Hong Kong Central Library Introduction

The 12-storey high building occupies a gross area of 9,400 sq. metres and a floor area of 33,800 sq. metres. The construction cost is HK$690 million. It is the biggest library facility among the Hong Kong Public Libraries System.

The arch-shaped entrance at the front elevation of the Hong Kong Central Library represents the Gate to Knowledge, while the graphics in the shape of triangle, square and circle denote different meanings. The circle stands for the sky, the square for the land and the triangle for accumulation of knowledge.

With its commissioning in May 2001, the Hong Kong Central Library not only provides a full range of library facilities on a larger scale, but also provides comprehensive reference and information services to a fuller extent. Other major facilities include self-charging terminals, bookdrop service, information kiosks and Multimedia Information System.

The Hong Kong Central Library is an intelligent building, built on a network flooring system to provide flexibility for the supply of power, telecommunication and further change and expansion. Hong Kong Central Library has been designated as the depository library in Hong Kong for nine international organizations, namely, Asian Development Bank, European Union, International Labour Organization, International Maritime Organization, United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Bank, World Trade Organization and World Food Programme.

All reading tables are provided with power outlets, readers may use their own portable computers to search for the information available on the library system and the Internet through WiFi connection. Readers can also access a wide range of multimedia databases on CD-ROMs and the Internet through the Internet & Digital Service (IDS)  workstations.