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HKLA News > CSIDS – After 10 years, Look Back and Move Forward

CSIDS – After 10 years, Look Back and Move Forward

HKLA News

CSIDS – After 10 years, Look Back and Move Forward

CSIDS – After 10 years, Look Back and Move Forward

Entering the new century, self-financing institutes in Hong Kong played an important role in meeting the demand for more tertiary education places. However, the libraries of these financially challenged institutes faced tremendous difficulties in meeting the increasing demand from their learning community for more resources and for better searching and discovery of resources.

Under these circumstances, the “Collection Sharing and Information Discovery System” (CSIDS) was established.

Background

In 2013, Ms. Mok Wong Wai Man, then University Librarian of The Open University of Hong Kong, collaborated with five libraries in self-financing institutes to apply for the Hong Kong Government’s Self-financing Post-Secondary Education Fund, Quality Enhancement Support Scheme. The libraries of five self-financing institutes, namely The Open University of Hong Kong (now Hong Kong Metropolitan University, HKMU), Caritas Institute of Higher Education (now Saint Francis University, SFU), Chu Hai College of Higher Education (now Hong Kong Chu Hai College, HKCHC), Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU), and Tung Wah College (TWC), received a grant of over HK$50 million for the development of an e-library system. This system aimed to benefit 31,600 students in these institutes in AY2016/17 and future students. The project was named “Collection Sharing and Information Discovery System”.

The objectives of the project were:

  1. To improve the quality and standard of the study programmes through provision of quality library service;
  2. To enhance libraries’ digital content for sharing in the participating institutes;
  3. To facilitate faculty members and students to find and access library resources and resources on the Internet more effectively and efficiently; and
  4. To share library resources among self-financing institutes in the higher education sector.

Kick-Off

The application for the project was submitted in 2013 and received approval. The project commenced in January 2014 and was completed in December 2016.

During the project, CSIDS committed to several key actions. First, it purchased approximately 32,000 e-books, which were shared among the five institutes. Second, it implemented Ex Libris Primo, the discovery platform, to the member libraries. Third, it upgraded the library systems in three institutes (CHCHE, CIHE, and TWC) from the locally developed SLS (School Library System) to Ex Libris Aleph. Fourth, it built a union search platform on the Primo platform. Finally, it established an interlibrary loan system among the five libraries.

Union Search on Primo and Interlibrary Loan services were launched in November 2014 and June 2016, respectively. The new discovery platform provided a user-friendly search interface for faculty members and students in the five institutes, enabling them to access physical and electronic collections more easily. The joint acquisition of e-books by the five libraries also enriched their digital content and achieved better cost-effectiveness.

Management of CSIDS

After the implementation stage, the administration of CSIDS and the Primo platform was primarily handed over to the Systems Committee and Steering Committee. The member libraries shared the annual subscription fee for Primo, and the hosting of the Primo server was entrusted to HKMU, with the other four institutes paying HKMU for hosting and related fees.

The Systems Committee consists of system librarians of the member libraries. They hold quarterly meetings to monitor the operation of the joint Primo platform, evaluate and test Primo’s annual upgrades, discuss other related system issues, and regularly report to the Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee comprises the library directors of the member libraries. The committee holds an annual meeting to monitor the overall operations of CSIDS, listens to reports from the Systems Committee, and makes directional recommendations. The committee also explores the feasibility of collaboration in different library service areas.

Next Stage – Alma & Primo VE Migration

Starting from 2020, member libraries realized that the development potential of the existing system was limited, and the updates for Millennium and Aleph were slowing down. Additionally, the electronic resources of member libraries continued to expand, and the management capabilities and integration of electronic resources in Millennium and Aleph were insufficient. There was also a lack of integration in the storage and distribution of digital collections. The legacy library systems were still using the traditional client-server architecture, and the costs of hardware maintenance and manpower were also a consideration. Therefore, member libraries decided to explore the feasibility of migrating to a new-generation library system.

After a series of demonstrations and evaluations, member libraries agreed to select Ex Libris Alma as the next-generation library system for the following reasons:

  1. The cloud platform could eliminate the cost of hardware maintenance;
  2. Alma Digital could effectively handle the storage and distribution of digital collections;
  3. Member libraries could utilize Resource Sharing as the single interlibrary loan platform and Discovery Network as the new Union Search platform; and
  4. Alma could also be used as a library service platform to migrate other extended functions such as Rapido, Leganto, Rialto, etc.

The migration project of Alma and Primo VE was separated into two phases due to internal procedures in each institute. The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, another self-financing university, also joined the migration project.

Phase One (December 2021 – June 2022):

  • Caritas Institute of Higher Education
  • Hong Kong Shue Yan University

Phase Two (September 2022 – July 2023):

  • Chu Hai College of Higher Education
  • Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong Metropolitan University
  • Tung Wah College

Finally, Alma was successfully implemented in two phases, in June 2022 and July 2023, respectively.

The joint procurement and migration not only provided greater bargaining power with vendors but also facilitated the sharing of problem-solving experiences in various aspects of migration. CSIDS recognizes the importance of experience sharing in migration. In August 2022, an experience sharing session was held at Shue Yan. In addition to CSIDS member libraries, colleagues from the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and the Vocational Training Council also participated. A total of 85 library staff attended the session, where colleagues from Shue Yan and Caritas shared their experiences in the Alma migration, and colleagues from the Vocational Training Council shared their experiences after Alma Go-Live.

