In order to optimise reading resources in the community and contribute to the development of a "City of Reading", the opening ceremony of the Ilha Verde Square Library under the Cultural Affairs Bureau was held today (30 October). The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Ao Ie-yu, the Director of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Ho Yuk-shan, the Secretary for Cultural Affairs, Leung Wai-man, the Under Secretary for Education and Youth Development, Mr Ting Siu-hung, and the Student Cultural Ambassador of the Cultural Bureau, Mr Min Yu-yan, officiated at the opening ceremony.
With the increase in public demand for reading, the Ilha Verde Library, which was originally located at Mercure Plaza on Avenida du Ho Lok Fang, is no longer sufficient. As one of the key initiatives of the HKSAR Government to build a "City of Reading", the newly completed Ilha Verde Square Library has a total area of 1,060 square metres, more than double the size of the original Ilha Verde Library, providing residents with more functional public reading spaces. With a collection of about 28,000 books and about 2,000 audio-visual materials, the library provides about 200 reading seats, and is equipped with a children's reading area, a multimedia area, a newspaper area, a reading area, a self-study area, a multi-purpose room and a group discussion room. With the opening of the Ilha Verde Library, the original Ilha Verde Library ceased operation on the same day.
In order to encourage reading among the people, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has continued to launch the "Gifted Reading Programme for Infants and Young Children" to speed up the digitization of library resources and provide the public with a number of electronic resources such as e-books and audio books of children's literature. In addition, IC has also been actively building an "Online Platform for Reading for All", regularly launching activities such as "Books for Books" and "Limited Time POP-UP Library" to build a stable book exchange platform in the community, increase the circulation of reading resources in the community, and promote the concept of "reading enriches life".
Located on the 1st floor B of Tower 2, Ilha Verde Square Building, 122 Li Po Chun Street, Ilha Verde Square Library is open from 2pm to 8pm on Mondays and from 8am to 8pm from Tuesday to Sunday (closed after 2pm on Chinese New Year's Eve and public holidays). For enquiries, please call (853) 2882 7101 during the service hours of the IC Public Library counters, or visit the IC Public Library website (www.library.gov.mo) or the "My Library" mobile application.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the Adviser to the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Lo Ho-chi, representatives of associations and the industry.
Press kit and some photo sources: Cultural Affairs Bureau