*****************************
Following is a question by the Hon Christopher Chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (April 29):
Question:
Regarding public library services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of new libraries opened in the past five years, with a breakdown by type of libraries;
(2) of the locations where mobile libraries were replaced by major/small libraries in providing services in the past five years;
(3) whether it has plans to set up small libraries in all the districts or housing estates in which only mobile library services are currently available, in order to provide more comprehensive services;
(4) since some members of the public have relayed to me that as the working hours of Hong Kong people are getting longer while the opening hours of libraries in general end at 8pm the latest on weekdays, quite a number of working persons are unable to use library services on weekdays, whether the authorities have plans to extend the opening hours of libraries in various districts at night on weekdays;
(5) given that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has launched a pilot scheme in six selected branch libraries by deploying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to handle self-service borrowing and returning of library materials as well as to assist in the searching and sorting of library collections, and the review of the scheme has confirmed a prima facie case for full RFID implementation, whether LCSD has decided to put RFID into full implementation in various libraries; if LCSD has, of the latest progress; and
(6) whether it has plans to follow the practices of Shenzhen or Taiwan by setting up round-the-clock self-service libraries in various districts?
Reply:
President,
My reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) In the past five years, there were a total of six new public libraries (libraries) opened by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Details are listed in Table 1.
(2) In the past five years, the new libraries were provided mainly for the reprovisioning of the existing libraries in the same districts, with expansion of floor areas and reading spaces, and enhancement of services and facilities. The Government has no plans to replace existing mobile library stops with these new libraries.
(3) In considering the provision of a library, the LCSD will take into account various factors including the guidelines of the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines; as well as the geographical location, transport facilities and demographic characteristics of the district; the utilisation of the existing libraries; the development of infrastructural and community facilities of the district; the changing needs (including demographic changes) of the community; and the cost-effectiveness of the services. Where appropriate, the LCSD will provide small libraries or mobile libraries to supplement the services of major libraries and district libraries. Mobile libraries are particularly effective in serving residents in sparsely-populated or remote areas to support the static library network. Given the cost-effectiveness of mobile libraries in serving residents in remote areas, the Government has no plans to replace mobile library services completely with small libraries. The LCSD will continue to collaborate with local organisations to set up more community libraries in order to provide more flexible and convenient library services for local residents.
(4) In response to the public demand for longer opening hours of libraries, the Government has, since April 1, 2009, extended and standardised the weekly opening hours of all major and district libraries from 61 or 62 hours to the present 71 hours, providing services to the public seven days a week. Under the current arrangement, 35 major and district libraries open until 8pm during weekdays and Saturdays and until 5pm on Sundays so that the public may spend longer time at libraries after work and during weekends. Overall, the existing arrangement on opening hours has catered for the needs of most people. Indeed, the feedback collected by the LCSD from the annual customer liaison meetings in the past three years showed that over 90 per cent of the respondents were satisfied with the current opening hours.
As libraries require substantial resources and manpower to operate, further extension of the opening hours of libraries at night will involve a significant increase in expenditure and staffing. To strike a balance between the public needs and resource efficiency, the Government has no plans to further extend the opening hours of libraries at this stage.
We will make good use of the new technology and information technology to actively develop the "library without walls" on a continual basis to provide the public with library services beyond the confines of time and space, including 24-hour online library services which allow readers to view their personal accounts, search library catalogues, renew and reserve library materials, use the reference enquiry service, read e-books, search e-databases and browse digitised materials in the Multimedia Information System through the internet at home. Table 2 shows the number of single visit to the relevant websites/online services of the Hong Kong Public Libraries in the past three years.
(5) and (6) The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) pilot scheme, which has been launched by LCSD in six libraries since late 2011, includes the introduction of RFID-enabled self-charging terminals, self-returning stations and book sorter systems. The findings suggest that the RFID technology is effective in enhancing library services. Yet, we are considering the feasibility of the full implementation of the RFID technology (including the provision of round-the-clock self-service libraries). There is no specific timetable at this stage.
Ends/Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Issued at HKT 13:13
NNNN
