Public libraries are an indicator of a city’s cultural literacy and reflect how civilized a society is. Since China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the policy for managing the city’s libraries has not undergone a thorough evaluation. It is time to review and formulate some new development strategies for libraries, and here are some suggestions:

First, libraries should be developed to cater for technology education and community development. With reference to the “Community Facilities” chapter in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines set out by the Planning Department, “there should also be a district library for every 200,000 persons”. The size and scale of libraries should depend on the populations of individual districts. The Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay and the Kowloon Public Library in Pui Ching Road of Ho Man Tin are, for instance, major libraries. Beneath them, there are district libraries, small libraries, and mobile libraries. All of them are libraries handling books.

Hong Kong’s library policy should fall in line with the latest technology trends and the use of big data. One must not dismiss the fact that one of the main functions of libraries is to facilitate learning and research. Coffee chains have become extremely fashionable among young people who gather and stay at cafes to study and exchange ideas. Therefore, the future development for libraries should center around the culture of community learning and focus on creating a learning environment that keeps up with technological development. By utilizing the technology of the internet and big data, a learning community that could keep up with technological advances can be established.

Succeeding the revamp of district councils announced by the government to spruce up the approaches to district governance, district officers — who will chair the councils starting from 2024 — will become the aldermen to oversee local civil affairs. So how should these district leaders work together with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau? It requires the assistance of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which is responsible for managing all public libraries in Hong Kong. The new library strategy should aim to provide a community learning space for both young people and retirees.

Second, how should we approach the establishment of this sort of community space? There should be several levels. Hong Kong needs to build a sophisticated library that meets national and international standards. It should be designed to be on par with the British Library and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (national library of France). This library of national standards can focus on the digitization of physical books, viz, to digitize and archive documents, collections, newspapers, and magazines systematically. That would allow readers to access all the digital materials 24/7 online. In terms of architectural design, the library should possess various sorts of reading spaces and spaces for communication and public engagement, like a community college of scale. It may even be possible to engage universities in Hong Kong and make use of their campuses, spread across the city, as venues to provide various types of education services. Learning centers of such kind are apt for sustainable development.

Considering the scale of such a national-level library, reference can be made to the Shanghai Library East, which was completed in 2022. It is a public space that combines learning, communication and exchanges, recreation, offices, performing arts, and exhibitions. The prime location for a library at the national level should be the Kai Tak Development (KTD) area. The Metro Park in the KTD area will occupy a total area of 24 hectares, which is 1.4 times the size of Victoria Park. Would it be plausible to build a new national-level library there?

Third, in addition to the national-level library, should there be a community library in each of the 18 districts? These community libraries should be in close proximity to residents’ homes, within a 15-to-30-minute walk. The Housing Department should pilot such campaigns by first expanding the existing study rooms into comprehensive information centers for the community. The centers could also set up stations supported by the Labour Department, the Education Bureau, or other social welfare departments to provide different types of services. With the aging population in a society focused on active aging, retirees in the community would benefit from spending time at the library to enhance their knowledge, and learn new skills such as calligraphy, computer skills, and qigong. It would be equally feasible to set up an academy for the elderly.

Fourth, having young people as their target, small and medium-sized libraries can serve as a platform for furthering their potential rather than simply a place for book storage. Although much information and, hence, knowledge are now accessible online due to technological advances, libraries still have significance for being able to provide a venue for people to learn, read, analyze, and create. Should coffee shops or tea rooms be included in these novel libraries to suit the needs of the youth? Or any other food and beverage options that could go well with reading? With all these facilities, libraries will evolve into a cozier learning environment.

Fifth, Hong Kong could establish “thematic libraries”; for example, a library with a complete collection of Jin Yong’s works, or a popular culture information center or library showcasing Bruce Lee’s martial arts films. These are only some probable suggestions. At the moment, the Hong Kong Film Archive has already collected and archived many of Hong Kong’s films and related materials. In fact, it could be upgraded and transformed into a library illustrating local popular culture. In accordance with a proposal previously put forward by the cultural sector, “a literature museum of Hong Kong” is also an option and could be regarded as a tourism resource.

All in all, Hong Kong needs new development strategies for libraries to enhance the atmosphere for learning and hence youth’s interest in learning. The development of libraries should go side by side with technological, cultural, and social development. It could at the same time provide a cultural space for retirees to enjoy active aging and liveliness.

The author is a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and artistic director of Zuni Icosahedron.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.