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The website of the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) was selected as one of the Top 10 Meritorious Websites in the Meritorious Websites Contest 2014 organised by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration. The award presentation ceremony was held today (May 2).
The contest, which invited members of the public to vote from October to December last year, aims to encourage young people to visit healthy websites and to recognise the contribution made by the producers of those websites. The selection criteria include whether the information is practical, will advance knowledge, is conducive to a healthy mind, the attractiveness of the presentation and layout, and its accessibility for people with disabilities.
The AMO website (www.amo.gov.hk), which has thoughtful design and is rich in educational and informative content, gives a detailed description of the scope of work of the office, providing information including the development of archaeological work, historic buildings and declared monuments in Hong Kong and presenting it in an innovative way. The "Generic Platform for Virtual Reality Touring Programme for Monuments" and the "Virtual Heritage Explorer" pages of the website enable citizens to "visit" the selected monuments, historic buildings and heritage trails online. Members of the public can also search for more than 4,000 items of archaeological finds unearthed in Hong Kong through the "Hong Kong Archaeological Archive System".
In addition to the AMO website, several websites and mobile apps launched by the LCSD also received awards recently, showing the department's achievements in the development and application of information technology. These award-winning projects include the Hong Kong Heritage Museum's audio guide programme "Portable Dunhuang Story Player", the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL)'s e-Resources project "Library at Your Fingertips" and the HKPL website.
The audio guide programme "Portable Dunhuang Story Player" app won the Gold Award of the Best Mobile Apps (Mobile Edutainment) of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2015. It was produced by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum for its exhibition "Dunhuang - Untold Tales, Untold Riches" held earlier. The app uses "indoor positioning system" technology to enhance the interaction between the audience and the exhibits. Through the app, the audience can listen to the contents of selected exhibits with dramatic elements narrated in the form of lively radio dramas jointly produced by the Heritage Museum and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and thus embark on an imaginary journey through the Dunhuang Caves. Besides, the animation "Nine-Coloured Deer", jointly produced by the Heritage Museum and the Hong Kong Design Institute, won the second runner-up award of the Autodesk Hong Kong The Panorama 2014 Student 3D Animation Contest.
The HKPL has continuously enhanced its e-services for the public over the years, and has been innovative in adapting the latest technologies to provide public services. The project "Library at Your Fingertips" (featuring e-services for library e-resources and mobile apps) and the HKPL website recently won the Best Lifestyle (Learning and Living) Gold Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2015, and the Best .
Modeled on the concept of a "library without walls", "Library at Your Fingertips" consists of two mobile apps, "My Library" and "Multimedia Information", as well as the e-Resources thematic page on the library website. These features have been newly developed to allow the public to enjoy library services and digital resources anytime anywhere. They also demonstrate a combination of mobile technology and information and communication technology, which encourages reading and provides rich information for readers.
Through the library website, the public can easily get the latest information on library activities and newly added library items. They can also enjoy a wide range of online library services, including searching the library catalogue, reserving or renewing library materials and browsing digital collections. The e-Resources thematic page houses over 60 e-databases, 200,000 e-books and a million tracks of classical music, jazz, folk songs and Chinese music, as well as audio books. Readers can even share their favourite books and library resources with friends via the social media sharing feature on the website.
The Multimedia Information System (MMIS) on the website includes more than 20 digital collections with over 2.5 million pages of digitised images and texts, and also allows access via the "Multimedia Information" mobile app. Another mobile app, "My Library", provides access to personal library accounts; searching for, reserving and renewing of library materials; and locating the nearest libraries through the Global Positioning System.
The library mobile apps are downloadable from Google Play or App Store for free. Readers can also visit the HKPL website at www.hkpl.gov.hk or learn more about the MMIS services at mmis.hkpl.gov.hk and e-Resources thematic page at www.hkpl.gov.hk/e-resources.
Ends/Saturday, May 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:00
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