A design library - the first of its kind in the city - is slated to open in June. The InnoCentre Resource Centre, to occupy about 1,000 sq ft of the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong, is being established by the government-funded Hong Kong Design Centre. It has been hailed as a big step towards bringing design closer to the public. To start, it will offer a modest collection of design books reflecting a variety of disciplines, including fashion and interior design, as well as magazines from around the world. Hong Kong designers may also have their data posted on a web-based design directory to enable users and companies to search for the type of designers they need. All the facilities will be opened to the public for free. There are no plans to lend out resources. Organisers hope the library will raise public awareness about design and provide research support to local designers. It will cost about HK$1.6 million to set up, while the initial running cost of the design directory is expected to be HK$300,000. Allan Chiang Yam-wang, chief executive officer of the Design Centre, described the new facility as a one-stop centre for those seeking design reference material. He said the web directory, to be launched next month, would aim to provide a platform that matched up firms and designers. Law Pui-yin, who is a jewellery design student at the Institute of Vocational Education, said she was looking forward to the centre opening, as collections at school libraries were inadequate and not always current. 'Design books are very expensive,' Ms Law said. 'Even those available on the mainland can cost at least 100 yuan to 200 yuan each. Imported design books in Hong Kong cost at least HK$300 to HK$400. They fall outside our budget.' She hoped the library would have a wide variety of design books and frequently update its archives of magazines and periodicals, especially those from Italy and Japan. 'With a library like that, we can also read books of other design disciplines, which will help us get inspired.' Local fashion designer May Yang, who has her own brand called maymayking, hoped the public and the business sector could make the most of the new offerings. 'I hope they can have a long-term plan for the development of the centre so that it can become a networking spot,' she said. 'Operators [of the directory] will have to do more promotion so that people know about this sourcing platform.'
