Hong Kong Baptist University Library

What Hong Kong Baptist University Library does

Hong Kong Baptist University Library is the academic library system of Hong Kong Baptist University, a private university established in 1956. The library operates three branches — the Au Shue Hung Memorial Library (Main Library) on the Ho Sin Hang Campus, the Chinese Medicine Library (currently closed for renovation through March 2026) at the School of Chinese Medicine Building, and the Shek Mun Campus Library at the College of International Education — plus Special Collections & Archives and a European Documentation Centre. It serves primarily the HKBU student, faculty, and staff community, with secondary access for JULAC Card holders from other Hong Kong UGC-funded universities and limited external scholar/corporate borrower programs.

The library's technology stack is built on standard academic-library platforms: OneSearch (an Ex Libris Primo-based unified discovery layer), BrowZine for journal browsing, LibKey Nomad for article linking, Leganto for course reading lists, IRIMS for research information management, HyRead Kiosk for e-book borrowing, and PressReader for newspaper/magazine access. It holds over 1.4 million physical items alongside extensive licensed e-resources (Springer Nature, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, Gale, CNKI). Distinctive assets include specialized Chinese Medicine digital databases (Specimen, Formulae, Medicinal Material, Phytochemical, Medicinal Plant images), the Archives on the History of Christianity in China, HKBU Heritage digital archives, and the HKBUtube video repository, accessed alongside 24-hour Academic Commons study spaces and a programme of 300+ instructional workshops annually.

The library is a non-profit academic service unit with no commercial revenue. All services — borrowing, interlibrary loan (including overseas partner libraries, with costs absorbed), database access, research consultations, room bookings, and computer access — are provided free of charge to eligible users and funded through HKBU's institutional budget. Distribution runs through on-campus visits, HKBU SSO-authenticated remote access, JULAC reciprocal arrangements, and a public-facing website at library.hkbu.edu.hk, supported by social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr) and a regular email newsletter.

Name

Hong Kong Baptist University Library

Legal name

Hong Kong Baptist University Library

Website

https://library.hkbu.edu.hk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hong Kong Baptist University Library is the non-profit academic library of Hong Kong Baptist University, operating three branch libraries serving primarily HKBU students and faculty with over 1.4 million physical items, extensive e-resources, specialized Chinese Medicine and archival collections, and free library services funded through HKBU's institutional budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations (EDAEAGAD), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Academic library services
• Scholarly research resources
• Digital scholarship support
• Interlibrary loan services
• Chinese medicine collections

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Library Services (Institutional Funding): As a university library, services are funded through HKBU's institutional budget. No commercial revenue is generated. All services including interlibrary loan, database access, and research support are provided free to eligible HKBU students, faculty, and staff.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HKBU Library operates three branch libraries providing access to over 1.4 million physical and digital items, supporting teaching, learning, and research at Hong Kong Baptist University. It delivers core services including unified collection discovery through OneSearch, borrowing and circulation, interlibrary loan, 24-hour Academic Commons study spaces, digital scholarship support, research consultations, and specialized resources in Chinese Medicine and Hong Kong studies.

