E-Discovery Week 2025: “SUS” Sources No More!
Learn how to avoid “SUS” sources and win exciting prizes! With so much information readily available on the Internet, it can be challenging to distinguish trustworthy resources from imposters designed to mislead and sabotage our quest for credible information. Are you ready to discover smart ways to search for e-resources?
The Library is excited to present the E-Discovery Week 2025, featuring a series of fun and enriching activities to strengthen your knowledge of quality e-resources. From February 17–21, you’ll have the opportunity to explore powerful e-resources, sharpen your research skills, and win amazing prizes in a Big Lucky Draw. Over 10 grand prizes, including Apple iPad Air and DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo, are waiting for you! The more activities you join, the higher your chances of winning!
Three ways to participate!
1. Visit Exhibition Booths: Explore E-Resources and Collect Stamps
Step into the world of e-resources as a “Crewmate” and visit the E-Discovery Week Exhibition at the G/F Library Gallery on February 19 and 20! This year, we’ve incorporated the popular game “Among Us” into the exhibition to level up the fun as you play your way through the activities.
There will be 11 booths, each introducing you to useful tools and resources that can make your academic work easier and more effective. Upon visiting the exhibition, you’ll receive a Crewmate Pass— a stamp card to collect stamps as you explore and complete activities at each booth. Each stamp you collect not only showcases your participation but also increases your chances of winning in the Lucky Draw! Come with your friends, become our Crewmates, and make the most of this interactive experience!
2. Attend Online Workshops: Learn Smart Searching Techniques
11 online workshops, offered by expert trainers and our librarians, will teach you smart search techniques for different subjects throughout the E-Discovery Week. Whether you’re working on assignments, projects, or simply want to improve your research skills, these workshops are designed to help you make the most of library databases. Each session is interactive and insightful, and you can earn 2 Lucky Draw chances for every workshop you attend. Those attending the most will also receive cash coupons as a special reward.
3. Take Online Challenge: Put Your Skills to the Test
Think you’ve mastered smart searching? Take on the E-Discovery Challenge and test your skills! This challenge includes eight questions that require you to conduct quick searches in the featured databases and find the correct answers. Submit your completed quiz by February 21 at 11:59 PM to earn 2 Lucky Draw chances! The E-Discovery Challenge is open NOW. Start right away!
For all the event details, visit https://library.hkust.edu.hk/about-us/user-engagement/2025-e-discovery/. Mark your calendars, discover the full potential of credible e-resources and take your knowledge to the next level. See you soon!
Collection Spotlight: PressReader
Our Library has now subscribed to PressReader, an amazing resource that provides access to thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world!
With PressReader, you can read your favorite publications online or download them to your device. This means you can enjoy the latest news, lifestyle articles, and entertainment stories anytime and anywhere. You can check out popular titles like Forbes, The Guardian, National Geographic, TIME, and Vogue. Whether you are interested in international news, fashion, sports, or technology, there is a wide range of topics to discover.
The platform also lets you personalize your reading experience, making it easy to find what you love. Simply sign up for a PressReader account while you are on campus to start customizing your experience and reading with the PressReader app.
Using PressReader is easy! Start exploring: https://lbdiscover.hkust.edu.hk/bib/991013345659903412.
Open Access Publishing Agreements Growing Strong
The Library’s first ever Open Access (OA) publishing agreement was launched in 2021 with just a single publisher: Cambridge University Press. By 2024, the number of TAs rose sharply to twelve. A range of publishers of different sizes and subject specialties offer free OA publishing opportunities to HKUST corresponding authors in over 4,500 journals.
In 2024, 159 papers were published OA under these programs, and $3.3 million worth of APC savings was achieved, when compared to payment by individual authors at list prices.
The following agreements have been renewed for 2025 together with two newcomers (American Chemical Society and Oxford University Press), raising the number of applicable journals to 5,000.
- American Chemical Society
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- Cambridge University Press
- Company of Biologists
- IOP
- Microbiology Society
- Oxford University Press
- Rockefeller University Press
- Royal Society
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- SCOAP3
- Springer Nature (excludes BioMed Central and Nature)
- Wiley
The Library also supports Subscribe to Open (S2O) under which a journal will be converted to OA, one year at a time, subject to enough institutional renewals. If there are not enough renewals for OA conversion, content for that year will remain gated.
Authors from institutional partners can publish with APC waived. Annual Reviews and IWA Publishing are two such programs offered in 2025. Be sure to visit https://www.annualreviews.org/S2O and https://iwaponline.com/s2o for their latest S2O status.
More details regarding author guides, applicable journals and APC quota can be found at https://library.hkust.edu.hk/services/research-support/ta/.
Information Commons Enhancements
We just finished a significant upgrade of computer equipment in the G/F Information Commons. It aims to improve the user experience and meet modern technological standards. In addition to optimizing available space, we introduced large monitors to enhance your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) experience.
Trial and Monitor Battle
To ensure we select the best monitor options, we organized a trial and poll in late October and early
November. Library users were invited to try and compare a 32-inch flat monitor with a 34-inch curved monitor. This “Monitor Battle” allowed you to vote for your favorite model, with a clear preference for the curved monitor.
Changes in the Information Commons (IC)
We also consolidated computers in the IC area to create a more spacious environment. Below are the options now available in the IC:
1. Monitor-only: There are 8 monitor-only seats, each equipped with a 34-inch curved monitor. This allows you to extend your notebook screen to the curved monitor to enjoy higher resolution and larger displays. Additionally, charging power for your notebook via USB-C is supported.
2. Curved monitor with public PC: We also upgraded 12 PC stations with those curved monitors. You can also choose to connect your own device to the monitor instead.
3. Dual monitors: 14 PCs are configured with dual monitors to enhance multitasking capabilities.
We hope you enjoy the improved equipment in the IC!
Smart Research: Primo Research Assistant
Primo Research Assistant (Primo RA) is an AI-powered tool designed to make research faster and easier. Integrated with PowerSearch, it leverages AI capabilities along with library resources to help you find and explore information.
To make the most of it, here are three practical tips:
1. Start with broad topic exploration
Primo RA is good at providing overview of a new topic. Simply type your question in natural language, and it will summarize key points from top 5 relevant sources available in the library system, with citations. These sources may include journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and other scholarly materials. It also suggests related research questions to deepen your exploration. While the citations are real and from credible sources, always verify their accuracy and ensure they align with the content generated.
2. Expand beyond the top 5 results
Although 5 key sources are highlighted, valuable information may exist beyond those. Use “View more results” to access a broader range and avoid missing important research. Keep in mind that Primo RA handles each question as a separate search and doesn’t follow up on previous queries.
3. Use summaries as a starting point
The summaries generated by Primo RA are useful for quickly understanding a topic but are not comprehensive enough for in-depth literature reviews. For rigorous or systematic research, you’ll need to consult the full articles and evaluate them carefully.
Remember: Approach AI tools like Primo RA critically and creatively — they are here to assist, not replace, your research process.
Grab & Grow Mini Library Workshops
Remember the LibQUAL survey (https://library.hkust.edu.hk/about-us/user-engagement/libqual2023/) from 2023?
We studied all of the comments and suggestions received. In response to your feedback – like the comment “Many workshops for PDEV course are good; but there can be more on practical topics”, we launched the Grab & Grow (https://libguides.hkust.edu.hk/grab-n-grow) mini workshop series in October. These quick, 30-minute workshops are ideal for busy students and staff looking to enhance their research and practical skills without a significant time commitment.
Sessions offered in Fall 2024 included:
- Create eye-catching presentations and videos with Canva
- Learn the logic behind library call numbers – how call numbers work and how the Library organizes the books & journals on the shelves
- Manage your references effortlessly in Word or Google Docs with Zbib and Zotero
- Utilize metadata and search connectors to obtain more precise results when searching databases
- Explore scientific research using OpenAlex, an open database
Interesting facts about the Grab & Grow sessions:
- Most popular session: Create Presentations and Videos with Canva (46 attendees).
- Participants preferred online Zoom sessions over Face-to-Face sessions.
- The majority of participants were staff: 45% staff, 23% research postgraduate students, 19% undergraduate students, 9% taught postgraduate students, and 3% others.
Stay tuned for additional Grab & Grow mini sessions on various topics coming in Spring!
