Hong Kong Central Library

Wow! This place is amazing. When the first time I set in here, it feels like being in a shopping mall. Escalators, many floors, etc.
The best part is that there is a large selection of english books, and plenty of open spaces (with wifi and power) to work/​study at (this is very handy for freelancers or students who want to save money on coworking spaces or cafes).

Just wow. There are 10 levels and umpteen pages of awe and knowledge. And a plethora of computers, of course. But the HK Central Library will forever have its place in my heart. I walked around, ooh-​ing and ahh-​ing like a child at Disneyland for the first time. The variety and range of books is vastly impressive – and people actually make use of them! This place truly inspires me to read and learn. Definitely recommend for a visit if you’re in HK.

I love, love, love this library!
Maybe I’m over exaggerating, but it’s because they have the most selections of English books I could borrow, and this library is also the largest public library in Hong Kong.
12 floors of beauty. It’s actually a really, really nice building. I can see myself spending hours and hours in this place because it’s so spacious and big.
There are many computers to use, and there are self-​service counters to check out materials yourself instead of having someone doing it for you. Pretty neat.
Also, you can only check out books for 2 weeks, or renew it via online or counter if someone has not reserved the book.

Hey Central Library, how are you doing?
I’m doing well. It’s been a long while since we last met, and to be honest, it’s been a long while since I met any of your fellow libraries either. But hey, back in the days when you were first here, we saw each other almost every day, wasn’t it? Those were the days.
You know that I liked to skip all the floors and go to the top, where it was less about the kids and seniors, but more about students coming here to study. You couldn’t sleep or leave your belongs behind for too long, which made you distinguishing yourself from other study rooms and libraries. It was a tough time, but I did spend a good time here.
And the books. How I liked them. You are rich in collections, and the fact that you have sections of special books where the they can be read on-​site only (but not available for borrowing) makes that the biggest reason to come. It means that the books are almost always available, regardless how obscure they are.
For sure, there are the Internet, Amazon, Kindles, blogs, micro-​blogs, Twitter, and general public’s attention span shrinks from a proper novel to a 6-​second Vine video. But hey, you still have me. I’ll certainly come by again next time, and I’ll definitely find books that are not available on the Internet or whatsoever.
From your old-​school book reader.

This is great library right by Victoria Park.
If you are travelling and need a quick place to check your emails, they have computers on alternate floor for you to use. Go to the higher floors so you don’t have to wait.
The library itself is very open and does not feel stuffy at all.
I like going to their Special Collections section to check out whatever they have there.
Great place to spend an afternoon away from the heat and humidity.

Living in the New Territories, I was an absolute idiot about the things outside my comfort zone. Hong Kong Island was a complete stranger to me, and it’s still true now to a certain extent even though I always commute to my school there — well honestly I’m just familiar with the things about 300m around, or even less. Anyway, talking about the Hong Kong Central Library, I remember I went to there for the first time when I was F.2. I attended a seminar about a writing competition and met several local Chinese writers. Without smartphones, I just had two pictures in hand — one for the map and the other one for the bus info. Luckily the bus stop was exactly next to the library so it was quite easy to get there.
The library is huge indeed. I particularly loved its shape as a gate. Right, that’s the Gate of Knowledge leading us to the wonders of books. When I got in, I was utterly stunned — «is this really a LIBRARY?» In my dictionary, that place could be considered as a shopping mall — the number of storeys, the escalators and elevators connecting between various floors, and most importantly, its spaciousness… I was such an ignorant girl who couldn’t believe my eyes at that time. Then I headed to the Lecture Theatre and immersed myself in the realms of creative writing, and left right after the event… Sadly I didn’t think of exploring the library for a while.
Two years later I went to the library again. This time I really needed to explore as I had to find some relevant materials for my History SBA essay. Again, this was gigantic — not only the size but also the range of books it provided. It isn’t just confined to what I can find in ordinary libraries like children’s and adults’ readers. You can definitely find what you want here. For my topic on Nazism and Fascism during the Second World War I could find a stack of books there, so the experience will be completely different — it doesn’t really take your time to search for one particular book, but you need to spend your time searching for the books which are the MOST appropriate — as your quota matters. Don’t worry if you need to stand there choosing your books, you can take a couple of them and read them on the comfy sofas. It’s much more relaxing than what you do in those typical libraries. So book-​lovers, this is where you can’t live without!

This place is a beast. It’s huge. When you first come into this library, it can be quite daunting. The atrium is wide and open, and brightly lit. The signage isn’t great, but once you come a couple of times, it becomes easy to navigate your way around.
So, how to review a library. It is big, has books, and places to read — errr? What I enjoy the most about HK libraries, is that you don’t need to be a member to enter them. You don’t even need to be a HK ID card holder or anything. The reason I mention this is because it is a really good place to pick up wi-​fi. The government portal in all the libraries is fast and robust, which makes it an ideal place to work for us locals, as well as good place for travellers to pick up their e-​mails or keep in touch with home.
Unlike some of the other HK libraries, the system for finding a place to work can be a bit confusing. The work spaces are little cubicles, which at school we used to call horse boxes, and can only sit one person at a time (or two very thin kids). They are based throughout the library, but most on the first and second floor. To get to use these spaces, you have to go to the info counter, sign in, and get a «card», a credit card laminated thing. You then display this card on your desk as you occupy it. If you don’t, the security staff can move you on.
As well as this very conducive work environment, and of course the books, the library also lends CDs. These are free of charge from the library they are located in, or chargeable (HKD25) if you need them delivered from another location, which you can do online. You can also just listen to these CDs in the library if you have your headphones.
Have fun, and go do some work — quietly, this is a library after all.