Keep Moving – Rapido and others

Started from 2023 Summer, five member libraries started to implement new Rapido, the new resource sharing platform. The platform will provide superior resource sharing experience as materials beyond our collections are integrated into discovery via the existing Alma and Primo VE library systems. In addition to increasing opportunity of getting the requested materials, it also saves manual work and optimize the transaction time of the entire interlibrary loan process. Apart from Rapido, member libraries also commence implementing various new services, such as Rialto, Leganto, and Alma-Digital.

Move Forward & Challenges

Since CSIDS members are composed of libraries from self-funded institutes, there are many determinants in the process of further development, including but not limited to the followings:

  • Instability of library resources due to the financial status of the institutes, including budget, space, and staffing;
  • Different development statuses among institutes;
  • Decrease in student numbers in Hong Kong; and
  • Competition between self-financing institutes.

Therefore, the development of CSIDS is still full of challenges and uncertainties.

On the other hand, 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of CSDIS. To cater for the growth of self-financing higher education and provide a more comprehensive cooperative academic library environment, the Steering Committee decided in October to rename CSDIS to:

Collaborative Scheme on Information and Discovery Services

in Hong Kong Higher Education Libraries

CSIDS always believes that intense collaboration among libraries can amplifies the power of resource sharing and benefit teaching, learning, and research in Hong Kong higher education. We are open-minded to explore any kind of collaboration between academic libraries in Hong Kong and the region. Please feel free to contact us or refer to the information on the CSIDS website: http://www.csids.edu.hk/info_new_member.html.

Member institutes

Hong Kong Chu Hai College

Hong Kong Chu Hai College is established and registered as an Approved Post Secondary College under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap 320). It has provided 70 years of quality education and excellence to the Hong Kong community and remains committed to enhancing the educational opportunities for young people in Hong Kong. Recognising the urgent importance of education reforms in Hong Kong, the College Board of Governors committed itself to broadening the education opportunities it offers to young people by enlarging its array of programmes. Its purpose and vision is to nurture future leaders, strengthen the competitiveness of Hong Kong, and help bring about a stable, prosperous and harmonious society in a knowledge-based economic environment. With the excellence of its 4-year tertiary education system in Hong Kong, the College expects its students not only to excel in their professions but also possess virtues and a broad a knowledge base along with confidence to cope with our ever-challenging world.

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), formerly “The Open University of Hong Kong,” was established in 1989 by the Hong Kong Government. It began offering full-time programmes in 2001 and joined the Joint University Programmes Admission System (JUPAS) in 2007. As Hong Kong’s only self-accrediting self-financing university, HKMU offers over 150 academic programmes to nearly 16,000 full-time and 5,000 part-time students across various disciplines. The university’s core strands are education, research, and serving society.

HKMU’s Strategic Plan 2024–2028, titled “Extending the Horizon,” aims to expand academic offerings, enhance student support, build an outstanding team to strengthen learning, teaching, research, and knowledge transfer, and foster international engagement, partnerships, and collaboration. In early 2024, HKMU became Hong Kong’s first University of Applied Sciences (UAS), launching applied degree programmes that combine theory and practice to nurture talent with both applied skills and knowledge who contribute to society, while raising the status of vocational and professional education and training.

Hong Kong Shue Yan University

In 1971, Dr. Henry H.L. Hu and Dr. Chung Chi Yung founded Shue Yan College in Happy Valley, in response to the acute shortage of tertiary places for local secondary school leavers aspiring for a university education. On 19th December 2006, Shue Yan College became the first private university in Hong Kong after it was renamed Hong Kong Shue Yan University. As enshrined in its motto, “Cultivating virtues of benevolence; broadening horizon and knowledge” (敦仁博物), HKSYU pursues education that promotes benevolence. In seeking to nurture learned and capable students, it is equally committed to cultivating the young into persons of honour. Now, the University has 12 academic departments, includes Accounting, Applied Data Science, Business Administration, Chinese Language & Literature, Counselling & Psychology, English Language & Literature, Economics & Finance, History, Journalism & Communication, Law & Business, Social Work and Sociology, and offers 18 Bachelor’s Degree, 6 MPhil/PhD programmes and 6 Taught Postgraduate programmes.

Saint Francis University

Founded in 1985 initially by the name of Caritas Francis Hsu College on non-profit-making principles and later renamed as Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Saint Francis University is committed to offering quality tertiary education in response to societal and student needs. Featuring flexible and diversified study pathways in areas including Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Techno-Humanities and Business, its curricula encompass artificial intelligence, business and hospitality management, digital entertainment technology, languages and culture as well as translation technology, paving the way for its students to make significant contributions to creating innovation and driving growth in society. At present, the University offers 13 Bachelor’s Degree, 2 Master’s Degree and 4 Higher Diploma programmes.  It seeks to deliver a holistic education and to spur its students to move forward unceasingly, in line with its motto of Ad Destinatum Prosequor (自強不息).

Tung Wah College

Established by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (“TWGHs”) in 2010, Tung Wah College (TWC) aims to provide high quality tertiary education to nurture competent, socially responsible and caring professionals for the benefits of society. TWC has been developing rapidly and built up a niche in healthcare education. It is the first self-financing tertiary institution offering five professionally accredited degrees to train nurses and allied health professionals such as medical laboratory technologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and radiation therapists. Besides, the College is also the first institution registered under Cap. 320 offering early childhood education degree and higher diploma programmes to train qualified kindergarten teachers and child care professionals. Currently, TWC has 4 schools (namely Arts and Humanities, Management, Medical and Health Sciences, and Nursing) running a total of 19 degree, sub-degree, diploma, certificate and advanced certificate programmes. Being a young and vibrant institution, TWC aspires to become a leading private university in the long-term.

Information

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