We were at one of the biggest public libraries in London today. This library serves a multi-ethnic population in SE London. In this part of the capital, there is a thriving community of Cantonese-speakers made up of people with Hong Kong and Vietnamese connections, with two community schools offering classes in Cantonese/traditional script at weekends. Imagine our shock when we went to the "Community Languages" section of the library and found only three "Chinese books" on the shelves, only one of which was in traditional script (and, shock horror, what a title!). We spoke to one of the librarians and realised that they really have no idea about the different needs of people from Hong Kong vis-à-vis people from China. They told us to write to the Library Services Department to request a review of the situation. We will certainly do that.
Just look at the three pathetic books on the shelves. What a sorry sight indeed! We hope all overseas Hongkongers will keep an eye on their local libraries to make sure that the authorities understand that Hong Kong is not China and that Hongkongers have their own unique culture and needs. After all, those libraries are funded by your hard-earned money..
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