The recent discussion regarding the “$900 million New Central Library” has brought this once quiet project back to the public’s attention, as well as triggering some heated debates. This column usually focuses on reading, but this time, let’s talk about the place behind reading – the library.
The plan to convert the Old Court House building into a central library was conceived in 2003. The initial plan only included the Old Court House, with the former Judiciary Police building being added to the project later. With the change of facilities, the lack of progress in planning and the proposed budget, it is not surprising that the issue has become a hot topic. But optimistically speaking, the public debate should be able to push for improvements to the new library, making it more satisfying for residents once it is opened.
The two basic functions of a library are to collect books and to lend books. This is especially important considering Macau does not have many bookstores (it is even more difficult and expensive to buy books of foreign languages in Macau). Given the current housing prices, it is also increasingly difficult for residents to dedicate space in their homes to book collections.
Moreover, Macau society is mainly comprised of Chinese, and there is not a rich non-Chinese book collection in the city. According to the statistics of the Macau Public Library, there are around 140,000 Chinese books for lending in the current Central Library of Macau, while the number of non-Chinese books for lending is only a bit more than 24,000. I believe if we consider Portuguese and other minor languages (there is a certain portion of the Macau population who speak Tagalog and Thai), the number would be even smaller.
As a result, in order to foster residents’ reading habits, quality and vision, high quality public libraries are essential. It is necessary for the public libraries of Macau to improve in both quality and quantity. But a lack of space is believed to be the major hurdle.
Of course libraries are for more than just collecting and lending books. With the digital age and the increasing popularity of the Internet, the library is no longer the only channel for acquiring knowledge. The role of public libraries has to constantly evolve and re-adjust, not only to preserve and utilize the resources, but also to focus on the development of cultural services in the future in order to satisfy and guide the ever-growing cultural needs of the general public.
According to the information released by the government, the new Central Library will have 11 levels, housing book collections, a Macau documents centre, a special documents collection facility, a children’s library, a service area for visually disabled people, a black-box theatre, a gallery, a judiciary museum, a bookshop and several multi-function meeting rooms. I believe the new Central Library Macau will be Macau’s first library to have all these facilities together, and will properly respond to the library’s transition from the role of book collector and lender to the provider of cultural services.
As we debate the new library, we should escape from the dichotomy between supporting and opposing the project, but should further examine the fostering and promoting of Macau’s reading culture. I hope that everybody can participate in this debate and build a new Central Library together that truly belongs to Macau residents.
