Achievements

To enhance resource sharing, the Library joined the new Rapid Book Chapter Service in October 2012. In the first 9 months, the Library lent 222 chapters and borrowed 126. That month, we also expanded electronic document delivery to PG students. This led to a 202% increase in requests for electronic documents from the Library’s print & microforms collection.

In January 2013, with University support, we launched a new Dissertation Purchase Subsidy Scheme. Under this trial Scheme, the University subsidizes ~80% of a dissertation’s purchase cost. The requesting RPG only paid a $60 flat fee. The trial has been extended through 2014, and the fee will be reduced to $30. This service will also expand to cover all dissertation and thesis requests, not just from UMI, but also those held elsewhere in the world.

To support curriculum expansion under 334, the Library’s collection received a strong boost in all areas in the last academic year.

• E-Reference – Most print China yearbooks have been migrated to e-format, giving full-text access to 105 titles in over 2,000 volumes. Added many new e-reference titles (from popular culture to nanoscience).
• eBooks – Thousands of titles were added, with 1,340 Chinese eBooks from Airiti in the pipeline. 2 usage-driven eBook acquisition schemes began, with purchases triggered when use of a book exceeds a set limit.
• Streaming Videos – Critically acclaimed Phoenix TV series, 世紀大講堂 and 開卷八分鐘, Engineering Case Studies, Asian Films in Video and Filmakers Library Supplement strengthened support for engineering and general education.
• Journal Archives and Subscriptions – After analyzing turn-away statistics, the library added four core journal archives: Institute of Physics journal archive (1874- 2002), Springer Mathematics and Statistics Online Journal archive, 3 new JSTOR collections and Shanghai Library’s Mingguo Journals Full-Text Database (1911-1949).

Responding to new reading habits, the Library acquired ten Kindles. We pre-loaded each with 20 popular Ebooks. Within the first hour of announcing the service, all ten were checked-out. They are very popular: (117 checkouts and 174 holds in the first 14 weeks).

Of the Kindle users surveyed, 97% were satisfied or very satisfied with the experience and 89% were satisfied with the variety of titles. With the Provost’s support, the Library has purchased 10 more Kindles and is adding more titles, especially Chinese ones.

The long-anticipated arrival of the double cohort of first year UGs brought challenges and excitement. Following a successful pilot collaboration with the Center for Language Education (CLE) in 2011/12, integrating information literacy instruction into 1st and 2nd year language courses continued and grew. Librarians from Reference and Technical Services taught 84 sessions to 2,870 1st year LANG 1001/1002 students.

In addition, Searching Research Literature Effectively and Academic Integrity & Intellectual Property were offered as a trial run for next year’s Professional Development Course series for RPGs. Overall, library staff gave328 library sessions to 8,321 staff & students (which included other classes for CLE programs, course-related instruction, and open workshops).

To supplement face-to-face instruction and enhance student learning, many course guides were created, often embedded with interactive e-learning objects, such as What is a Citation? and How to Cite in APA Style. Online quizzes were also incorporated into LANG 1001 and 1002 course sites on LMES, helping reinforce learning and test understanding.

In order to enhance our ability to provide excellent information literacy programs and teaching; HKUST Library hosted the first ACRL Immersion Program in Asia, also attended by colleagues from other institutions.

In 2012-13, the Library E-Learning Team created more than 30 e-learning objects to help library users learn conveniently and engagingly. They include short videos on navigating databases, using equipment, and library services such as how to use QR codes to check study room schedules and reserve rooms, and some interactive tutorials and games. Most of the objects are embedded in library guides for courses, databases, and subjects. All of them were mounted on the Library E-Learning page.

In the past year, we also executed several e-learning projects. Notably, we used Wowza software to migrate old video content onto a new Media Streaming Server; we developed an E-learning system platform to host Library-developed e-learning objects; and introduced a Kindle-based e-book circulation capability.

We developed a survey module for Library class attendee feedback and evaluation. Work is continuing on enhancements, including the ability to take attendance, the sharing of RPG attendance data for the Professional Development Course Systems, enhanced statistical reporting, and a publicly accessible view of available Library classes.

Dr. Ko Pui-shuen donated $3 million to the University Archives and Special Collections which funded two projects. The first is to build a gallery to display its rare, beautiful, and ancient items, as well as HKUST’s archival documents. A space next to the Archives and Special Collections reading room is being renovated. Opening in September, it will be named the “Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Ko Pui Shuen Gallery (香港潮州商會高佩璇展閱廳)”.

The second project is to digitize the archival materials, maps, and rare books of the collection. This entailed bringing in a special large format scanner to handle items up to 36 inches wide. As of June 2013, 340 antique maps and 700 HKUST posters were scanned. We are now scanning many rare books, and estimate that by 2015, 250,000 pages of text will be available online.

We developed a new digitization platform to go with the addition of large-scale content digitization of Archives and Special Collections materials: The Rare & Special e-Zone).

Launched in August, this in-house developed platform has a feature-rich search and retrieval interface, a user-friendly content management system, and powerful book, map and thesis viewers for users to navigate the digital objects available.

We put extensive effort into evaluating digitization technologies, selecting appropriate scanning hardware and a companion vendor. Through an optimized workflow organized and managed by Archives and Special Collections staff, 188 antique maps, 135 maps of China, 753 HKUST posters and 100 architectural drawings have been digitized so far. We also migrated over 4,750 HKUST Theses from their previous platform to the e-Zone, and are in the process of scanning rare books on history of science, travelogues of China and thread-bound books.

