Sunrise, the start of a new day, usually symbolizes a fresh start, rising hope or a new beginning. However, for HKUST students who spend the whole night studying or working on assignments in the Learning Commons, witnessing the sunrise signifies a sleepless night or the looming deadline they are racing against.As a former HKUST student, the LC was also my haunt during the 4-year study. I also experienced late-night battles in the LC. This picture, taken in 2016, just a few hours before an exam, serves as a reminder of those intense moments.Now, being a library staff managing the LC, I still feel a strong connection with students burning the midnight oil to meet deadlines. Wish you all the best luck in your exams but don’t overburden yourself with too much overnight work!June ORAccess Serviceslbjune@ust.hk  

Are you a nostalgic person? Will you long for the chance to visit a place you stayed in before again? To me, HKUST library is the place I would never feel bored visiting again and again. As a patron… I am a HKUST 2017 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. But before taking the 4-year bachelor’s degree, I have already been to the library and experienced the beauty of the 5-storey building. If you are familiar with HKUST Library history, you may know that the library was actually open to the public before 2016 – there were no entry gates!  So before I was an official university student, I had already ‘sneaked' into the library on the UST Open Day. I remembered the amazement I had when I found out the shelves in LG3 and LG4 were actually movable. The enormous size of the building, and the view you have when you are walking along the staircases, were certainly stunning and to be honest, UST library was one of the reasons why I chose HKUST to have my tertiary education. As a worker… Starting this winter, my relationship with UST library has changed from a visitor to a staff member.

Alumni are a good source of inspiration, not only for current students, but also for the Library. On Oct 5, an award-winning film director, Mr. KA Sing-Fung, came to the Library to share his career path starting from a chemistry undergraduate at HKUST.  This very personal talk, 《然後去了拍電影》("Then, I went to make movies"), was well attended by many students. He talked about how he enjoyed the Library during his study at HKUST in the mid-2000s, finding it a welcoming space to explore knowledge beyond his core subject. He recalled how he loved to put aside his chemistry books and immerse himself in literature and books about design, and enjoyed movies from the Media Collection. I am so touched and glad that the Library played a role in his personal growth and career path. Sing-Fung encouraged students to follow their dreams. I hope many of them, like Sing-Fung, will find their inspiration and warm support in the Library. We organized a number of talks by HKUST alumni; stay-tuned for the next one!