Ellie Cheung
School Libraries Liaison Officer
During the SARS period, school libraries were closed
for almost a month due to the school suspension. After sharing with
some school librarians, it was found that the role of school libraries
in cultivating students' reading habits was not stopped by the spread of
SARS. Though the schools were closed, school libraries continued
to play this role by organizing online promotional activities.
Several online quiz competitions were held to encourage students to read more at home. Through asking questions on different subject areas, it aroused students' interest to read different types of books. Students were also asked to recommend good books via the school intranet.
The Faculty of Education, Chinese University of Hong Kong developed a reading website "To read one article a day" (translated from Chinese website website "¨C¤é¤@½g") to support primary and secondary students to learn and read at home during school suspension. Students' attitudes and the learning mode were substantially changed. The internet played a vital role in supporting students' self-development and self-learning at this tough time.