Today, December 16, 2025, marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth (1775–1817). Despite her short life, Austen produced six novels that have become cornerstones of English literature: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1817), and Persuasion (1817). With sharp irony and keen psychological insight, her works explore themes of love, social class, and morality in early 19th-century England. Austen's influence reaches far beyond her original novels, inspiring countless sequels, parodies, and adaptations. Our library collection highlights this ongoing legacy: for instance, Emma Tennant's An Unequal Marriage: Pride and Prejudice Twenty Years Later imagines what happens to the Darcys after the happy ending of the original novel. If you're in the mood for something with horror and fantastic elements, try Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Austen's stories have also been adapted numerous times for the screen, from Ang Lee's acclaimed Sense and Sensibility to the 2009 BBC adaptation of Emma—and many more available on Kanopy. These versions bring her timeless characters and themes to new audiences with fresh perspectives. As the fall semester winds down and exam season approaches, there's no better way to celebrate Austen's 250th birthday (and reward yourself during the winter break) than by diving into her brilliant novels. Visit our library to check out the works!

Here in the northern hemisphere, the nights are getting longer, and the weather becomes colder. As October draws to a close, the unofficial holiday, Halloween (October 31) approaches. Around this time of year, people often like to read or watch scary or ghostly things. Last month, the Library began its display of Horror Film Classics for the "Spooky Season". But what about reading? Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) is a classic mid-20th century writer whose works often touched on the uncanny. Her The Haunting of Hillhouse is available in print in the Library's collection (PS3519.A392 H3 1959) and in electronic format as public domain in Canada and Hong Kong from The Faded Page. It was also made into a film, called The Haunting (PN1997.A12 T865 2009 disc 1). The opening paragraph is justly famous for being an almost perfect opening for a ghost story. "No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.

When was the last time you read a book? Flipping through pages, tapping on an e-reader, or scrolling on your phone, you are immersed in a dimension of personal thoughts and sentiments, unconsciously forging a connection to the other or the collective. French literary theorist Roland Barthes (1915 - 1980) introduced the concept of The Death of the Author, arguing that a text’s meaning is not dictated by the author’s intentions but is instead shaped by the reader’s interpretation and emphasizing the text’s independence. Whether you project your experiences and ideologies onto the text or engage your ability to reason and feel, reading is a process of communicating with yourself, and a mirror reflecting your thoughts and beliefs. What we bring to a book shape what we take from it, as who we are determines how we understand it. Do you recall the thrill of encountering a book that speaks to your soul and mind? The excitement of discovering a favourite book is a cherished moment of many readers— scanning through lines of text, exploring unknown worlds, and connecting with stories that resonate deeply. World Reading Day is the perfect opportunity to rekindle that joy. Celebrated annually on April 23, the World Reading Day is a global tribute to the joy of books and reading. Established by UNESCO in 1995, this special day holds symbolic significance in literary history, commemorates the passing of iconic writers such as William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616).

March 8th will be International Women’s Day (IWD)! Women’s day has been celebrated in various forms by socialist and communist groups and countries for over 100 years. It became a more widespread celebration of women’s achievements and aspirations when the United Nations adopted and promoted International Women’s Day.     Here at HKUST, the Library has joined the broader HKUST celebrations with an IWD 2025 Book Display. It highlights women’s achievements and work across the ages in many areas: science, technology, the arts, music, and literature, as well as in politics and labor. Celebrate IWD by taking something to read, to listen to, or to watch. As this year's HKUST IWD 2025 theme states: #Accelerate Action!     Victoria Caplan Head, Research and Learning Support lbcaplan@ust.hk

The Semester is Ending! In the midst of all the end-of-semester work, we sometimes need to relax with a good read or interesting video. Or, we like to imagine or even plan our relaxation and fun for after we've sat our last exam in December, or handed in the last section of grades (if we're a teacher or TA). Science & Science Fiction – Fuel for the Imagination For centuries, science and science fiction have been linked: inspiring happy dreams, terrifying nightmares, or thought experiments in between. Both explore and extrapolate from past and present into the future. Both fuel our imaginations. To make it easier for HKUST people to “fuel up” from now until the end of January 2025, library staff have made a Science & Science Fiction Collection Highlights. It has books and videos on interesting scientific topics and classic and recent science fiction, in both English and Chinese. The physical display of some of the print books and DVDs is near the Service Desk on the G/F. If the title you want isn’t on the table, ask staff for it at the Service Desk.

As ChatGPT celebrates its second birthday, we thought it was a good time to showcase our comprehensive collection of AI-related books that capture this transformative moment in history. Introducing our new book display: “Popular Readings on AI”—a curated selection of around 380 books, available in both print and e-format. From the latest in technology and education to the impact of AI on business, medicine and beyond, this collection is now on display at the G/F of the Library, ready for you to explore. Selecting the Books: A Fun Challenge Curating this display was both fun and challenging. We started with a giant list of over 6,000 AI-related books published after 2020, aiming to narrow it down to the best mix of popular, accessible, and informative reads—not too technical, not overly academic. As the subject librarian responsible for book selection, I spent quite some time digging into bestseller lists, reviews and recommendations from Amazon and other trusted sources. It wasn’t just about picking the top-rated books, but to represent a variety of perspectives and topics. Whether you are a tech newbie, a business leader, or interested in AI ethics, we wanted to make sure there’s something here for you. Setting Up the Display: A Team Effort Bringing this display to life was truly a collaborative effort, with colleagues from multiple teams in the library to make it happen. It all started with our Collection Development team, who compiled a comprehensive list of AI-related books from our collection for me to select the most relevant ones to feature.