The University Library System: Eight-Library Network, Learning Garden, and Rare Book Collections

# The University Library System: Eight-Library Network, Learning Garden, and Rare Book Collections

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library system currently comprises 8 branch libraries, holding over 2.59 million physical volumes (2023/24 annual report figures). The 24-hour Learning Garden is housed on the Lower Ground Floor of the main library, while the Special Collections Reading Room preserves more than 1,100 titles (over 16,000 volumes) of Chinese rare books dating from the Yuan dynasty to the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, along with Hong Kong literary manuscripts and the personal archive of Gao Xingjian, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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# How is the CUHK Library system organised?

The CUHK Library system is not a single building but a network of eight branch libraries distributed across the campus. According to the English Wikipedia entry on the CUHK Library^※, the earliest branch can be traced back to 1949, during the founding years of New Asia College, and the collections were gradually integrated into a unified system after the University was formally established in 1963. The main University Library was founded in April 1965^※; its current building was opened on 15 December 1972, and a new wing with a basement-level Learning Garden was added in 2012. As of the 2023/24 academic year, the library system had 36 professional librarians and 189 support staff^※. The current University Librarian is Benjamin Meunier, who took up the post in April 2023^※.

The table below sets out the eight branches:

According to the English Wikipedia entry^※, the Architecture Library has also operated on a 24-hour basis since September 2012, when it moved to a new location. Access to all eight branches outside staffed hours is controlled by the university's CU Link card.

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# How large are the collections?

Based on the 2023/24 data reported on the English Wikipedia page^※, the scale of the CUHK Library's holdings is as follows:

When e-books are added to the print volumes, the total exceeds 8.7 million titles, making this one of the largest academic library systems in Hong Kong. The collections are particularly strong in Chinese studies, Chinese literature, history and philosophy, Hong Kong studies, and medicine — areas that closely match the research focus of CUHK's faculties.

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# What is the Learning Garden, and why can it stay open 24 hours?

The Learning Garden (LG/F) is an open study space in the basement of the University Library^※. Officially opened to students and staff in 2014, it was CUHK Library's first facility to remain open roughly 24 hours a day all year round. Outside normal opening hours, entry is restricted to campus members verified with their CU Link card. According to on-the-ground observations, around 300 readers stay in the Learning Garden after the main library closes at 10 p.m.^※, confirming its role as a late-night study refuge.

The space is conceived as a flexible, reconfigurable learning environment: movable furniture, interactive smart boards (SMART Board), group discussion rooms equipped with laptops and LED screens, and two distinctive "Learning Paths" — each roughly 50 metres long with an S-curved long tabletop that naturally divides the area into self-study bays. A tea station is also provided, supporting extended stays.

In 2018 the Learning Garden was renovated and expanded with a Library MakerSpace, in line with the University's campus-wide theme of innovation and entrepreneurship. Key facilities in the MakerSpace include:

• Creative Media Studio: a professional recording studio with simplified workflows for producing high-quality video.
• VR Area: providing virtual reality and augmented reality headsets and software.
• Fabrication Room: laser cutter, UV printer, embroidery machine, 3D printers, and 3D scanner.
• High-performance workstations: multimedia stations (Mac and PC) dedicated to video editing and graphic design.

The MakerSpace extends the library's traditional role from knowledge acquisition into prototype creation and digital fabrication — students can read here, but they can also build product prototypes, shoot short films, and develop VR applications. This shift reflects a broader global trend in which university libraries are moving from "book warehouses" to "learning laboratories."

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# What are the distinctive features of the college branch libraries?

Each of the three founding colleges has its own branch library, and both the names and the histories carry significant symbolic weight.

Ch'ien Mu Library (New Asia College): Named after Mr. Ch'ien Mu^※, a towering historian of 20th-century China who founded New Asia College against all odds in Hong Kong. The name signals New Asia's mission to sustain Chinese cultural heritage. The collection focuses on Chinese language and literature, Japanese studies, and fine arts. A 24-hour study area is available in the basement outside staffed hours.

Elisabeth Luce Moore Library (Chung Chi College): Named after the benefactor when the library opened in 1971. The collection reflects Chung Chi's tradition of Christian higher education, covering music, religious studies, education, sports science, and the performing arts — making it one of the few academic libraries in Hong Kong with specialist strengths in music and religious studies. Its ground-floor reading room also operates on a 24-hour basis.

Wu Zhong Library (United College): Named after its donor. The collection centres on philosophy, Chinese monographs, and general education; it once housed a substantial audiovisual collection, part of which was moved to the Learning Garden during the 2018 renovation. A 24-hour study facility is provided in the basement.

Li Ping Medical Library: Located at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, this specialist library links the CUHK Faculty of Medicine with its teaching hospital. Established in 1980^※, it is open 24 hours all year round, serving medical students, resident doctors, and clinical researchers.

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# How large is the rare book collection? Which items have been listed in the National Catalogue of Precious Ancient Books?

