Library workers 'insulted'
A provisional urban councillor who attacked book selection for public libraries was yesterday accused of insulting library staff.
Ada Wong Ying-kay had asked why there was only one copy of dissident Wang Dan's autobiography held in libraries but dozens of copies of a book edited by Urban Services director Elaine Chung Lai-kwok.
Assistant Director for Urban Services (Museums and Libraries) Tony Ma Kai-loong told the library committee that stocks were determined by readers' needs.
Provisional Urban Council Vice-Chairman Yip Kwok-chung said Ms Wong's accusation was an insult to library staff because it implied they stocked more books by Ms Chung only to please her.
The Government Librarian Grade Staff Association sent a letter to the committee last Friday to protest against Ms Wong 'smearing and disfiguring the professional image of library staff'.
Council Chairman Dr Ronald Leung Ding-bong said Ms Wong should have raised the issue at their meeting instead of airing views through the media.
Ms Wong described the officials' response as 'emotional'.
