Hong Kong Central Library

Hong Kong Central Library
Hong Kong Central Library front view
22°16′47.87″N 114°11′22.30″E / 22.2799639°N 114.1895278°E / 22.2799639; 114.1895278.
Location	66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Type	Public library
Established	17 May 2001; 23 years ago (2001-05-17)
Collection
Items collected	Books, newspapers, periodicals, maps, music scores, audiovisual materials, electronic resources, microforms, and other print and non-print materials
Size	2,300,000 items
Other information
Website	hkcl.gov.hk

Hong Kong Central Library
Entrance to the library. A fountain with a spinning-Top can be seen outside it.
Traditional Chinese	香港中央圖書館
Simplified Chinese	香港中央图书馆
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiānggǎng Zhōngyāng Túshūguǎn Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Hēung góng jūng yēung tòuh syū gún Jyutping Hoeng1gong2 zung1joeng1 tou4syu1gun2

Hong Kong Central Library is the largest library in Hong Kong, flagship library of Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) and used as Hong Kong Public Library headquarters, functioning as the territory's National Library. It is located at the intersection of Moreton Terrace and Causeway Road in Causeway Bay.

Facing Victoria Harbour, the 12-storey high building occupies a gross area of 9,400 square metres (101,000 sq ft) with a floor area of 33,800 square metres (364,000 sq ft). The building cost of the Central Library was HK$690 million ($88 million). The Library's collections amount to one fifth of the Hong Kong Public Libraries System; 2.3 million items out of the total 12.1 million items.

The library's 11th floor houses the HKPL head office.^[1][2] The arch-shaped doorway atop the front facade of the Hong Kong Central Library symbolises the Gate to Knowledge, while the triangle, square and circle which make up the arch all carry further meaning. The circle represents the sky, the square the land and the triangle the accretion of knowledge. When it was originally proposed, the design was controversial and received critiques from Urban Council members.

Additionally, the library has an intelligent building design. Power and data lines reach every corner of the building, laying the necessary foundation for digital service.^[3]