The Macao Central Library, organism under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, celebrated its 120th anniversary on 28 September. In order to mark this occasion, in December, the Central Library organizes a series of activities entitled “Books under the Sun 2015” intended to promote reading and to help citizens create their own ideal reading spaces, establishing a community reading atmosphere. The Library invites all citizens to enrol.
Since its establishment in the 19th century up to today, the Central Library has crossed three centuries, going through numerous vicissitudes and developing until it reached today’s public library structure and collection system, actively aiming to provide better and more convenient public library services to the population. In 1893, the Kingdom of Portugal decided to create a National School and a National Library in Macao, both of which were officially inaugurated two years later. Given that, at that time, resources were not sufficient, the Library existed in name only and was often relocated. At the end of the 1920s, the Leal Senado de Macau decided to grant two rooms of its building to house the National Library; in the 1950s, in fulfilment of the dying wishes of Sir Robert Ho Tung, the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library was officially inaugurated. In the 1980s and 1990s, the National Library witnessed rapid development and moved to a new building in 1983, the current location of the Macao Central Library. In 1994, the National Library was officially renamed “Macao Central Library”, developing from then on and entering a new era. It successfully established several branches in the past ten years, such as the Ilha Verde Library and the Red Market Library. This year, in September, in order to meet the needs of the Taipa citizens and residents, the Taipa Library was inaugurated, thereby extending the Macao Central Library’s services to all communities in the Territory.
On this anniversary, the Central Library launches, in December, the series of activities “Books under the Sun 2015”, intended to promote reading. This name derives from the Chinese designation given by ancient collectors to their own libraries or works, giving an even deeper meaning to book sharing and turning books into a source of knowledge that spread throughout the millennia. This edition of “Books under the Sun 2015” takes as theme the “ideal reading space”, inviting local and foreign experts to participate in themed and photography exhibitions, movie sharing and screenings and literary concerts, among others, boosting the rise of a new interactive system between people, books and spaces, aiming at exploring all the possibilities that may occur between spaces, books and people and stimulating the public to conceive a reading space. These activities are open to the participation and cooperation of the public. More information and the latest news on these activities will be later announced at the Macao Central Library’s web page at www.library.gov.mo.
