The Audit Commission has called on the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) to step up its efforts to ensure public library materials don't pose a national security threat.

The auditor noted that the LCSD started a preliminary review of library materials in 2021 and that follow-up action is ongoing, including the disposal of any titles that are found to pose a risk of violating the National Security Law.

The commission said that in response to its inquiry, the LCSD said it has more than two million titles in its collection and with complaints coming in from the public, the number that need to be checked is "increasing continuously" and "it was unlikely that there was a clear end date for book examination".

The department also informed the auditor that because of the complexity of content, "there was no standard indicator on the number of days required for completion of examining a library book".

"In Audit’s view, LCSD needs to step up efforts in examining library materials for safeguarding national security and taking the related follow-up actions," the commission said in a report released on Wednesday.

The auditor also urged the library service to try to attract more users.

It said the number of visits dropped from more than 37 million in 2015 to just under 12 million last year.