Hong Kong Library Festival 2021

Here you come, a feast of light and shades is awaiting you. Amidst the ups and downs of life, thank you books for always being there for us, bringing us joy and pleasure, inspiration and enlightenment, hence relieving us from stress and anxiety. By taking up the theme of “Joyful Reading．Libraries for You”, the 3rd Hong Kong Library Festival shows its determination to pass down the joy of reading and to connect with readers at every corner. With on-site interactive activities, multimedia arts exhibition and numerous online programmes, it further explores the various possibilities of reading with everyone.

The Hong Kong Public Libraries has been our genuine friends for almost six decades, and this year we celebrate the 20th  anniversary of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL). WANG Yang-ming, the renowned neo-Confucian philosopher, once said, “both the flowers and you are in a state of ‘solitude’ when you don’t notice them. But when you see them, you become aware of their colours and the flowers are no longer outside your mind.” So are the books! Do come and explore the hidden document treasures and library collections so as to bring books and reading to life.

Dear reader, please indulge yourself in reading and being with books. The Festival this year is a blast with light and shades coming from four aspects, namely “LIGHT Interaction”, “EnLIGHTenment”, “DeLIGHTful Reading” and “LIGHTen the Mood”. To begin with, “Feel in the___________” Interactive Exhibition of “LIGHT Interaction” is the highlight of the Festival not to be missed for it unveils the precious Documents Collection in five forms of interactive experience. Jointly staged by the Library Festival and New Vision Arts Festival, the multimedia arts exhibition "It All Begins with a Word" to be held in the HKCL is divided into four visual spaces, where words are animated by moving image and dance. To experience “EnLIGHTenment”, rare books and special collections will help us discover all kinds of ancient wisdom and wit, while information gathered from the Multimedia Information System is going to show intelligence and knowledge of the time. Nothing is more precious than “DeLIGHTful Reading” with families and friends. On-site activities and featured workshops held in the HKCL and library branches as well as online programmes such as “Online Reading Club” hosted by Su Hei and Annie Chiang will bring us the joy we need. Not only does reading “LIGHTen the Mood” of ours, but Slashers will also be inspired to advance further in their professional life by words and phrases. Reading surely enriches our life while nourishing our souls.

Here you come, the feast is about to begin. Stepping into the 60th anniversary, the Hong Kong Public Libraries in 2022 is becoming even more exceptional and bringing forth a lot more joy when we are reading alone, or together.