Macao residents’ need for cultural facilities has increased with the number of public library service users. Hence, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will commission the University of Macau to conduct the Macao Public Library Survey 2015 to evaluate the general need for public library services from the perspectives of current library service users and Macao residents, from November to December this year. A number of new Macao Central Library venues under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau have been completed and put into service, thus extending the network of public libraries to various districts of Macao. IACM libraries will also be merged with the system under the Bureau. Consequently, the Bureau intends to conduct the relevant survey to collate the statistical information about current and future use of and need for public libraries. The questionnaire comprises two parts – namely, ‘Survey of Public Library Users Needs and Opinions for Library Service’ and ‘Survey of Macao Residents Needs and Opinions on Library Service’. Random sampling surveys will be conducted by telephone, registering needs and opinions on various items, including the use, opening hours, locations, collections, services, facilities, electronic information and promotional activities of public libraries. Personal information provided by interviewees will only be used for statistical analysis and will be kept strictly confidential. The Cultural Affairs Bureau hopes to understand residents’ current use of Macao public library services as well as users’ expectations and needs for the current service and future development, for the analysis of Macao residents’ reading habits and optimisation of current services and facilities. It will also serve as a concrete reference for the future development of public libraries and relevant research into library services. For details, please refer to the Macao Central Library website: www.library.gov.mo; in addition, residents may contact the Bureau through tel. no. (853) 2837 7117 during opening hours for any enquiries about the survey. The opening hours of the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library is 10:00-19:00 (Monday to Saturday) and 11:00-19:00 (Sunday).
