Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library

Brief Information

In 1991, this library attracted attention not because of rare halls or an old building, but because of a bilingual online catalog in Chinese and English. For a university library, this is important: from the very beginning, the place presented books through a search system, not only through shelves. Then came the first major CD-ROM network in Asian university libraries and the first academic library web server in Hong Kong.

Later, this logic moved into the space itself. In 2011-2012, the library built an 1,800-square-meter extension and renovated the same amount of existing space for learning areas. So here it is worth reading not only the collection, but also the layout: the library turned from a repository of materials into a place where search, collaboration, media, and research data are built into a single system.

What to Notice First

You can compare the two parts of the renovation: the new extension and the remodeled existing spaces. The source text does not describe their appearance, but the pairing itself is important: the library expanded not only by adding floor area, but also by reworking the space it already had. Because of this, the Learning Commons reads as the result of a change in function, not simply as a new hall.

Inside this learning space, it makes sense to notice the division into five zones: group learning, open learning, refreshment, teaching, and a creative media zone. About 600 seats are distributed here not as one single reading room, but as a set of different work scenarios. The same principle is visible in the digital services: digitized ancient maps of China and DataSpace@HKUST show that the library works not only with finished books, but also with data, media, and research materials.