2012/13 was a year of growth and reflection for the Learning Commons. It transited to 7×24 operation in phases, went through an assessment to evaluate services, supported the heart-warming exam-week Snack Breaks, and became a popular spot that many university units proudly show to visitors.

As an integral part of the Library, the Learning Commons was designed with the ability to provide service when the Library is closed. Its overnight hours and being open during public holidays has truly pleased the university community.

The spring 2013 assessment project (using focus groups, surveys and other tools) found that 90% of its users rated the Learning Commons as “Important” or “Very important”.

The Learning Commons has drawn interest among university guests. It has become one of the most popular stopping points for university visitors. Since opening the LC, the number of Library tours increased over 350%, and the number of visitors increased over 500%.

Three Exhibitions were organized, including “Gorgeous China, The Colorful West”, by Mr Jin Shouxian, along with a well-received Gallery Tour and 3 Talks, with over 250 attendees. “So-lan’s Totem” by Ms So-lan Chiu, who also gave a Gallery Tour, three talks for HKUST members, and more than 10 private talks and tours ( 200+ attended). She also donated five of her works to the Library. “Our Miracle Continues – A Visual Presentation”, was a re-run of the HKUST 20th Anniversary Exhibition and a popular stopping point for VIPs and guests.

The Library hosted six Book Talks:

• Make Every Word Count: Stealing the Secrets of Better Writing from Advertising by Mr Philip Yeung;
• Reading History: Some Virtues and Vices by Dr David Mole;
• Reading about Another Ancient Culture: A Chinese Interest in the History of Jewish People by Dr ZHU Li Jing;
• The Lahu minority in Southwest China: a response to ethnic marginalization on the frontier by Professor MA Jianxiong;
• London – beyond fish n’ chips and Big Ben by Ms Bonnie Chen; and
• 鱷口下的賺錢術 – 8個股市投資致勝法則 by Professor Philip SY Cheng.

“Art Dimensions” began this year. A joint project with UCEO and CFA, it displays student artwork in the Library and creating a Web platform for comments and sharing.

The Library continued its involvement with international associations and cooperatives. We successfully maintained membership in the Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO), remaining the only member in China. We are also full members of the Cooperative Online Serials Programs (CONSER) of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). PCC is an international cooperative effort aimed at expanding access to library collections by providing useful, timely, and cost-effective cataloging that meets mutually-accepted standards of libraries around the world.

In August 2012, we successfully completed the Resource Description and Access (RDA) in NACO training by PCC and were granted independent status. The PCC coordinator sent a complimentary note: “The HKUST Library has demonstrated a high level of competence in RDA authority work, and all of this was accomplished in a very short time. This is an outstanding and commendable achievement”. In May 2013, PCC also granted us independence in Series Authority Record work.

Library Systems staff developed a wide array of tools for Library users and staff.

Most important and widely used is the sophisticated Library Floor Plans interface for desktop and mobile devices. It is paired with a digital signage system, and also integrated into the SmartCAT and the University’s m.HKUST app.

2012 was another busy and event-filled year for Library Facilities. Highlights included:

• Adding an entry gate system for the Learning Commons, which enabled more secure and flexible 24-hour access
• Adding user-controlled ceiling lighting in the ‘point’ area of LG4, allowing more flexible use of this space
• Cutting a second door for access to the LG4 rear terrace, to reduce program interruptions and expand the availability of the terrace for students
• Adding more study tables for the rooftop garden
• Upgrading older group study rooms, starting with wall-mounted display screens for each room
• Adding another couple hundred power sockets for users, especially on the LG levels
• Swapping group study rooms from LG3 to LG4, to reduce conflict with users of the quiet floor

As expected, 334 led to increased use of the Library space and facilities, more breakdowns, and more mess. Extra cleaning was arranged, including shampooing of the Refreshment Zone carpet. In the Learning Commons, these efforts were difficult to plan around the expanded 24/7 operation.

The Library has organized 9 international symposia and conferences in tits first ten years. In 2001, it was Pacific Neighborhood Consortium (PNC) Annual Conference co-hosted with City University of Hong Kong, Academia Sinica in Taipei, and the California Digital Library of University of California at Berkeley.

PNC is an international body formed by institutions of higher education on the Pacific Rim to explore issues of information and technology exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Library completed installing a transparent mechanism for authenticated remote access to the Library’s subscription resources: EZ-Proxy.

For over ten years it has allowed HKUST students, faculty, and staff to use the Library’s subscribed e-resources from any computer connected to the internet, anywhere in the world. This service is one of the most significant parts of creating a true “Library without Walls”. More information available at: http://library.hkust.edu.hk/collections-resources/databases/ezproxy/.

The Library launched the HKUST Institutional Repository (http://repository.ust.hk/), the first institutional repository in Hong Kong and Asia. Created to allow faculty to self-archive their publications, it digitally preserves HKUST’s scholarly research and makes it more accessible.

Using DSpace software, developed at MIT, it complies with the Open Archives Initiative (OAI).  This makes it easier for articles to be discovered by Web search engines, and raises HKUST’s faculty members’ visibility.