Latest arrangements on services of Hong Kong Public Libraries

14.07.2020

In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, all public libraries and their students’ study room will be temporarily closed from 15 July 2020 (Wednesday). All book drop services of the Hong Kong Public Libraries and those located at three MTR stations as well as the self-service library stations at Island East Sports Centre Sitting-out Area, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Tsuen Nam Road, Tai Wai reopened earlier will be temporarily closed from 15 July 2020 (Wednesday) until further notice.

Public libraries will continue to provide the following online services:

During the temporary closure of libraries, all library programmes will be cancelled. 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.

According to library notice, counting of overdue fines shall be resumed from 20 July 2020. If all libraries shall 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 to be resumed from 20 July 2020 shall be suspended until further notice. The renewal limit will also be increased temporarily on the library system and readers may continue to renew the borrowed library materials (whether overdue or not), unless there are reservations on them by other readers.

Overdue fines will not be incurred during the period of service suspension, why overdue notices were still sent to remind readers of the overdue items and overdue fines?
With the resumption of book drop service, self-service library stations and all libraries to normal opening hours from 7 July, the issue of overdue notices was also resumed to remind readers to return the overdue items. As all public libraries will be temporarily closed from 15 July 2020, 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 that are still under temporary closure. 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.