Latest arrangements on services of Hong Kong Public Libraries

31.08.2020

The self-service library stations at Island East Sports Centre Sitting-out Area, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Tsuen Nam Road, Tai Wai; and book drop service of the Hong Kong Public Libraries including those located at MTR Central, Kowloon Tong and Nam Cheong stations will resume on 2 September (Wednesday).

Meanwhile, public libraries and their students’ study room, mobile libraries will continue to be temporarily closed until further notice. During the period, public libraries will continue to provide the following online services:

During the temporary closure of libraries, overdue fines will not be generated for late return of library materials, the maximum number of renewal and due date of reservation pick up will be increased and extended accordingly.

Will book drop service be resumed in all libraries?
All book drop service of the Hong Kong Public Libraries (including the book drop service at MTR Central, Kowloon Tong and Nam Cheong stations) will resume on 2 September (Wednesday). During the period when public libraries are temporarily suspended, the book drop service is available 24 hours or during the opening hours of the premises where it is located. Please refer to the attached timetable for details. The concerned loan record will be updated within 48 hours.

What kind of services will be resumed at self-service library stations?
Self-service library stations will resume round-the-clock library services from 8:00 a.m. on 2 September (Wednesday) such as borrowing, return, payment and pickup of reserved library materials.

According to library notice, counting of overdue fines shall be resumed from 20 July. If all libraries shall continue be temporarily closed, what should readers do with the borrowed library materials? Can the overdue fines be waived?
During the service suspension of public libraries, overdue fines will not be incurred. Counting of overdue fine from 20 July has been suspended until further notice. The renewal limit will also be increased temporarily on the library system. Readers may continue to renew the borrowed library materials (whether overdue or not), unless there are reservations on them by other readers.

Why overdue notices were still sent to remind readers of the overdue items and overdue fines if overdue fines will not be incurred during the period of service suspension?
Currently, library notices will only be sent to patrons who have registered for the Library Email Notification Service reminding them to return the overdue items.  As all public libraries have been temporarily closed from 15 July, no overdue fines will be incurred during the period of service suspension.

What should readers do when the reserved library materials could not be collected during the service suspension of public libraries?
The pick-up expiry date of reserved items will be extended through the library system during the period of service suspension of public libraries. Readers can check the revised expiry date by login to their patron accounts online or through “My Library” mobile app. Readers can also contact the library selected as the pick-up location for enquiries.