Promoting reading habit
17 June 2018
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As the saying goes, reading is always rewarding. The Government has been promoting a culture of reading by different means, with a view to developing Hong Kong into a reading city.
Reading proficiency is the foundation of learning. A good reading habit should be developed from childhood. As part of the ongoing drive to promote reading, the Government has introduced a new policy initiative to foster reading habits among students and enhance their reading proficiency.
Starting from the 2018/19 school year, the Education Bureau will disburse a new recurrent grant to primary and secondary schools in the public sector and under the Direct Subsidy Scheme to promote reading. Each primary school will be allocated annually a maximum of $40,000, and each secondary school a maximum of $70,000, depending on the number of classes. Each special school will receive a maximum of $30,000.
The use of the grant is flexible. Besides being used to procure reading resources, it can be used to organise activities or hire service providers to promote reading. For instance, schools may invite writers or storytellers to give talks to students. Listening to authors reading out their own stories will surely be an interesting experience that helps create a reading atmosphere on campus.
In order for reading culture to extend beyond campus to the community at large, the bureau is also working with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) on a reading-for-all campaign featuring a series of fun-filled activities themed on “Discover and Share the Joy of Reading”.
Enjoying reading does not necessarily mean a heavy bill from buying books. The Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the LCSD operates a network of libraries across the territory, providing convenient booking lending service.
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E-reading has become popular with the growing use of the Internet and electronic gadgets in recent years. To keep in pace with the development, the Government has been actively promoting e-reading. Two HKPL mobile apps, “My Library” and “Multimedia Information”, were launched in 2014 to facilitate the use of public library services and digital library collections.
The apps allow access to a wide variety of digital resources anywhere and anytime, including over 6 million pages of digitalised image materials (such as old newspapers, the HKPL’s photo collections, maps, posters and microforms) and over 9 000 hours of digital audio and video recordings.
Library account holders also have Internet access to the HKPL’s e-databases. Over 280 000 e-books are available for online or offline reading. According to statistics, usage of the HKPL e-book collections leapt by an impressive 313% in the past five years, from 99 646 in 2013 to 411 117 in 2017. Virtual visits to the webpages or services (including usage of electronic resources) also registered a marked increase of 26%, from 20.76 million in 2014 to 26.19 million in 2017.
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Apart from promoting e-reading, the Government also attaches importance to enhancing the hardware facilities. In the past five years, three new static libraries were opened by the LCSD, one each in Tiu Keng Leng, Yuen Chau Kok and Fanling South, bringing the total to 70. The number of mobile libraries also rose from 10 to 12 following the commissioning of two extra mobile library vans in 2014. I strongly encourage everyone to use the library services, develop a reading habit and make reading a part of your life.
I understand the demand for flexi-hour library services to accommodate people’s busy lives. Last December, the Government launched the first self-service library station in Hong Kong, providing library services such as borrowing, return, payment and pickup of reserved library materials round-the-clock.
Though resembling a refreshment vending machine from a distance, the self-service library station contains about 300 Chinese and English books for loan. The first library station is located at the Island East Sports Centre Sitting-out Area. Two others are tentatively scheduled for operation in phases in the second half of 2018, one each at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui and near Tai Wai MTR Station in Sha Tin.
To make library services more convenient for all, the LCSD will launch a three-month trial scheme from 1 July to extend the opening hours of three public libraries to 8pm on Sundays and public holidays. The Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Public Library in New Territories, the Lai Chi Kok Public Library in Kowloon and the Smithfield Public Library on Hong Kong Island will take part in the scheme. The Hong Kong Central Library will also stay open until 8pm on public holidays during that trial period.
To create a territory-wide reading culture, we need support from other community sectors, schools and families. Let us work together to develop Hong Kong into a reading city.
