Issue 15
Mar 2023
Editor’s note
The renovation project at the Main Library will commence very soon! In this issue, we are going to share with you three questions about this that we have from students and the Library’s responses. Apart from revamping our physical spaces, we have also made improvements to our online discovery system – OneSearch – where we have enabled easy full-text discovery for open access materials. Our Systems Librarian, Sam, will explain how this works in his article.
The Library has long been making an effort to build a strong e-resources collection that reflects the current needs of the HKBU community. With ChatGPT being a hot topic in academia recently, don’t miss out on the insightful analysis available from Gartner that we highlight in this issue. Gartner, a technology research platform, is one of our latest subscribed e-resources. Indeed, representatives from Gartner made an appearance at the E-resources Discovery Week held back in early February, among other e-resources vendors and publishers. Check out our short report on this year’s Discovery Week in this issue too.
Last but not least, we would like to introduce to you our new Head of User and Information Services, Nancy. She joined us in December 2022 – let’s hear her story about how she became a librarian and then a Cluster Head at HKBU Library.
Maggie Wong
Information Services Librarian
Countdown to Main Library renovation of Levels 6 & 7
In two months, we will bid a (temporary) farewell to Levels 6 & 7 of the Main Library. But don’t worry! These floors will remain part of the Library and will be getting a complete makeover. The renovation will be extensive, and it is estimated to be completed in March/April 2024. So, take a selfie in your favourite study spot before these floors close in mid-May (click here to see the latest Project Timetable).
Over the years, Levels 6 and 7 of the Main Library have been mainly used for storing our physical collection, with limited study areas provided on the side. This is at odds with long-term trends in library usage, where we have observed constantly declining usage of our print collection coupled with increasing demand for study space. Also, a significant proportion of the space on Level 7 is on the wings, which can only be accessed via staircases. The renovation will see both a repurposing of the space to meet the University’s current needs plus the installation of lifting platforms to make both Levels fully accessible.
While 60,000 high-usage books from these floors will be kept in the Main Library, most will be moved to off-site storage that will not be pageable. We therefore encourage you to borrow books now to be sure of their easy availability during the renovation.
Of course, you may not know what books you will need at the beginning of the next academic year. Rest assured that you will still be able to use HKALL and Interlibrary Loan to get hold of research materials. The Library is also working to greatly expand its collection of e-books before September 2023 – further details will be announced when available.
We welcome any questions you may have, and we will try our best to answer them and provide assistance. Here are three questions that we have received so far from students:
- I don’t know what research topic I will be working on next year, so how can I borrow books in advance?
- Can we digitize the physical books?
- What can I do if the book I want to borrow is currently on loan?
You can click here to read our responses to these questions. Please feel free to send other questions, comments, or concerns to libref@hkbu.edu.hk.
I am confident that the benefits that the HKBU community will realize from this project will be well worth the temporary inconvenience. For more details and the latest news about the renovation, please visit this webpage: Library Space Enhancement.
Christopher Chan
University Librarian
Unpaywall integration in OneSearch
Have you ever found a journal article record in OneSearch that is relevant to your research project, but it turns out there is no full-text link in the record? Librarians understand the frustration you feel, and that is why we are continuing to improve the user experience in OneSearch.
When searching in OneSearch with the default “Everything” search option, you are searching e-resources subscribed by HKBU Library, where the full-text links are usually provided. However, if you cannot find what you are looking for, you can also search beyond HKBU Library’s collection by enabling the “Add results beyond your library’s collection” option on the right-hand side. Although this is a great way to expand your search, you may find records that do not have any full text.
In order to increase the chance of locating the full text not subscribed by the Library, we recently integrated the Unpaywall function into OneSearch. Unpaywall is an open database that harvests open access content from over 50,000 publishers and digital repositories, and it contains more than 46 million free scholarly articles. The number of harvested articles continues to grow every day.
With the Unpaywall integration, when there is no full-text link in the record, OneSearch will try to use the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to locate the open access version of the article or e-book through various means. If an open access version is found, the link will be provided and users can access the full text immediately without having to use or wait for interlibrary loan.
