FEATURE

◎ TEXT_Shirley Sun　◎ ILLUSTRATOR_KAY　◎ PHOTOS_Wong Sio Kuan

This special feature will showcase the diversity and accessibility of services provided by the Public Library through a variety of activities. Through the “Where Culture Flourishes, Happiness Happens” - “Mobile Library” Outreach Services initiative, the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau extends library services to outdoor spaces and residential neighborhoods, allowing more readers to access reading resources easily and conveniently. They use the “10-Minute Reading Corner” to demonstrate the possibilities of integrating reading into everyday life. Through the “10-Minute Reading” Incentive Scheme, they encourage residents to use fragmented time to develop reading habits. Through the “Book Delivery Service,” they care for communities with special needs and expand the coverage of reading services.

Finally, by combining four activities - the “Where Culture Flourishes, Happiness Happens” - “Book for Book”, the “Where Culture Flourishes, Happiness Happens” - “Introduction to Macao Public Library Resources and Services” Community Exhibition, the “Fun Reading Guide for Seniors - Reading Outreach Activity in Elderly Communities” and the “Health & Wellness Station” – this feature highlights a multi-faceted approach covering resource exchange, service introduction, senior reading, and healthy living, ultimately bringing the joy of reading into various community settings.

In response to the Regulation to Promote Public Reading, the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau has once again rolled out the “Where Culture Flourishes, Happiness Happens” - “Mobile Library” Outreach Service starting this April. This initiative delivers library resources and convenient services directly into communities, seamlessly integrating reading into residents’ daily lives.

One Mobile Library, Three Core Functions

The “Where Culture Flourishes, Happiness Happens”–“Mobile Library” Outreach Service provides readers with on-site book reading, the “Story World” activities, and library card applications, enabling readers to enjoy reading freely and comfortably.

1.On-Site Reading

The on-site display features a diverse selection of reading materials spanning various genres– ranging from children’s picture books and fiction to home recipes – offering residents a rich and varied reading experience.

2. “Library Card” Application Service

Convenient on-site application services for the  “Library Card” are available at the venue. This enable residents to complete the registration swiftly, making subsequent book borrowing effortless.

3.“Story World” Activities

Storytellers bring tales to life with expressive narrations, fostering a warm family reading atmosphere where parents and children can immerse themselves in stories together.

Leisurely Reading in a Relaxed Atmosphere

The event venue is thoughtfully equipped with outdoor reading facilities, including camping chairs, rugs, and reading tables. By extending the library experience outdoors, it creates a casual, relaxing urban reading space for the public.

Flexible Pop-ups Brightening Every Community

In the coming months, the “Mobile Library” will continue to leverage its mobility to launch outreach pop-ups across various neighborhoods, bringing the joy of reading into every street and alley.

Ms. Tai, who was accompanying her grandson to the Macao Science Center that day, was drawn to the Mobile Library along the way. She was deeply impressed by its thoughtful layout, noting that the combination of reading tables and camping chairs made outdoor reading cozy. As an avid reader of wellness and lifestyle books, Ms. Tai was holding a soup recipe book and smiled, expressing her hope to master a few new recipes for her family to enjoy. She mentioned that if a Mobile Library event were hosted near her residence, she would make a special trip to attend. Furthermore, she suggested that the government put up promotional posters in local community, ensuring that those less familiar with the internet can easily access information about upcoming events.

Making Reading an Easy, Everyday Leisure Choice: A Pilot Site of the “10-Minute Reading Corner”

To encourage reading among all citizens, help residents cultivate sustainable reading habits, and extend cultural resources to the grassroots level, the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau officially launched a community-based reading installation – the “10-Minute Reading Corner” – in April 2026. Residents can simply open the cabinet door to pick up a book and enjoy a short read in a cozy corner of the neighborhood, adding a touch of joy and warmth to everyday life.

Blooom Coffee House, a prominent local specialty coffee brand, is one of the pilot sites of the “10-Minute Reading Corner”. Mr. Kenny Chan, the Operations Director, noted that he and his partner observed that customers typically have a few minutes of downtime between placing an order and collecting their drinks – a gap most people habitually fill by scrolling through their mobile phones. The introduction of the “Reading Corner” aims to provide customers with an opportunity to unwind, step away from digital screens, and reconnect with the soothing power of printed books.

The curated selection of books centers primarily on coffee culture and healthy dietary lifestyle topics. Alongside serving premium beverages, Blooom hopes these reading materials will enable customers to deepen their appreciation of coffee, while fostering potential talent for the local food and beverage industry in the long term.

The branch seamlessly integrates reading into the overall customer journey by blending it with the café’s distinct atmosphere. Through the use of light, upbeat music soft lighting, the café has designed a natural workflow that connects ordering, dining, and reading behaviors, so that reading naturally becomes part of the customer experience. Staff also proactively remind customers at the counter that books are available for browsing, encouraging them to enjoy a well-deserved break in a dedicated reading space. Kenny observed that the “10-Minute Reading Corner” has successfully prompted waiting customers to set down their phones and pause to flip through a book.

