for sale to encourage