Here are some examples of how the Unpaywall open access link will appear:
If the open access version of an article is a preprint or accepted manuscript, you are always encouraged to look for the published version, as the authors may have made some important changes or corrections in the final version.
From now on, when searching in OneSearch, you can turn on the “Add results beyond your library’s collection” option to find open access materials easily with Unpaywall. We hope you will find this feature useful!
Sam Ho
Systems Librarian
Gartner addresses Frequently Asked Questions on ChatGPT
- What role will ChatGPT play in enterprise? …
- Will ChatGPT replace jobs? …
- Is ChatGPT artificial general intelligence? …
The chatbot and generative language tool called ChatGPT has been a hot topic since its launch in November 2022. Whether ChatGPT will create a positive or negative impact on student learning, society, or businesses, it is important for us to understand what it is so we can critically supply our own judgment and take responsible action.
Gartner, a technological research and consulting platform subscribed to by HKBU Library, has answered 32 frequently asked questions about ChatGPT covering areas such as business value, workforce impact, ethical and legal concerns, technology, vendor landscapes, security, and experiences.
Through HKBU’s subscription to Gartner, you can access expert analysis addressing these burning questions to help you understand ChatGPT’s possible future impact. Use your HKBU SSOid to access this resource:
Gartner Addresses Frequently Asked Questions on ChatGPT
You can also sign up for a webinar on this topic Gartner will hold on 30 March: Beyond the Hype: Enterprise Impact of ChatGPT and Generative AI
Original text provided by Gartner
Edited by Maggie Wong (Information Services Librarian)
E-resources Discovery Week 2023
E-resources Discovery Week 2023 was held successfully from 6th to 10th February 2023. We hope you all learned a few new platforms useful to your studies!
The library invited 14 e-resources vendors to participate in the event; 20 engaging workshops were delivered in the Main Library, Shek Mun Campus Library, and online, making learning about e-resources fun and exciting. The vendors had also set up training booths in the Main Library and Shek Mun Campus Library to provide on-the-spot assistance and answer any queries related to the e-resources.
The workshops attracted more than two hundred participants who actively participated in the events throughout the week. We were excited to see so many of our students and staff actively engaged and eager to learn. Their presence and active participation demonstrate the importance of e-resources in our academic community and how the Library is committed to supporting your academic success.
One of the attractions of the event is of course the prize draw, sponsored by our generous participating e-resources vendors. The draw results have been announced on 15 March 2023 and winners should have already received a notification email from the Library. You can also check the winners’ list in the Week’s guide. Our sincere congratulations to all the winners, and we hope you enjoy your prizes!
Thank you for your support in making the E-resources Discovery Week a success. We look forward to continuing to provide you with valuable resources and services that support your academic journey.
Let’s keep the positive momentum going!
Wallace Wong
User Experience and Assessment Librarian
A fairy tale: From Library Assistant to Head of User and Information Services
Once upon a time, there was a fresh graduate dreaming to become a professional librarian one day.
This little graduate started to look for a library job and hoped to step into the beautiful magic world as soon as possible. After a while, she was so excited to get her first important chance and have an interview at Hong Kong Baptist College. However, without any library qualifications and working experience at that time, she was certainly not selected.
Being disappointed, but really determined, she persevered months of letter-sending and interview-attending activities. Finally, she was able to serve as a Library Assistant (LA) at her own alma mater, the University of Hong Kong.
This young LA worked hard and happily ever after. Time flew. Along the journey, she was truly grateful for meeting lots of wise and generous mentors. Even already as an Assistant Librarian (AL) herself for many years then. She, just like a sponge, kept absorbing valuable working experience and job knowledge from various positions of increasing responsibility, namely Business and Economics Faculty Librarian, Science and Engineering Faculties Librarian, then Dental and Medical Librarian.
Though getting older, this seasoned AL still had passions and dreams. She tried to approach Hong Kong Baptist University again hopefully for a bigger stage. And this time, she made it! Hurray!
Yes, this is Nancy. It is extremely my honour to be Head of User and Information Services (UIS Head) here. Together, let us keep our Library a good place to support learning, teaching and research! Thank you very much for your great support to libraries and librarians always!
Nancy Chan
Head of User and Information Services
Last updated: 05 March 2025