The University Library, originally known as the Hong Kong Polytechnic Library, was established on 1 August 1972 to serve the students and staff of the then Hong Kong Polytechnic. Initially, library services were provided at two locations: the I.C.I. Library at the Hung Hom campus and the Quarry Bay Centre. In 1976, these services were consolidated and relocated to the present Library building.
On 25 November 1994, the Hong Kong Polytechnic assumed full university status and was renamed “The Hong Kong Polytechnic University”. The University Library was officially named after the late Sir Yue-kong Pao on 20 December 1995, in recognition of a generous donation from his family. Over the years, the University Library has evolved into the modern learning hub and a dynamic scholarly gateway for the University.
Timeline
1947 - 1972
Hong Kong Technical College
1957
Grantham Library was established when the Hong Kong Technical College moved to the Hung Hom Campus.
1964
The Imperial Chemical Industries (I.C.I.) Library was opened with a collection of approximately 10,000 volumes.
1972 - 1994+
Hong Kong Polytechnic
1972
The Hong Kong Polytechnic Library was established on 1 August 1972, taking over the I.C.I. Library from the Hong Kong Technical College.
1973
Library services were extended to Quarry Bay Centre located at Taikoo Dockyard office block.
1976
Library services at the I.C.I Library and the Quarry Bay Centre were consolidated and relocated to the present Library building at the Hung Hom Campus.
1976
The first computer-printed catalogue, initially covering English titles, was introduced.
1985
The Library began the process of computerising its catalogue and circulation system, enabling library users to borrow books with their barcoded Polytechnic cards.
1989
The Media Services Section, formerly known as the Audio-visual Materials Section, was expanded and relocated from the Fourth Floor to the Third Floor.
1994 - Present
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1995
The University Library was officially named after the late Sir Yue-kong Pao on 20 December 1995.
Mrs Bessie Woo (left), Dr Peter Woo (second from left), Mrs Lavender Patten (middle), Mr Barry Burton (second from right) and Miss Jennifer Woo (right).
1997
A multilingual Integrated Library System supporting English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) was introduced.
2005
The Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL), a collaborative book loan service, was launched to facilitate faculty, students and staff of the eight UGC-funded university libraries to get print books not available in their home libraries.
2011
READ@PolyU, a campus-wide reading programme was launched to cultivate a passion for reading among the University community.
2012
The Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund donated HK$2M to support the READ@PolyU programme.
2015 - 2018
PolyU Library led the InfoLit for U Project (2015-2018), a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on information literacy, funded by the University Grants Committee. This collaborative initiative involved the libraries of all eight UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong.
The InfoLit for U Project was
shortlisted for Hybrid Learning Awards by the Steering Committee of the Wharton-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education 2018.
2015
The READ@PolyU Common Book Reading Programme won the
Special Award in the First National Case Study Competition on Promoting Reading in China Academic Libraries, organised by the Ministry of Education of China.
2016
The PolyU Institutional Research Archive (PIRA) was launched, which is an open access repository for PolyU’s research, teaching, and learning digital materials.
2017
PolyU Library and seven other UGC-funded university libraries in Hong Kong adopted a new shared, cloud-based integrated library system (ILS) and discovery platform. This system manages the print and electronic collections of all eight participating libraries, replacing the separate systems and discovery tools previously used by each library.
2017
The i-Space was opened on the Fourth Floor as an experimental learning space where students can experience emerging technologies, explore knowledge in new formats, and share ideas with their peers.
2018
Funded by Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund, the
MakerMindset@i-Space programme was initiated to provide students with equal access to cutting-edge technologies to actualise their creative ideas, thus developing their curious and can-do mindsets.
2019
The i-Space project received the
Regional Silver Award in Asia-Pacific and Cultivating Curiosity Bronze Award
in the Wharton-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education 2019.
2019
The first self-service One Button Studio was launched at the Multimedia Commons, offering support for video and audio recording.
The project PolyU Outstanding Work by Students Portal and Exhibition was shortlisted for the Lifelong Learning Award at Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Awards 2023. Furthermore, the project received a funding support from the Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund in 2023.
2019
The Library launched the PolyU Open Educational Resources (OER) portal to facilitate discovery and integration of open resources into teaching and learning activities.
2020
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology was fully implemented in the Library, enabling self-service checkout and check-in of library materials.
2020
The PolyU Digital Collections Portal, featuring scholarly resources from the Library’s special collections and digital humanities projects, was launched.
2020
The Legislative Council’s Finance Committee approved the capital works project of the
Library Extension and Revitalisation (LER).
2022
The Sixth Floor was opened, featuring a contemporary design that combines indoor spaces with skylights and outdoor areas to create a stimulating and dynamic learning environment. This new top floor provides an additional 2,080 square meters of space for collaborative learning and quiet study.
2022
The Library Extension and Revitalisation (LER) Project was honoured the
Architect’s Newspaper’s 2022 Best of Design Award in the Library category.
2023
The Library Extension and Revitalisation (LER) Project received the 2023 HKIA Special Award (Interior Design) for architectural excellence, organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.
2023
Five self-service studios were opened for video and audio production, including two One Button Studios, a Multimedia Production Studio and two Sound Recording Studios.
2023
The Rare Book Collection and Rare Book Room were established to preserve the valuable and rare books written in Chinese or western languages. Some rare books on China and East Asia were digitised to facilitate full-text access, subject to copyright and conditions.
2023
Library staff and student assistants developed an Express Checkout Kiosk, utilising emerging technology and the Library’s i-Space facilities to enhance user experience with self-service book borrowing.
2023
The PolyU Library Mobile App was launched to provide a seamless and intuitive experience for using the Library collections, services, and facilities.
2024
The PolyU Library Mobile App won the
Certificate of Merit in the Public Sector and Social Innovation category at the Asia Smart App Awards 2024.
2024
The PolyU Research Data Repository (PRDR) was launched as an open-access repository for PolyU researchers to store, manage, and share their valuable research data.
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