ENG-2013 — Page 404

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

The central library organises a wide range of cultural programmes and holds user education sessions to promote library resources to members of the public. In 2013, major talk series co- organised at the library included 'Explore the World of Medicine: Public Lecture Series, 'Subject Talk Series on Life and Death Education: Preparing for Death, Appreciating Life, and 'Public Lectures on History and Business in China.

Improvements to Library Services

The public libraries work closely with the District Councils and local organisations to set up community libraries. The number of community libraries in Hong Kong had been increased to 215 by the end of 2013. Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Public Library in Yuen Long District opened in February and Lam Tin Public Library in Kwun Tong District opened in March.

Lending services were enhanced to increase the loan quota from six to eight books for each registered borrower from 1 March 2013.

Reference and Information Services

Reference and information services are provided at the Hong Kong Central Library and the City Hall, Kowloon, Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun public libraries. The central library also has a large collection of reference materials on Hong Kong studies and on international organisations. Professional reference services are provided at these libraries and their resource centres. In 2013, 3.55 million enquiries were handled by the public libraries.

Online reference service is an integral part of the public libraries' reference and information services and 63 online databases covering different subjects are available to library users.

Information Technology Initiatives and Digital Library Initiatives

New IT systems rolled out to improve library services in 2013 included a print management system and an electronic reference system. An online payment system, a new HKPL portal and applications for mobile devices are being developed.

At the end of 2013, around 1,150,000 people had registered to use their smart ID cards as library cards. Over 1,900 library computers allow the public to access the libraries' electronic resources, or the internet. More than 180,000 e-books and 21 online databases are available to registered members for home use through the internet.

The public libraries' Multimedia Information System (MMIS) provides a powerful one-stop search facility enabling users to search multimedia archives and digitised materials via the internet at any time. The system will be extended to all static libraries in early 2014.

Outreach Programmes and Promotion of Reading and Literary Arts

In 2013, the public libraries conducted 21,308 library outreach programmes, including storytelling sessions, book exhibitions, community talks and a variety of reading programmes and reading-related activities to promote reading and sustain an interest in reading. Reading activities were organised on the themes of family love and care for the earth and society.

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