April, the month when flowers bloom with beauty, is a good time for students to have a book in their hands. In response to the World Reading Day in April, teachers of the Reading Promotion Section had led more than 20 students from the Joy Book Club and librarians to a field trip. Together, they visited and studied in the library of Macau University of Science and Technology (‘MUST Library’).
Thanks to the warm hospitality of the MUST Library, our students had made a meaningful visit. During the activity, the docent of MUST Library introduced the daily routines and equipment of the library, such as how to make a reservation or access to book lending services through smart phones. The use of the dissertation database was also one of the highlights, broadening students' horizons. As they walked through the stairs, everyone was attracted by the ancient Chinese map-like screen standing in the hall on the first floor and stopped by to take a closer look. It is not surprising that students were amazed by the screen as it has a rich historical background, according to the docent. On the second floor, the docent shared the concepts and methods of books and files organization in the library, inspired by the saying ‘good tools are prerequisite to the success of a job.’ In the process, he also brought out the spirit of "workers who want to do a good job, they must first sharpen their tools"; On the third floor, at the end of the visit, the docent also introduced their Map and Remote Sensing Imagery Digital Archive Project to teachers and students. The content of this project is mainly to collect ancient maps related to Macao from various libraries, archives, museums and other collection institutions around the world. As soon as the students saw the authentic works of these ancient maps, they immediately read it carefully. With the professional explanation of the docent, the students took a geography class that demonstrated historical research data and increased their sense of belonging to the country.
On the way back, the teachers and students felt that this field trip had a positive impact on the students' literacy. With attentive and warm reception of the MUST Library reception team, the trip was eye-opening to our students. Many students still crave for more and even promised to visit again. The teachers also hope that this kind of academic reading extra-curricular activities can be held continuously.





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