Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Books, e-Books, theses, etc.

If you're having trouble with an e-book, solving it may depend on what type is (SpringerLink? Other?).

Go look at the Core E-Book collection list and then look at the User guides linked there.  If you have more problems, ask a librarian or other library staff for help.

Library materials may sometimes be mis-shelved or taken away by other users.  This is what we usually recommend if a book is not on the shelf when it says "available" in PowerSearch.

1. Ask a library staff member (in a blue vest) to help you, to verify you are looking in the right place.
2. If it is not there, check back the next day (for example, maybe it was left at a copier & needs to be collected & re-shelved).
3. If on the second day, it is still not available, fill out an Item Search Request form at the Circulation Counter. Library staff will search for the item and notify you when found.

See this short guide to finding theses of HKUST and other universities.

Please read this LibGuide - https://libguides.hkust.edu.hk/e-thesis/submission

Although the Library does not collect music scores as a general rule, it does hold some music anthologies, songbooks and some titles of Chinese songs and traditional operas. Since the collection is small in size, the best way to explore it is to browse the M and MT sections of the Book Collection on LG3. Here are some representative works:

• Anthology for musical analysis
• An Anthology of early Renaissance music 
• Anthology of twentieth-century music
• Disney Fake Book
• The Norton scores: an anthology for listening
• The Ultimate Broadway fake book: over 720 songs from over 240 shows: for piano, vocal, guitar, electronic keyboards, and all "C" instruments

University libraries that support music programs have rich music collections. Search HKALL to find items of your interest.

HKUST Library subscribes to Refworks. Here is the Refworks Guide - from the company

The Library does not subscribe to EndNote or Mendeley. HKUST community members can use the free versions, both of which require registration. 

In addition, Zotero and its simplified version, ZBib are also popular and easy to use.

HKUST Library doesn't regularly collect past papers and exams.

Some old syllabi, course outlines, and past examination papers are kept in the University Archives Room on 1/F.

They are collected every 5 years as samples to reflect curriculum development, rather than as a "past paper collection". Contact Archives staff (2358-6784 or lbarsc@ust.hk) to check if the materials you want is available. Note that you need your department's permission to access the materials.

The Library has a small collection of books to help prepare for Hong Kong's Civil Service exam (CRE).

Some are listed on the Library Guide for Job Hunting  https://libguides.hkust.edu.hk/jobhunting/recruitment-tests

You can also search for them using these subject searches:

• Civil service -- China -- Hong Kong -- Examinations
• Civil service -- China -- Hong Kong -- Examinations - Study guides

Fiction is kept in various sections of the subject class "P", according to the language of the original work. The Library also maintains a small collection of award-winning children's novels in section PZ.

For details, go here: https://libguides.hkust.edu.hk/classification/literature

You can also browse the "Popular books" shelves on the G/F.

Details about popular books are here: https://library.hkust.edu.hk/collections-resources/guides-to-resources/popular-books/

A good way to find things is by using the subject browse search. here are some popular choices.

Cantonese

• Cantonese dialects
• Cantonese dialects -- Conversation and phrasebooks
• Cantonese dialects -- Dictionaries
• Cantonese dialects -- Self-instruction
• Cantonese dialects -- Terms and phrases
• Cantonese dialects -- Study and teaching
• Cantonese dialects -- Textbooks for foreign speakers

Chinese (Mandarin)

• Chinese language -- Conversation and phrasebooks
• Chinese language -- Dictionaries
• Chinese language -- Self-instruction
• Chinese language -- Study and teaching
• Chinese language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers

English

• English language -- Conversation and phrasebooks
• English language -- Dictionaries
• English language -- Self-instruction
• English language -- Study and teaching
• English language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers