While visiting the map exhibition in the Library, you may not notice what is underneath the rare books on display. Guess what, it is more than just a stand! These rare books from our Special Collections have various ages; some older ones were published in the early 1600s, so they are almost 400 year old! To display them without hurting them is a huge challenge. Each book needs a custom-made support, called a cradle, that lets it stay open at the particular page and angle in the most comfortable way. In May 2023, library colleagues Fiona, Lu, and June worked together as the "cradle team" to tackle the challenge. For each book, they had to take these steps: 1. Determine the angle: they first had to figure out with the curators which page was to be shown; then they determined the best angle to let the book stay open. This was crucial to ensure that the book spine wouldn't be damaged while still allowing visitors to read the text and illustrations. 2.

You don’t need to be a Catholic to love this little book^. It is now featured in the Library G/F Collection Highlights corner in celebration of International Women’s Day. Mother Teresa was small in physical stature, but a spiritual giant to many. She founded in 1950 the Missionaries of Charity, a congregation of Catholic sisters, to serve the poorest and the smallest in the Calcutta slums of India. If you have never heard of Mother Teresa, Google and ChatGPT can fill in all the details for you. This book works like a flippable calendar to me. While my IPhone calendar reminds me of countless errands and deadlines, a daily piece of wisdom from Mother Teresa puts my jampacked life into perspective and keeps reminding me to do good, no matter what, where, and how. It goes from January 1 through December 31, and works like 'an angel a day keeps the devil away'. It’s incredibly green. When December is gone, start afresh with January 1.

We have 13 TV monitors in the Learning Commons group study rooms, each with an HDMI cable for you to connect your laptop or tablet to facilitate discussion. Unfortunately, after the Chinese New Year holidays, 3 TVs (namely LC-05, LC-16, LC-18) were found broken within seven days (from February 20-26). Upon examination, we found that the screens had been shattered, likely due to impact from sharp or heavy objects. Such incidents are almost unprecedented in LC or Library, and the frequency of events in a short timeframe leads us to suspect deliberate acts of vandalism. We are arranging to replace the broken TVs. However, these TVs were fairly new (some only a few months old), and replacing them due to vandalism made our hearts sink. It involves not only a financial investment but also requires staff time, coordination, and construction work  – and entails disposal of new equipment. It places additional strain on our staff resources and budget, and contributed to landfill pressure. Not having TVs in these study rooms until replacements can be installed also inconveniences students who have booked the rooms. Please exercise control and respect towards communal resources.

You probably use a Hong Kong map often. When you check a bus route, explore a hiking trail, find your way to a restaurant …, you use a map, most likely a digital one on your mobile device. For a change of perspective, I invite you to look "up" rather than "down" on your phone – come to the Library to experience a large wall map of Hong Kong! The big map is almost 3m x 3m, mounted on a big wall on the G/F. We have had the HK map there for many years, and we recently updated it to the latest version. Not only is the color brighter and the print sharper on this newly printed map, this version has richer details of the city. And of course you can find many new landmarks, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the West Kowloon Cultural District, and the Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link. Come and experience the physical map offline! See if you find anything new. Happy exploration!

We all depend on each other to maintain a good study environment, which means no voice or video calls in open public areas.  But, what to do when you want or need to make a call? The Library has several phone-friendly spots, indoors and outdoors.   This is the first of two posts on Library Spots for Voice & Video Calls. Comfortable & Close to G/F Entry The Modelling Space This room is designated for 3-D printing and scanning, but it's also a good place to make a voice or video call.  Just go in and shut the door! :) Location: G/F , near the entry (floor plan) Pro: Convenient on entering via G/F, or if you're studying close to there. Chairs and tables available. Electrical outlets available. Con: Inconvenient if you're not nearby. If someone is scanning, no privacy. If a print job is running, there may be ambient noise. Overall: A quick and convenient place for a call Indoors, Bright and Comfortable The Foyer to the G/F Garden Location: Back of G/F near Lift C Pro:  Bright & has some views.