MACAU, March 11 - In order to promote the reading habits as well as to encourage residents who love reading to meet friends through books and share their resources, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will hold the “Book Exchange” activity of the 2022 “Macao Library Week”. The book collection for the activity will be held from 14 March (Monday) to 17 April (Sunday), from 2pm to 8pm on Monday, and from 8am to 8pm from Tuesday to Sunday, excluding on public holidays. All are welcome to participate.

Residents interested in participating in the “Book Exchange” activity can bring their book collection to the Macao Central Library, the Library in Ho Yin Garden, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, the Patane Library, the Red Market Library, the Mong Há Library, the Ilha Verde Library, the Wong Ieng Kuan Library in Areia Preta Urban Park, the S. Lourenço Library, the Taipa Library, the Seac Pai Van Library and the Coloane Library and receive the “Stamped Scorecard”. On 30 April and 1 May, the promotion day of the “Macao Library Week”, residents can exchange books of equivalent value at the venue of the “Book Exchange” at the Old Court Building located in Praia Grande and the Seac Pai Van Library.

The method for book collection is as follows: the staff will categorise the books according to their original price. The scoring method is one point for every MOP10 and the score for books worth less than MOP10 will be rounded off; the price of each book is calculated separately and for each point the scorecard will be stamped once. The maximum score for each book or set is 100 points, and the books without price indication will be valued at MOP10. Textbooks, exercise books, magazines, indecent publications, books related to religion, calligraphy copybooks, IT books published over one year ago, travel books published before 2020, audio-visual materials, promotional materials, pirated books and periodicals (in violation of copyright laws), damaged and soiled books, incomplete collections and books with inside pages inscribed are not included in the scope of this book exchange. Only individuals can participate in this activity; the participation in groups is not accepted.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau will disinfect the books of the “Book Exchange”　activity, strictly follow the relevant anti-epidemic guidelines of the Health Bureau, and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. In cooperation with the epidemic prevention efforts of the SAR Government, all visitors must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, scan the Venue QR code (venue code) and present a valid “Macao Health Code” of the day, maintain social distancing, and comply with the anti-epidemic and crowd control measures on site.

For enquiries, please contact the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library through tel. no. 2893 0077, the Macao Central Library through tel. no. 2855 8049 or the Taipa Library through tel. no. 2884 3105, during counter service hours (closed on Monday mornings) or visit the website of the Macau Public Library ( www.library.gov.mo ).