Collection Displays
As we start the new semester, we invite you to visit the Library and discover our two exciting collections on G/F: Science & Science Fiction and Animated Films.
For centuries, science and science fiction have been linked, inspiring happy dreams, terrifying nightmares, and thought experiments in between. Both explore and extrapolate from the past and present into the future. Whether you like science, science fiction, or both, and whether you are an expert or a generalist, we hope you will find something in the Science & Science Fiction display to entertain and expand your mind.
To spark your imagination further, we have a fantastic selection of 100 animated films available on two DVD racks on G/F (one near the Library main entrance and the other near the Current Newspapers area) and on the Media Pillar on LG1. Whether you love the magical stories from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the enchanting films from Studio Ghibli, the popular Detective Conan series, or the stunning works of Makoto Shinkai, there is plenty for you to enjoy!
In March, we will showcase books and media in celebration of International Women’s Day on the 8th and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the 21st. Stay tuned!
For more details, check out our Collection Highlights page: https://lbapps.hkust.edu.hk/highlights.
Website Revamp: User Survey and Focus Groups
Our current website is eight years old, and we are in the process of revamping it to enhance user experience. To ensure that the new site effectively supports your learning, research, and navigation needs, we conducted an online survey and several face-to-face focus groups to collect feedback.
Online Survey – September 2024 – 524 responses
Most users found the website relatively easy to navigate, but some tasks like checking rules and policies and finding leisure materials were more challenging.
19% of users identified the dropdown menu as an area of difficulty: too many items under each category, extremely short hover delay time, requiring prior understanding of some of the terms, etc.
Desired enhancements include:
- Streamline the website navigation
- More vibrant color scheme and energetic appearance
- Optimize visibility of acquisitions & important resources
- Improve room booking User Interface
- Improve mobile usability and accessibility
Desired new features:
- Real-time chat support
- Personalization features such as bookmarks for frequent searches, personalized collections
Face-to-Face Focus Groups
We organized 3 focus group sessions to follow up on issues from the survey. 38 people joined (30 UGs & 8 PGs).
Before meeting, participants were given 5 other library websites to review and vote for their favorite. During the meeting, verbal questions and online polls (mentimeter) were adopted to prompt participants to share their comments on the design of the current Library website, their experiences using the website, and their expectations for the future.
Key Insights:
Terminology Misalignment: Participants and Library staff appear to have differing views on terminology and categorization in the dropdown menu, with participants particularly confused about what falls under “Services” versus “Help For”.
Look and Feel: The homepage seems cluttered and overwhelming, with too much information and too many
buttons.
Visual Enhancements: Incorporating arrows, icons, and more distinct colors would improve the visual appeal and usability.
Functions/services that should be more prominent:
- Room booking (18/38)
- PowerSearch (12/38)
- Site search (7/38)
Most desired new functions:
- Real time occupancy of library spaces (20/38)
- Real time room availability (7/38)
- Real time chatbot (6/38)
Moving Forward with Design & Implementation
Based on user feedback, we will integrate your preferences into the new website design:
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Enhanced site search capabilities
- Real-time updates for space occupancy, study room availability, and chatbot support
- Cleaner, intuitive layout to reduce information overload
- Re-categorized and clearly labeled categories for services, resources, and facilities
- Simplified dropdown and navigation menus
- Increased visibility for popular and essential services/resources
A New People Counting Solution
We are pleased to announce a new solution for counting people in the Library. This advanced system is designed to track the number of people entering and exiting the building at all times throughout the year, at all key entrances. Six sensors have been strategically installed at the G/F, LG1, and LG5 entrances. These sensors provide real-time data on patron counts, ensuring that we can better understand and manage library usage.
We have a strong commitment to your privacy. The sensors do not capture or store any personally identifiable information; they only count the number of people passing through the entrances. No images or identities are stored, ensuring that your privacy is fully protected.
A new user count dashboard will appear on the Library’s homepage to display real-time trends and the total number of people in the Library. The dashboard will also include the number of study rooms and study pods currently reserved.
This enhancement will improve our ability to serve the HKUST community while maintaining a respectful and secure environment for all.
last modified 03 February 2025