************************************
Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):
Question:
It has been reported that the loss of and damage to books in public libraries have become more serious in the past three years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective numbers of books purchased and loaned out by each public library in each of the past three years;
(b) by using a table, of the number of books written off by each public library due to damages during the above period, and among such books, the number of new ones which had not yet been made available for public loan, and the respective amounts of public funds involved; and
(c) of the number of cases in which the borrowers were fined for having lost or damaged the books of public libraries, and the respective amounts of fines involved, paid and unpaid, in each year during the above period?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The numbers of library materials purchased and loaned out by the Hong Kong Public Libraries from 2005 to 2007 are set out in Appendix I. To cater for the borrowing needs of readers, the newly added library materials may be transferred out of their host libraries to other libraries.
(b) The numbers of library materials lost or damaged by readers and the corresponding amounts of replacement charges settled for each public library during the above period are set out in Appendix II. There is no further classification of cases by the libraries since the vast majority of cases are loss reports. Among the cases in question, there are no cases of new books yet to be put on shelves.
(c) The numbers of cases in which readers were required to pay for the replacement charges for lost or damaged library materials and the respective amounts of charges involved, paid and unpaid, during the above period are set out in Appendix III.
Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:18
NNNN
