ENG-2002 — Page 488

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

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The libraries provide block loans of books and audio cassettes to non-profit-making organisations, rehabilitation and penal institutions, homes for the aged, and the physically handicapped. The block loan service is also available to schools.

A Book Donation and Sale Campaign was launched for the first time to encourage the public to read more books. The campaign also encouraged people to share their books with others and to support recycling. The response was encouraging. About 140 000 books were collected and $330,000 was raised from the sale of the donated books on behalf of the Community Chest. The unsold books were donated to local libraries/organisations.

Services for the Disabled

The libraries provide a wide range of services and facilities for people with disabilities. The special needs of the disabled were taken into account in the design of the Hong Kong Central Library, and adequate access for the disabled is provided in all new libraries and most of the existing libraries. A hotline is provided for people with disabilities, and block loans are arranged for organisations caring for the disabled. A collection of English fiction in large print is provided for the visually impaired and elderly readers at five major libraries. A reading machine for the blind and a colour image magnifier are available at Hong Kong Central Library and branch libraries have facilities to assist the visually impaired in using computers.

Library Initiatives

In February, the libraries launched a CD-ROM lending service. Since January, the opening hours of the Hong Kong Central Library have been extended from 68 hours to 74 hours a week. In addition to the regular Customer Liaison Meetings held in the libraries, an opinion survey on the Hong Kong public library services was conducted in December 2001. The survey showed that 81.2 per cent of adult library users were satisfied with the overall facilities and services of the public libraries.

Exchange Programme

During the year, the Hong Kong Central Library arranged programmes for exchanging publications with a number of overseas major libraries and cultural organisations, as well as some in the Mainland. A professional librarian from Shenzhen Library was attached to Hong Kong Central Library for one month to study the library's operation and its diversified services. Professional library staff members have participated in overseas library conferences such as the World Library Summit in Singapore and the Asian Library Conference on Collection Development in Penang, Malaysia.

Books Registration Office

The main functions of the Books Registration Office are to help preserve Hong Kong's literary heritage through the registration of local publications and to monitor the use of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) system. A Catalogue of Books Printed in Hong Kong is published quarterly by the Books Registration Office in the Government Gazette, which can be accessed through the Internet. In 2002, the office registered a total of 11 900 books and 12 923 periodicals, and 517 new publisher prefixes conforming to the ISBN.