I am thrilled to share my experience about my first project in the library: the Library Material Pickup Station. It feels like a significant milestone in my career. As an alumnus of HKUST, it feels surreal to be back as a worker in the library, which I once relied on so much. When I first joined the library, I felt both familiar and strange. Stepping in as a staff member was a different experience, diving into a new role made the familiar feel almost foreign. After 3 months of training, I got to know the library’s operations and was finally assigned to a project to implement the Library Material Pickup Station. Taking on this responsibility has been quite exhilarating. Throughout the project, my colleagues and I brainstormed many ideas and planned out every detail to ensure the Library Material Pickup Station runs smoothly. The most memorable moment during this project was when we discovered an issue with the default settings of the station. If users had even 1 dollar in overdue fines, they were not allowed to pick up any books from the station.

As Irene Lo prepares to retire at the end of this month, I find myself reflecting on an extraordinary journey—one marked by quiet dedication, steadfast professionalism, and a profound love for our Library. I first worked with Irene in the 1990s, when I was a young Executive Officer in the Administration Office. We were both assigned to the Facilities team, supporting a brand-new Library—its walls freshly painted, furniture gleaming, and a shared sense of excitement in the air as we equipped a space to serve a rapidly growing university community. What began as a working relationship quickly grew into a long-standing partnership built on mutual trust, respect, and shared purpose. As the years went by, we often found ourselves tackling unexpected challenges together—figuring out how to clean the Library’s giant glass windows, replace high ceiling lights, install carpet beneath heavy bookshelves, prevent birds from flying indoors, and enforce social distancing protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we learned, adapted, and problem-solved—always with a focus on keeping the Library safe, functional, and supportive of teaching and learning. Over the decades, Irene has been the backbone of our facilities operations. For this five-storey (expanded to six-storey in 2024) building, she handled an average of a thousand defect reports annually—many of them routine or repetitive—with tireless diligence and attention to detail. Whether coordinating complex repair workflows or liaising with contractors, she ensured that the Library remained clean, safe, functional, and welcoming. To colleagues from the Campus Management Office—carpenters, painters, electricians, plumbers, gardeners—as well as contractors and janitorial staff, Irene became an iconic Library figure.

Can you imagine maintaining your passion for your work for three decades? We at the Library are excited to celebrate Margaret, who recently received the Long Service Award from the university for her remarkable 30 years of service at HKUST. As an officer in our Resource Management section, Margaret has played a crucial role in managing collection resources. This team is responsible for acquiring materials, maintaining access to e-resources, and ensuring our catalog remains updated and user-friendly. Throughout her time at HKUST, Margaret has navigated significant changes in the library landscape. Thirty years ago, most library materials were in print form, and computing technology were very different. Although she has remained with the same team, she has embraced each new change and challenge with eagerness to learn. “If there’s nothing new for me to learn, I go out and search for it,” she says, exemplifying the spirit of lifelong learning that enriches our library community. Margaret began her career in the cataloging team within Resource Management, where her attention to detail proved invaluable. The team creates metadata that adheres to international cataloging standards, ensuring that you can easily find the resources you need while allowing HKUST’s bibliographic records to be utilized by libraries worldwide.