Name: Book A Space (facility booking)

Date: from 09:30am to 12:00noon, 26 Nov 2019

Cause: System Enhancement

Name: Book A Space (facility booking)

System has resumed at 17:00 on 13 Nov, 2019

Title: Exambase

Date & Time: from 9:30am on 18 Sep 2019

Cause: a storage issue

Estimated resume time: 11am, 20 Sep 2019

Introducing uPrint service at the Libraries

The University Libraries is pleased to announce the implementation of uPrint service.

The uPrint service is now available in the Main Library and all Branch Libraries.  Developed by HKU Information Technology Services (ITS), uPrint operates on a quota-based system using the HKU staff/student/facilities access card for printing and photocopying on campus.

Benefits of uPrint at the Libraries:

• Flexible and easy to use. You are no longer required to specify the printer to which your print jobs are sent or input any passcode to retrieve your print jobs. You can retrieve your print jobs at any printers by simply touching your staff/student/library card on the smart card pad installed on every machine.
• Latest technology. All our current printers/photocopiers were replaced by brand new machines, enhancing printing quality.
• Unified system. With the adoption of uPrint in the Libraries, the printing and photocopying service is standardized across campus. Undergraduate students can now use their free printing units in the Libraries.
• On-the-go printing. In addition to laptop printing, mobile and tablet printing is supported for both iOS and Android systems.

HKU staff and students with a valid HKU portal account can add printing units (quota) using the HKU uPrint app or use an Octopus card at an ITS Add Value Machines (AVM) or any AVMs in the Libraries.

Library patrons holding a facilities access card or without an HKU portal account can add printing units to their uPrint accounts using the AVMs in the Libraries only.  The Library’s AVMs are located in the Main Library (2/F and Level 3) and in all Branch Libraries.

For more details and technical support, go to: https://lib.hku.hk/techsupport/photocopy.html or feel free to email us or visit any library counter.

New Overnight Open Area Arrangements at the Main Library

Effective from 2 September 2019, the new overnight open area arrangements at the Main Library will take effect as noted below:

The area will be closed for cleaning between 7:30am and 8:30am from Monday to Saturday and between 9:00am and 10:00am on Sunday.

The University Libraries is pleased to launch the Reading Lists Service through which course readinglists can be created for teaching staff.  You are invited to contact your Faculty or Branch Librarians for further details or to have reading lists set up for you.

With the help of ITS, ReadingList@HKUL is now fully integrated and available in all Moodle courses starting from the first semester of 2019-20.

ReadingList@HKUL is a powerful and convenient tool that helps teaching staff create dynamic readinglists that can be shared with students in a Moodle course.  It is fully integrated with the Libraries’ system and HKU Moodle.  Course readings can be set up with ReadingList@HKUL either in the public list at http://readinglist.lib.hku.hk or embedded in courses on HKU Moodle.  With this tool, you can easily build lists to include a wide range of sources such as books, ebooks, online articles, streaming videos or websites.

ReadingList@HKUL, by bridging the Libraries’ system and HKU Moodle, brings the best of both systems to students and enhances students’ learning experiences.  More information about ReadingList@HKUL is available at https://libguides.lib.hku.hk/readinglist.

Peter Sidorko

University Librarian

New Service Hours for the Information Counter

Level 3, Main Library

Effective date: 2 July 2019

Starting from 2 July 2019, the Information Counter, Level 3, Main Library will be in service from 8:30 am to 9:00 pm, Monday to Friday. 

For Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays, the Information Counter will stay open during the Main Library Opening Hours which will remain unchanged.

Main Library Opening Hours: https://lib.hku.hk/general/hours/

For enquiry, please call 3917-2203.

Technology System Maintenance

Date & time: 10 Jun 2019, 07:00 to 08:30

• Service affected: Book A Space

On 19 February 2019, the long-awaited new spaces in the Main Library were officially opened.  Based on the 2^ndFloors, these spaces have been met with great enthusiasm.

Situated on the 2^ndfloor, this new innovative space consists of a number of distinct yet interrelated structural elements.  Ingenium derives its name from the adjective, ‘ingenious’, which evokes invention, imagination, and innovation.  As an interdisciplinary space for exploration and creation, Ingenium is intended to cover notions of inspiration, conceptualisation, visualisation, production and exposition.  These concepts are to be articulated through some of the services and spaces provided:

Exhibition and Event Spaces.  The revamped atrium exhibition space now has a hanging system to enable displays of a variety of objects along with a large screen so that complementary/supplementary images related to the current exhibition can be displayed.  A Multipurpose Area complements the exhibition space and has been used for book talks and other events.  This space is used primarily as students study space but easily converts to cater to events.

Library Innovation Centre.  The Library Innovation Centre or LIC provides a combination of facilities that serve the concepts of visualisation, production and exposition. A Digital Interactive Lab with a large visualization wall comprised of twelve 55” LCD TV that can support data visualization and presentation of high definition images for digital scholarly research and knowledge exchange in meetings, seminars, workshops, instructional classes, etc.  It can also be converted into a discussion area with the provision of a portable digital whiteboard system and whiteboard tables for idea/concept generation.

The LIC also hosts the One Button Studio and related Editing Rooms for self-directed multimedia production.  Further supporting production capabilities there are 3D printers and scanners, laser engraver & cutter and a vinyl cutter.

Tech@Ingenium.  This area focuses on higher and newer technologies with the provision of artificial intelligence and virtual reality spaces and facilities.  These facilities are supported through the 5 Concept and Creation Rooms which provide opportunities for users to learn collaboratively, to brainstorm new concepts, share ideas, work in groups and then to bring these ideas to reality through the other facilities and services.

Special Study Rooms.  Two Special Education Needs (SEN) rooms have been provided as upgrades to the Library’s previous service on the 4^thFloor.  Special Study Room 1 provides facilities and equipment for students with visual impairment, including a braille embosser, an electronic magnifier, a scanner and a printer. Computers in the room are installed with screen reading software in English and Chinese.  Special Study Room 2 provides 3 study carrels, each equipped with twin power sockets, for special education needs users for quiet, individual studying and research.