The Chinese rare books held in the Special Collections Reading Room (3rd floor, University Library) represent one of the most significant collections of its kind in any Hong Kong academic library. According to an official CUHK press release^※:

"The CUHK Library holds over 1,100 titles, comprising more than 16,000 volumes, of Chinese rare books dating from the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) to the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty (until 1795)."

Formats range from woodblock prints and multi-colour block-printed editions to hand-copied manuscripts and imprints from Japan and Korea. According to an earlier search result^※, the collection includes roughly 2 Yuan editions, 245 Ming editions, 490 Qing editions, and more than 150 Ming–Qing manuscripts and overseas imprints.

In 2020, CUHK Library saw 15 rare books entered into the Sixth Batch of the National Catalogue of Precious Ancient Books, published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism^※; 6 of these were donated by the Bei Shan Tang Foundation in 2008. Together with rubbings held by the Art Museum, CUHK now has a total of 35 items in the Catalogue, making it the only institution in Hong Kong to have works included. All of these rare books have been digitised and are openly accessible through the CUHK Digital Repository.

In addition to Chinese rare books, the Special Collections Reading Room also houses Western rare books (pre-1900 publications) and an oracle bone collection — 44 oracle bones were donated in 1969 by the descendants of Deng Erya in accordance with a dying wish of his mother, Ye Duofu, to United College (transferred to the CUHK Library in 2015). CUHK holds the largest collection of oracle bones in Hong Kong.

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# What writers' manuscripts are held in the Hong Kong Literature Collection?

The Hong Kong Literature Collection is one of the flagship collections of the CUHK Library's Special Collections. The core of the collection was generously donated in 2002^※ by Lo Wai-ming (pen name Xiao Si), a prominent scholar and writer of contemporary Hong Kong literature. Subsequent donations from other writers and literary figures have built a systematic archive of Hong Kong literature.

The collection gathers materials related to Hong Kong literature in any language, place of publication, or format, encompassing monographs, periodicals, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, archival documents, and artefacts. The manuscript and archival holdings are particularly prized. Writers known to be represented include:

The collection is supported by the Hong Kong Literature Database. According to the database's official page (as of June 2025)^※, it contains over 676,600 records, indexing more than 200 Hong Kong literary periodicals and 20 literary supplements from early Hong Kong newspapers. A digitisation project was launched in 2015 after the library established its Research Support and Digital Initiatives unit, and materials from the collection are gradually becoming available for online retrieval through the CUHK Digital Repository.

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# What is the Gao Xingjian Repository, and why does CUHK hold materials from a Nobel laureate?

The Gao Xingjian Repository is another important thematic collection in the CUHK Library's Special Collections. Gao Xingjian was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000^※, and his works have had a profound impact in Hong Kong and among overseas Chinese communities. According to the CUHK Library's official page^※, the repository consists of manuscripts, typescripts, paintings, photographs, books, posters, and other materials donated by Gao Xingjian himself.

The establishment of the repository also involved international collaboration — according to a CUHK Communications and Public Relations Office press release^※, the CUHK Library system signed an agreement with the libraries of the University of Provence in France to cooperate on acquiring Gao Xingjian-related materials, covering the five areas of website development, materials acquisition, collection exchanges, interlibrary loan, and librarian exchanges. This international partnership has made the CUHK Gao Xingjian Repository one of the most comprehensive centres of Gao Xingjian documentation anywhere. All physical materials must be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room on the 3rd floor of the University Library.

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# What other thematic collections deserve attention?

Beyond the highlights described above, the CUHK Library's Special Collections holds several other thematic collections, as detailed on the thematic collections page^※ and the general Special Collections overview^※:

Minguo Collection: A systematic collection of materials published in mainland China during the Republic of China period (1912–1949). Over 1,300 Republic-era books have been digitised and are openly accessible in the CUHK Digital Repository.

Modern Chinese Drama Collection: Focuses on first editions and out-of-print modern Chinese plays and rare translations from the 1930s and 1940s, including scarce theatre documents difficult to find in other holdings.

David Hawkes Archive: Materials on Chinese literature and religion donated by the distinguished British sinologist David Hawkes, best known for his translation of The Story of the Stone (Hongloumeng); a major primary archive for overseas sinology.

Cultural Revolution Illustration Collection: A collection of 1966–1977 propaganda illustrated broadsheets from Guangzhou during the Cultural Revolution, offering a rare visual record of the political culture and propaganda art of the period.

Ming Woodblock Digitisation Project: All Ming-dynasty woodblock rare books have been scanned and are available through the digital repository. Since the digitisation initiative was launched in 2015^※, classical Chinese medical texts and Qing-dynasty calligraphy and paintings have also been added to the digitisation pipeline.

Access to the Special Collections Reading Room requires an appointment. Physical materials can be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room on the 3rd floor of the University Library, which is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (alternative times can be arranged by phone or email).

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