You have probably already seen the new carrels on LG4. We went with a colourful mix in a 'hexagon' or honeycomb arrangement. We changed the carpet too, giving a more engaging and dramatic visual effect. Why this change? Previously, that area held several large reading tables and a collection of sofas. For the past couple of years we have been receiving complaints about noise travelling from there to higher floors, especially LG3 and G/F. And the recent LibQUAL user survey showed a strong student demand for more individual study carrels. And the sofas were really being underutilised, and sometimes used for sleeping instead of studying. So we killed two birds with one stone, as the western saying goes. Groups of students discussing were switched to individual study options meeting user demands for quiet individual study space.
As the year closes, it is an opportune moment to reflect with humility on the year passed, and to look forward with hope to the year coming. I would like to attempt a brief review and preview about the Library's work. 2024 In 2024, the Library team worked very hard to update and upgrade services on all fronts. Here are a few examples. We opened the LG5 learning space in Spring; hosted the signature special collections exhibition of antique maps; organized a variety of talks by interesting speakers, including a Chinese Opera demonstration in collaboration with Xiqu Centre of westK; boosted streaming content in the collections such as Kanopy. On learning and research support, we created many new workshops that cover AI tools for academic use; and we enabled HKUST authors to publish their research papers Open Access via agreements with publishers. These are only some of the prominent outcomes of the Library team's collective efforts. Each of these posed unique challenges to us, and we overcame many with perseverance, agility, and creativity. 2025 What new things will you find in and from the Library in 2025? Many library services will naturally roll along the same tracks, but it doesn't mean they are not new!
When you use study carrels in the Library, you might have experienced this situation: you leave the seat but use your belongings to keep it occupied; when you return, someone else take your seat, and you see a notice to claim your stuff at the G/F Service Counter. How did that happen? Yes, library staff takes regular actions to reduce "seat hogging". We conduct "in-depth patrol" to clear study carrels and make them available for library users. How does "in-depth patrol" work? When we see a carrel occupied by unattended belongings, we leave a paper slip noting the time. After 30 minutes, if the belongings are still there, we would put them on the side so that the seat is available for another user. Valuables will be sent to G/F Service Counter for keeping your belongings secured. In this Fall term, we did such patrol between 26 September and 1 November; and we cleared a total of 316 carrels, averaging 12.6 carrels per day. That is a 43% increase from last year!