We finally got round to visiting the Central Library today. I've been meaning to have a look for a while now because I've discovered that books are very expensive here. I'm really missing used bookstores (hey there, Half Price Books!) and the generous discounts on new books at Amazon.com. So far, I've located only three used bookstores in Hong Kong, and new books are marked up a bit from the list price.The Central Library is in Causeway Bay. To have some variety in our transportation, Andy and I decided to take one of the charming double-decker trams there, as it stops more or less right in front of our house and goes directly to the library. Here's the tram approaching the stop:
Although the tram is very slow, it's cheap (HK$2, or about 25 cents, regardless of distance). It's also scenic, especially if you go to the top deck. That is, when your view is not blocked by Hong Kong's other double-decker transport, the city bus:
The library is a modern 12-story building facing Victoria Park, constructed in a pleasant, open-air design. Its big windows provide broad views of the city. You could really spend all day there, as it has free wi-fi, plenty of tables and seating areas, and a Delifrance cafe with an outdoor terrace. It also has a gift shop and exhibition space.As you might expect at the city's main library, it was pretty crowded when we were there. Every desk and cafe table was occupied by a uniformed student who was either studying or sleeping. The lounge areas were taken over by the older folks reading newspapers and magazines. Even the exhibition space was crowded, as it was hosting a career fair.
The library has both English-language and Chinese-language books, in separate sections. Regarding the Chinese books, I was curious about one thing: Without an alphabet, how does one impose order on books? How can you look up a book by an author with the last name of 黃, for example? I don't know the answer, but I did see that the good ol' Dewey Decimal System is used here. So even though I don't know the titles to these books, I know that they deal with science, since they are in the 500s:
Like most modern libraries, this one has an online catalog system. You can choose to operate it in either Chinese or English.
If you choose Chinese, you now have the problem of entering Chinese characters into the search engine. Instead of using the keyboard, you use this stylus and electronic tablet. Apparently, this is often how Chinese characters are entered electronically on computers. I thought it was very clever.
As for English-language books, I was happy to see that the library has plenty of them, both fiction and nonfiction. I picked out a book and then went over to main desk get my library card. You can get an actual library card, or choose to use your official Hong Kong ID card as your library card. I opted for the ID card -- it's one less thing I have to carry.Then I checked out my book using one of the self-serve kiosks. No waiting in line; just insert your ID or library card, scan the book's barcode, and get the receipt. If I want to renew the book, I can do it from my laptop via their online service. In fact, the next time I want to check out a book, I can do it all from the Internet as well. I can access their online catalog, reserve the book, and then just go in to pick it up.
Still though, I miss the pleasures of wandering around among acres of shelves in a bookstore, coffee in hand, followed by the thrill of bringing home a stack of books to read and add to my library. Of all the things I miss from the U.S., this is one of the things I miss the most.
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