News & Announcements

Librarian Message re: Update to the Special Collections Access Procedures

On 1st June 2022 the HKU Libraries issued an announcement regarding the procedural enhancements of using the space and materials of Special Collections, which include Chinese and Western Rare Books Collections, limited editions of publications, historic photographs and materials relating to Hong Kong, namely Hong Kong Collection.

Librarian Message re: Special Collections Access Procedure

Due to instances of users’ mishandling, damages and loss of the HKU Libraries’ rare materials within our Special Collections Area in the past, the arrangement is considered to be necessary to protect and preserve our unique, valuable, rare and irreplaceable materials which form our complete collections.

The international best practices of registration for access to special materials are adopted in our libraries. We referenced our Special Collections access procedures to international standards and best practice amongst international peers including The British Library, Library of Congress, Bodleian Libraries of Oxford, Cambridge Libraries, University of Sydney, Harvard University, American Library Association and numerous renowned institutions.

The new booking procedure also ensures priority is given to those who have genuine needs to use the Special Collections. Since the implementation of the booking procedure, the preservation of our materials is improved, less damages are found, and no loss has been reported despite high number of visitors.

We comply with the guidelines of Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) and follow strictly the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Copyright Ordinance to ensure no personal data are compromised and copyrights are infringed. Photoduplication of copyrighted materials at Special Collections is allowed for private study but declaration of reproduction needs signing by users who shall be obliged to the Copyright Ordinance.

We have been actively consulting, acquiring and providing access to materials recommended by faculties and students to support their teaching, learning and academic development through physical and digital means.  We have also been collecting feedback and suggestions from HKU Libraries users and refining the access procedures to enhance our users’ experience. Please contact us at libspeco@hku.hk to help us improve.

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours sincerely,

Flora Ng
Chief Information Officer and
University Librarian

Service affected: Facility Booking System

Date & Time: 1st Nov 2022, 05:00 to 06:00

Scope: Service is not available during the maintenance period

Temporary closure – 5/F & 6/F, Main Library

1 – 14 August 2022

The Main Library 5/F & 6/F Old Wing will be closed for renovation works. There will be no access to the 5/F & 6/F for library patrons from 1 to 14 August 2022.

If you wish to access the 5/F & 6/F collections, please submit your book retrieval request to us with this e-form, https://lib.hku.hk/cgi-bin/check_form/BRR-form

For enquires, please call 3917-2202 or contact libcir@hku.hk.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

We are pleased to let you know that you will be able to use your HKU Student Card for access to the University Libraries until August 31, 2023.

Notes:

• For updated access policy and service level, please refer to: https://lib.hku.hk/index.html.
• The above shall be eligible for access by graduands of the Class of 2022 with their HKU Student Cards until August 31, 2023.
• The access is eligible to the Year 2022 graduands who have already completed their studies in the following HKU programmes: Undergraduate, Taught Postgraduate, Research Postgraduate, Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma. The list does not include HKU SPACE.
• For those graduands who have lost their HKU Student Cards, they can apply for the Facility Access Card by filling in this form.
• For graduands who will be admitted to the HKU postgraduate programmes, when issued with a new HKU Student Card, their level of facility access as postgraduates will override their “Class of 2022” status.
• Kindly find more details at: https://www.newgrads.alumni.hku.hk/facility-access-2022

Librarian Message re: New Graduate Membership Scheme

As HKU Libraries celebrate our 110th anniversary, I am happy to report that we are launching a series of future-ready and user-friendly digital initiatives in an effort to enhance members’ experiences on and off campus.

We are also planning exhibitions, tours, seminars, and book talks to further our engagement with alumni and the public. Please visit here at our event site  for details of some of these activities.  Details of these initiatives and activities will be forthcoming. You are also welcome to visit the HKUL  anniversary website which features the history, memories and virtual tours of the Libraries.

In order to enhance access for alumni, HKUL will launch a HKU Graduate Membership scheme effective 1st September, 2022. Under the scheme, members will enjoy special privileges, including access to the Libraries, the use of workstations, access to e-resources remotely or on-site, as well as borrowing up to forty-eight books and six audio-visual materials. Members will also be invited to exclusive events to meet with writers, authors, and scholars.

All existing categories of graduate users, including Circle of Friends (HKU Graduate Platinum), Borrowers and Readers, will be consolidated into the single HKU Graduate Membership scheme with an annual fee of HK$550.   A 30% discount will be available to members for the first year of the membership.  The fees will support our conservation and restoration projects, allowing us to address the urgent need to preserve our rare and valuable collections.

