To tie in with World Book Day, the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will once again hold the "Discover and Share the Joy of Reading" campaign this year. A series of vibrant activities will commence in April to foster a reading culture.
 
     In celebration of World Book Day on April 23, the HKPL will hold the launching ceremony of "Reading Beyond Boundaries on 23 April" at the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) to announce this year's highlight reading events. The HKPL, Shenzhen Library, the Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province and the Macao Public Library will hold the event "30-minute Read" simultaneously in which readers from the three places will be able to enjoy reading together. In addition, storytelling workshops for children will be held at 34 public libraries.
 
     Pop-up libraries have become increasingly popular since their first appearance last year. Through reading corners and fun-filled activities in various districts, readers can experience extraordinary library services. The coming pop-up library will appear at SKH Holy Trinity Church Secondary School on April 27 at "2019 World Book Day Fest: Towards a Reading City - Folktaleoscope" co-organised by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) and the Education Bureau. Primary and secondary school students, parents and teachers will be able to learn more about the collections, services and information of public libraries. Details of the Fest have been uploaded to the SCOLAR website (scolarhk.edb.hkedcity.net).
 
     Organised annually by the HKPL, the 4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition encourages primary and secondary students to read and share their reading experiences in different forms. The theme this year is "Let's Share the Joy of Reading". Winners will be awarded at the prize presentation ceremony on April 28, while their winning entries will be displayed at the HKCL and libraries in various districts from April 29.
 
     The outreach paired reading activity "Fun Reading at Hong Kong Public Transportation" will be held from April to July. Participants can read transportation-themed picture books, learn more about the city development and experience the fun of reading. The launch ceremony will take place at Whitty Street Tram Depot in Sai Wan on April 28, with the first tram-themed session to be held immediately afterwards. More themed sessions featuring buses, railways and boats will be rolled out soon.
 
     With the support of the District Councils, the HKPL organises a series of cultural and reading activities with district features to promote reading awareness in the community under the theme "Share the Joy of Reading at 18 Districts". "Happy Reading Companion Road Show" of Southern District and the STEM@Library Fun Day of Kowloon City District will be held in April. Activities of other districts including Yuen Long District and Sham Shui Po District will be launched later.
 
     To cultivate a reading habit, the HKPL will present more activities in the second half of 2019. The large-scale children's reading event "Summer Reading Fiesta" will be held again. Children can spend their summer visiting libraries in different districts to discover the joy of reading.
 
     Details of the colourful activities are available on the HKPL's website (www.hkpl.gov.hk) and its newly launched "Reading is Joyful" Facebook page (www.facebook.com/readingisjoyful) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/readingisjoyful).

Ends/Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Issued at HKT 15:00

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