Central Library | IC defends its position on Old Court site

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has issued a statement reiterating that their plan for the construction of the Central Library is in line with the views of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). Their statement was issued just one week after lawmakers once again scrutinized the rationale behind the Central Library project and goaded the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture into defiantly insisting that the library will be built on the site of the Old Court Building.

The statement also comes just days after Leung Hio Ming was promoted to the position of IC director, suggesting that the new chief will continue the petitioning spearheaded by his predecessor, Ung Vai Meng.

According to the statement, the library, which the IC expects to become “a cultural landmark of the city,” needs to be built in the urban center of Macau as per the IFLA guidelines for small- and medium-sized cities.

By preserving the building’s historic façade and “inner space with distinguishing features,” the Bureau asserts that the Old Court Building’s historical architecture will not be compromised.

“[The project] is particularly important to the city’s cultural development,” noted the IC in the statement. “By selecting the best architectural project, the New Central Library, after its completion in the future, [it] will be an excellent example of a building which harmoniously combines historical and modern architectural features.”

Last week, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam argued that it will be beneficial to use the historical architecture of the Old Court Building in such a “landmark for the territory.”

Cultural authorities say they are paying close attention to the budgeting of the Central Library project, another issue that has been hotly debated during sessions of the Legislative Assembly.

The IC statement indicates that “in the future, following the conclusion of the New Central Library’s in-depth design, a more precise budget will be announced to the public.” This budget will in turn be examined by the Commission Against Corruption and the Commission of Audit. DB

New collection point at public library

An additional collection point for legal deposits to the Macau Public Library has been established at the Taipa Library, according to information released by the Cultural Affairs Bureau. After the legal deposit system begins at several collection points across the city the deposits are then transported to an archive center specifically for local bibliographic material. Publishers in Macau are required to submit a certain number of copies of their publications, including audiovisual and electronic material, to the Macau Public Library. In turn, the library preserves and organizes these publications, which are available to the public for research purposes. The new collection point is located at the Taipa Library on Rua de Seng Tou.