About Us

Vision

As the learning hub of the University and a dynamic scholarly gateway, the Library strives to facilitate and inspire students and faculty to acquire, create and share knowledge and to excel through education and scholarship.

Mission

Strategic Priorities

1. Provide high quality scholarly resources to support learning, teaching and research of the University

   Strategic Actions

   1. Enhance the e-preferred Library collection development policy.
   2. Provide media-rich learning resources.
   3. Enhance language self-learning collections.
   4. Strengthen interlibrary loan and document delivery services for undergraduate students to support them for greater involvement in research activities.
   5. Increase emphasis on patron-driven e-book acquisition models.
   6. Explore new journal subscription models that promote open access.
   7. Withdraw obsolete non-archival materials from the Library collection to permit conversion of stack space into study space, and to ensure the collection stays current and relevant.
2. Facilitate the use of public domain e-learning resources and open educational resources created by the PolyU community. Showcase outstanding work of undergraduate students and University’s research outputs

   Strategic Actions

   1. Develop a new PolyU Open Educational Resources (OER) Portal to feature quality public domain teaching and learning materials selected from around the world. Index and classify the OERs to facilitate the discovery and incorporation of quality OERs into the curriculum.
   2. Collect and archive OER objects created by the PolyU community at the PolyU OER Portal, to preserve perpetual access to these unique PolyU resources and to share the PolyU teaching excellence in specialized subject areas to the worldwide academic community.
   3. Select Outstanding Work by Students (OWS) to showcase and build pride in outstanding undergraduate student work, with the OWS Selection Committee consisting of representatives of faculties, schools and the Student Library Liaison Group. Digitize and archive the selected OWS. Facilitate related students to reflect on their learning experiences, and support them to share their reflection to the PolyU community in videos and other new media.
   4. Set up a new designated OWS exhibition area on Library P/F. Create a new OWS online portal to showcase outstanding work by students to the global community.
   5. Enhance the PolyU Institutional Research Archive (PIRA) to archive and display research manuscripts, theses, patents, research output in various media, OWS and OER of PolyU members.
   6. Develop the Library’s Digital Initiatives. Digitise unique and archival Library materials for open access to support learning and research of the global community, including the PolyU Image Database, and rare collection items such as Minguo books/periodicals in closed stack, if copyright permits. Collaborate with academic departments to develop and archive their digital humanities projects. Archive and digitise official materials of the PolyU Artist-in-Residence programmes including talks, interviews and exhibition. Digitise the manuscripts of Mr Cheng Kok-kong, PolyU Artist-in-Residence 2017/18.
3. Provide an inspiring library environment

   Strategic Actions

   1. Transform the physical library with the Library Extension and Revitalisation Capital Works Project to meet the evolving needs of Library users. Construct an additional floor in over 2,080 m² on top of the existing library building and revitalize other levels in over 14,600 m².
   2. Set up new self-serviced studios for multimedia production, audio/video recording and video-conferencing.
   3. Develop the i-Space, a digital makerspace, to provide a low barrier of entry for students of all disciplines and diverse background to try out entry-level digital equipment, experience emerging technologies, and create new multimedia and digital knowledge.
   4. Leverage the Library’s heavily used physical spaces to showcase outstanding work by students.
   5. Green the Library and implement environmental friendly policies for a sustainable campus.
4. Support effective use of information, and creation and sharing of knowledge

   Strategic Actions

   1. Adopt a new course readings management system ‘Leganto’ which couples tightly with the Library System Alma, the Library’s discovery tool Primo, and prevalent learning management systems (LMS), to streamline the integration of Library resources and services into LMS.
   2. Implement Primo VE to optimize the management of Primo and to enhance the discovery experience for users.
   3. Support University research through the advocacy and establishment of good practices and new developments in scholarly communication, including Open Science, Open Access (OA) and Open Research Data, efficient management of author profiles (e.g. ORCID, Scopus), to increase the visibility of the University’s research and compliance with funder’s OA mandates.
   4. Strengthen the PolyU Institutional Research Archive (PIRA) as the institutional repository to archive and disseminate the University’s intellectual and research output in Open Access.
   5. Adopt new journal subscription models that facilitate open access publishing by PolyU authors.
   6. Strengthen information literacy instruction for effective and ethical use of information through the adoption of best pedagogical practices and latest technologies. Develop online courses, online guides and digital learning objects to support self-directed learning anytime anywhere. Integrate information literacy instruction into the University curriculum, especially through the LMS.
   7. Facilitate experiential learning with emerging technologies and development of a creative and can-do mindset via the MakerMindset@i-Space Programme. Collaborate with i-Space industrial partners to provide free theme-based workshops for students to enhance their digital literacy.
   8. Equip research postgraduate students with relevant research and information literacy skills through topical and customized workshops and seminars that target different subject groups.
   9. Provide consultancy and tailored support on relevant research matters including research data management, management of author profiles (e.g. ORCID, Scopus), citation search, and use of tools for research performance measurement. Organise publishing seminars to facilitate publishing.
   10. Facilitate information use with a variety of enquiry services, including quick enquiries at Library counters, remote enquiries using chat Apps such as WhatsApp, and in-depth research consultation sessions with Faculty Librarians by appointment.
   11. Promote reading culture through the READ@PolyU Programme, the PolyU READS good reads collection and book exhibitions.
   12. Support copyright clearance in RAE2020.
5. Deliver responsive and innovative services to support the evolving needs of learning, teaching and research of the University

   Strategic Actions

   1. Foster organizational re-engineering and re-prioritisation of services to meet the evolving needs of Library users and development of technology.
   2. Develop a new PolyU Electronic Theses Submission System to streamline the uploading of theses by departmental representatives from all academic departments, and to automate the workflow to load the theses into the PolyU Thesis Database and OneSearch.
   3. Implement RFID self-service checkout and return systems and facilities to automate loan and return of books and journals.
   4. Merge the Multimedia Commons Counter on 3/F into the Loan & Return Counter on P/F, to centralize circulation services of physical collections at a single service point.
   5. Automate operations of the Loan & Return Counter, including enabling online application of Graduate Library Card / Special Borrower Library Card and online credit card payment for users to settle fines and bills.
   6. Automate operations of the Technical Support Desk, including expanding the self-check service for loan and return of audio-visual accessories and digital equipment in the i-Space, and developing an online system for users to submit poster / 3D print jobs.
   7. Provide a state-of-the-art online library facility booking system to ensure equitable access and optimal use of library facilities, including group rooms, research carrels and computers by different types of users. Enable booking on the spot at iBooking kiosks.
   8. Enable easy access to Library information. Create a virtual information hub containing essential information and resources specifically for both undergraduate and postgraduate freshmen, for students to quickly obtain relevant information. Migrate WhatsApp to WhatsApp for Business so that users can quickly obtain general information (e.g. opening hours, link to library homepage) through an automated “away message.” Develop a designated online LibGuide for the Library Extension and Revitalisation Capital Works Project to update users on its progress.
   9. Outreach and engage with the University Community via social media communication and stakeholder liaison groups, to gauge their needs and expectations, as well as to raise their awareness of library initiatives.
   10. Strengthen usage data collection and analysis.
   11. Provide a new Library Intranet on the Confluence platform to enhance communication and collaboration among Library staff, and to manage, centralise and archive Library documents. Develop a new Library Photo & Video Archive on the NextCloud platform to streamline the process of archival, selection and retrieval of library photos and videos.
   12. Reinforce staff development to build skills and knowledge in support of new initiatives, and to sustain a strive-for-excellence and user-orientated work culture.