In Kenny’s view, the “10-Minute Reading Corner” capitalizes perfectly on the spatial dynamics of waiting areas, offering patrons a meaningful alternative to pass the time. He suggested that such reading corners should not be confined solely to cafés, cultural and sports facilities, or traditional leisure areas. Instead, they could be expanded into other indoor public spaces. This expansion would not only enrich local leisure and tourism offerings but also strengthen family-friendly elements, further promoting reading for all and supporting Macao’s vision of developing into a vibrant “City of Reading.”

The “10-Minute Reading Corner” installation inside the store

Interviewee Kenny Chan

Pilot Sites for “10-Minute Reading Corner”

At present, there are six pilot sites for the “10-Minute Reading Corner”, comprising four locations in Macao and two in Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Spanning public cultural venues, hospitals, leisure areas, and specialty shops, these sites enable residents to unwind and recharge through reading during their fragmented pockets of time. For more event information, please scan the QR code.

More details

3. “10-Minute Reading” Incentive Scheme

In response to the Regulation to Promote Public Reading and in celebration of “World Book and Copyright Day”, the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau launched the “10-Minute Reading” Incentive Scheme on April 23, 2026. Centered around dedicating just 10 minutes a day reading, the Scheme encourages residents to cultivate sustainable reading habit step by step. The initiative operates in conjunction with the Public Library’s official mobile app, “My Library.” Participants can earn points and redeem rewards by completing the following designated tasks.

1.E-book platform

2.10-Minute Selected Reading List

3.Library Materials Borrowing

4.Reading Promotion Activities

Registration for the program closed on May 23, 2026, and the activities are scheduled to run from June 1 to November 30, 2026. The Scheme has received and enthusiastic public response, successfully drawing around 2,500 registrants.

More details

The “Book Delivery Service” launched by the Public Library of the Cultural Affairs Bureau focuses closely on meeting the reading needs of special communities. By breaking through spatial and mobility constraints, this service proactively delivers library collections to social welfare organizations, ensuring that citizens who face difficulties visiting public libraries can enjoy rich reading resources on an equal footing. Caritas Macau Sunshine Center (hereinafter referred to as the “Sunshine Center”) is one of the key beneficiaries of this initiative. By leveraging this program, the center has established a dedicated reading platform for its members with physical disabilities, helping them enrich their inner lives and smoothly integrate into society.

Mr. Lio Kin Tong, the Activity Coordinator of the Sunshine Center, explains that the institution has participated in this service since 2020. Books are rotated approximately every two months, with around 200 volumes borrowed per cycle. Mr. Lio points out that purchasing books often poses a significant financial burden for the institution, and it is challenging to buy a wide enough variety to cover all the diverse interests of the trainees. Through the “Book Delivery Service”, the Public Library provides a wealth of books that far exceeds the institution’s purchase budget. As a result, the collection in the Sunshine Center’s reading corner has continued to expand, incorporating new genres such as Go (Weiqi) and mountaineering. This keeps the reading experience fresh and helps individuals access information outside their immediate daily circles.

Mr. Lio also outlines the practical borrowing workflow: first, on behalf of the institution, he coordinates a convenient time with the library staff. Afterwards, he visits the library alongside one or two trainees who have expressed an interest in picking out books. The Public Library staff then pack the curated selection into cartons and arrange for a delivery truck to transmit them directly to the center, where they are placed on the shelves.

The Sunshine Center’s reading corner is prominently set up in the main lobby, where the center’s owned collection and the borrowed books are categorized clearly for easy access during rest hours. Furthermore, Mr. Lio has established a structured operational mechanism for the reading corner modeled after a small-scale library. Trainees are tasked with registering check-outs and returns, inspecting book conditions, maintaining regular deadlines, and performing inventory counts. This simulated library routine helps individuals learn and adapt to social rules. In tandem with this, social workers organize routine group activities where participants select books aligned with specific themes and share their reading insights. This encourages personal expression and active listening, effectively honing their interpersonal communication skills

The Public Library provides the Book Delivery Service to target beneficiaries:

1. Non-profit organizations and schools: First-time applicant organizations must submit a formal written application to the Public Library. Upon approval, a library card with a 10-year validity period will be issued. Organizations can borrow up to 200 items per cycle to be offered free of charge to their members or students.

2. Individuals with Disabilities via Social Welfare Referral: For members with physical disabilities registered under rehabilitation service organizations, the Public Library will deliver reading materials directly to their residences based on referrals provided by the organization (including details such as selected titles, names, contact numbers, and delivery addresses).

More details

1. Book for Book

More details

2. “Introduction to Macao Public Library Resources and Services” Community Exhibition

More details

3. “Fun Reading Guide for Seniors” – Elderly Community Outreach Activity

More details

4. Health & Wellness Station