Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has pledged to “optimise” public libraries’ facilities, considering that some of its libraries have insufficient equipment and facilities, Taipa and Coloane Community Service Consultative Council member Si Lai Kuan said yesterday.
Si made the remarks during a press conference after a regular closed-door meeting at the Seac Pai Van Community Complex (石排灣社區綜合大樓) in Coloane yesterday.
For instance, Si said, the public libraries in Taipa and Coloane enjoy high visitor numbers but are affected by insufficient seating and outdated facilities. For instance, Si pointed out, the children’s section of Taipa Library is usually overcrowded after school, and also faces hardware issues such as old air conditioning units.
Si said that that the IC official who attended yesterday’s closed-door meeting said that Taipa Library’s seating would be increased, while equipment such as computers and air conditioning units would be gradually replaced while, at the same time, self-service options would be promoted.
Leong Chon Kit, a deputy convenor of the Taipa and Coloane Community Service Consultative Council, told reporters in a post-meeting briefing that a comprehensive review of all public libraries hardware was planned, including updating ageing computer equipment, reorganising book layouts and improving environmental equipment, such as the recent space adjustment at Seac Pai Van Library to add seats. Moreover, Leong said, book selection at the Coloane Library would be adjusted, taking into account the age demographics of the outlying islands (Taipa and Coloane), which would, for instance, increase the number of books on health and wellness issues.
Leong pointed out that about 73 percent of local residents have utilised public library services. In 2024, public libraries recorded over 2.7 million visits, representing a 9 percent year-on-year increase, Leong underlined, adding that the number of book borrowers saw a 3.5 percent year-on-year increase, while the volume of physical book and audiovisual borrowings remained unchanged from 2023 levels, according to a 2024 survey commissioned by the Macau Polytechnic University.
Leong added that about 80 percent of the survey’s respondents had read at least one book within the past year, with the annual reading volume and time spent reading remaining, however, “at moderate levels”, adding that residents awarded an average score of 4 out of 5 to Macau’s public libraries, while about 80 percent of the respondents expressed satisfaction or high satisfaction with public library services overall.
Leong Chon Kit (left), a deputy convenor of the Taipa and Coloane Community Service Consultative Council, and committee member Si Lai Kuan pose during yesterdays’ press briefing after the council’s closed-door meeting with Cultural Affairs Bureau’s (IC) officials at the Seac Pai Van Community Complex (石排灣社區綜合大樓) in Coloane. – Photo: Ida Cheong