With the rich legacy of the HKU Libraries, as a knowledge hub and repository of wisdom, HKUL have served our students, staff, alumni, and the entire HKU family for over a century.  I invite you to join us in honouring these memories and continue to help HKUL grow.

Yours sincerely,

Flora Ng
Chief Information Officer and
University Librarian

Librarian Message re: Special Collections Access Procedure 

Jun 2022 

Dear Special Collections Users, 

The HKU Library Special Collections covers a variety of rare and unique materials which are quite fragile. This includes the western rare books relating to early China and Sinology dating back as early as 1588 – Historia della’ China, in Italian. These rare books collections are known as Morrison, Hankow and Charter Collections. Moreover, it contains materials relating to Japanese Occupation in Hong Kong. It also holds the looted library books from HKUL by the Japanese during World War II. Within the Special Collections, we have a unique Hong Kong Collection. 

Hong Kong Collection serves as a permanent one-stop repository of research materials covering all aspects about Hong Kong. Since 1974, we actively collect various kinds of Hong Kong-related publications and materials with the mission of preserving the Hong Kong history and cultural heritage.  We have the most complete Hong Kong Collection globally.  We are proud to support many researchers for Hong Kong studies with our collection. 

 To maximize the longevity of our special collections, the Preservation and Conservation team performs the necessary treatments to stabilize existing damages and prevent further damages. We also perform a wide range of care activities.  All these will enhance the overall value, significance and usage of the collections. The special collections are irreplaceable and invaluable sources for understanding the past, which is the foundation for the future.  

 Access procedures were recently updated to align with international best practice and policies of other international institutions and universities with Special Collections.  We focus on the preservation and protection on unique, valuable, rare and irreplaceable collections.  We need to prevent mishandling, over usage and vandalism.  We also want to ensure the collections and study space are being best utilised by researchers and scholars who need physical access to the collections.  

The official announcement and refined procedures including advance booking of our research desks, are on HKUL homepage. Please refer to this official source directly for details.  We will continue to review our approach as appropriate.  

Regards, 

Flora Ng,
CIO / University Librarian 

Special Collections has launched a new booking system for research desks reservation. Please visit ‘Book A Space’ for reservation or here for the detailed announcement.

To provide the enhanced integrated Media Services experiences across the whole campus, effective Apr 1, the Library Media Services function will be integrated with the Learning Environment Services (LES) Team, powered by ITS and Library.

Exhibiting Hong Kong in London, Part 2

Curated by The University of Hong Kong’s Gary Pui-fung Wong, the Libraries is pleased to present Exhibiting Hong Kong in London, Part 2 at the Exhibition Area, Ingenium, 2/F Main Library from 9 February 2022 to 11 March 2022.

The British Empire Exhibition was held in London in 1924 and 1925. Hong Kong took part, with its own exhibition area – the Hong Kong Section – which was the only comprehensive showcase of Hong Kong to take place in Britain during the colonial era.

This multimedia retrospective exhibition recreates the Section with a three-dimensional model, multimedia projections, and displays of the century-old original artefacts.

Part 1 of this exhibition introduced the basic facts of the Hong Kong Section and evaluated the (mis)representation of Hong Kong’s Chinese communities in the British Empire Exhibition. Part 2 will further evaluate the Hong Kong Pavilion’s architectural design and the involvements of British and European communities in the Section. It will display more items about the Hong Kong Section, as well as other sections of the British Empire Exhibition.

Details of the Exhibition

Date:    9 February 2022 – 11 March 2022

Venue: Exhibition Area, Ingenium, 2/F Main Library, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Time:    During Main Library Opening Hours
Closed on Public Holidays [http://lib.hku.hk/general/hours.html]

For enquiries, please contact: exhibitinghongkong@gmail.com

Website: https://exhibitinghongkong.net/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ExhibitingHongKong

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhibitinghk

* Free admission; register at the Enquiries Desk, 2/F of the Main Library

* HKU requires anyone wishing to enter the campus either to be fully vaccinated or to take weekly self-tests. All visitors are required scan the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s eVT QR code on one of the readers at the entrances of HKU.

Please check HKU’s entrance policy here before visit: https://covid19.hku.hk/announcements/all/2021/12/11231/

The University Libraries will be closed on the following days during the coming Chinese New Year holidays:

The Main Library Overnight Open Area (Library Corner) and the Yu Chun Keung Medical Library 24-hour Study Room will be closed during the Chinese New Year holidays and will be reopened on 4 February 2022.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Flora Ng

Chief Information Officer and University Librarian