Product overview

HKBU Library operates as a comprehensive academic library system with three branch libraries (Main Library/Au Shue Hung Memorial Library, Chinese Medicine Library, and Shek Mun Campus Library) offering a unified platform of products and services. The core discovery system is OneSearch, which provides unified access to over 1.4 million physical and digital items. Key service products include the Interlibrary Loan system for accessing materials beyond local collections, JULAC Cards for cross-university access, and the Academic Commons providing 24-hour study facilities. Digital products include the HKBU Scholars institutional repository, HKBUtube video platform, and specialized Chinese Medicine digital databases. The library also offers BrowZine for journal access, HyRead Kiosk for e-books, and Leganto for course reading list management. Research support is delivered through subject guides, learning events, and Digital Scholarship Services for digital humanities projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OneSearch Unified discovery platform allowing users to search across all library collections including books, journals, databases, and digital content through a single interface, with embedded interlibrary loan request functionality.
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Service Service enabling HKBU users to request materials from other libraries when not available locally, with delivery typically within one week and free of charge for eligible users, including HKALL integration.
• JULAC Cards Shared library access cards under the Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee enabling HKBU users to borrow from and access other UGC-funded Hong Kong university libraries.
• Academic Commons 24-hour study and collaboration spaces on Levels 2 and 3 of the Main Library providing extended access to computers, study areas, and academic resources during semester periods.
• Room Bookings Online reservation system for group study rooms at the Main Library, Chinese Medicine Library, and Shek Mun Campus Library.
• HKBU Scholars Institutional repository and research output management system showcasing the university's scholarly publications, research contributions, and academic outputs.
• HKBUtube Video streaming platform hosting educational and documentary content produced by or related to Hong Kong Baptist University.
• HKBU Heritage Digital Archives Digital archive platform providing access to digitized historical materials, special collections, and archival content related to HKBU's institutional history.
• Digital Scholarship Services Support services for digital humanities research including data curation, visualization, text analysis, and digital project development for HKBU researchers.
• Research Guides Subject-specific online guides providing curated resources, databases, and research assistance for various academic disciplines at HKBU.
• Library Learning Events Educational workshops and training sessions covering research skills, database usage, citation management, academic integrity tools, and EndNote, delivered over 300 sessions annually.
• Chinese Medicine Library Digital Collections Specialized databases including Chinese Medicine Specimen Database, Chinese Medicinal Material Images Database, Chinese Medicine Formulae Images Database, Phytochemical Images Database, Medicinal Plant Images Database, and Chinese Medicine Game-based Exercise.
• Archives on the History of Christianity in China Special archival collection documenting the history of Christianity in China, available through the Special Collections and Archives division.
• External Scholar and Corporate Borrower Privileges Library access programs for non-HKBU researchers and corporate users enabling borrowing privileges and on-site access to library collections.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JULAC (Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee) Member LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with all UGC-funded university libraries in Hong Kong (CityU, CUHK, HKU, HKUST, Lingnan, PolyU, EdU) for shared library access. JULAC Card holders from other universities can access HKBU Library, and HKBU users can access partner libraries. Interlibrary Loan service connects to all JULAC libraries via HKALL system.
• Overseas Partner Libraries (for Interlibrary Loan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILL service works with partner libraries internationally to obtain materials not available through local partnerships. Service absorbs all costs including fees from other libraries and delivery charges.
• Database Vendors (Springer Nature, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, Gale, CNKI, etc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed access to extensive e-resource collections including Nature journals, ProQuest Ebook Central, EBSCOhost databases, Gale Primary Sources, CNKI China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and many other academic databases and e-book platforms.
• Professional Web Design CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered with a professional web design company with experience in academic library websites for the 2019 website upgrade, working with Library staff team and University's Office of Information Technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PolyU Library (Hong Kong Polytechnic University): PolyU Library is part of the JULAC consortium and serves a comparable UGC-funded research university with similar library services, ILL partnerships, and digital resource infrastructure. Direct peer for academic library operations.
• Lingnan University Library: Lingnan University Library is a smaller JULAC member library serving a liberal arts-focused Hong Kong university. Comparable as a peer academic library within the same consortium and Hong Kong geographic context.
• CUHK Library (Chinese University of Hong Kong): CUHK Library serves a comparable comprehensive research university in Hong Kong with similar scale, JULAC consortium membership, digital scholarship services, and interlibrary loan partnerships. Direct peer in academic library services for UGC-funded universities.
• CityU Library (City University of Hong Kong): CityU Library is part of the JULAC consortium, serves a similar comprehensive Hong Kong university, and offers comparable academic library services including ILL, research guides, and digital resources. Direct peer with shared JULAC access arrangement.
• Hong Kong University Libraries (HKU): HKU Libraries is the academic library system of Hong Kong's oldest and most research-intensive university. Direct peer under JULAC consortium with comparable collections, research support services, and Hong Kong-focused special collections.
• HKUST Library (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology): HKUST Library serves a research-intensive Hong Kong university with similar JULAC consortium membership, comparable e-resource depth, and digital scholarship support. Direct peer for STEM and business research support services.
• The Education University of Hong Kong Library: EdUHK Library is a JULAC consortium member serving a teacher-education focused university in Hong Kong. Comparable as a peer academic library sharing ILL and JULAC card arrangements with HKBU.

Emerging players

• NUS Libraries (National University of Singapore): NUS Libraries serves a comparable comprehensive Asian research university with similar digital scholarship, ILL partnerships, and East Asian collections. Comparable as a regional academic library peer serving a major research university.

Regional players

• National Library of Hong Kong: Hong Kong's public reference library serving the general public rather than a specific university. Comparable as a major Hong Kong library institution with overlapping collections and regional significance, but operates in a different segment (public vs. academic).
• National Taiwan University Library: NTU Library serves Taiwan's flagship research university with comparable scale, special collections, digital scholarship services, and East Asian studies holdings. Comparable as an East Asian regional academic library peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HKBULibrary1956
• Facebookfacebook.com/hkbulibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hong-kong-baptist-university-library
• Instagraminstagram.com/hkbulibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hong Kong Baptist University Library