| The CGST Library is located on the 2nd floor of Devon Road Campus. Occupying the entire level, with an area of approximately 450 square meters (4,800 square feet), the Library provides 53 seatings and study spaces for users.
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The Library has adopted the Dynix Automated Library System since 1996. The collection currently consists of approximately 62,000 books, more than 200 academic periodicals/magazines, and 200 newsletters from various Christian organisations. This includes the Special Collection, "Culture Collection", from the Christian Study Centre on Chinese Religion & Culture acquired in the year 2000, with over 10,000 volumes of books and over 300 titles of back issues of periodicals, which has enriched our collection in Chinese culture, history and religion. Since the Ph. D program in curriculum has been established, CGST Library has built up a collection of Foreign Books consisting of more than 1,300 volumes written in Germany, France or Dutch etc. Our Library also comprehensively collects more than 450 titles of the collected works and the related works of Karl Barth. |
On the audiovisual front, the Library provides materials on microfilms and microfiches, and has a microfilm / microfiche combo reader for reading such media. On the electronic front, the Library has over 98 CD-ROM titles and 92 online journals available for users to choose from. On the database front, the Library has subscribed to four online databases . The first two databases, the "ATLA Religion Database" plus "ATLAS" and the "Religion & Philosophy (R&P) Collection Database" via EBSCOhost, contain more than 600 journal titles combined, covering tens of thousands of articles written over the past 50 years, of which 415 journals titles can be retrieved and downloaded in full-text. The other two databases "Info Trac Religion & Philosophy" and "SA e Publications - Religion Collection" via Sabinet from South Africa offer over 260 journal titles for indexing and 170 journal titles for full text articles. Our Library has also joined the subscription to the "OCLC FirstSearch Service" via OCLC platform which covers eight various indexes and online databases including ArticleFirst, WilsonSelectPlus, ECO, WorldCat, ERIC, EBooks, MEDLINE and WorldCatDissertation. The WilsonSelectPlus alone contains more than two thousand full-text periodical articles, and WorldCat is a union catalogue for a vast group of libraries in the United States. This will serve as a complementary resource for our Library.
On the e-book front, the Library has subscribed to eleven sets of encyclopedias on various religious studies via "Gale Virtual Reference Library" of the Thomson Gales platform which can be retrieved and the full text format can be downloaded. We also purchase more e books via the ECHO (Ebrary) platform to facilitate the usage of e-resources for our readers.
In addition, the "Library Information Network" of CGST has been established for users to retrieve library resources, online periodicals, databases and other Internet resources via the "CGST Pulse".
CGST Library is one of the six members of the Ecumenical Information Network (EIN). Other EIN member libraries include:
EIN Library Union Catalogue is the largest theological library catalogue in Hong Kong. At present, EIN has 6 member libraries and the EIN Library Union Catalogue has over 370,000 records of which the Chinese theological library catalogue is the largest in the world. Inter-library loan and document delivery services are available to the users of EIN member libraries.
Library Regulations
1. Opening Hours
| 1. |
Summer Opening Times
2008 June 16 - July 11 and July 28 - September 5
Monday
Tuesday to Friday
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays and Special School Activities
2008 July 14 - July 25
Monday
Tuesday to Friday
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays and Special School Activities
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10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Closed
10:00 a.m.-9:45 p.m.
9:00 a.m.-9:45 p.m.
Closed
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| 2. |
New Semester Opening Times
2008 September 6 Onwards
Monday
Tuesday to Friday
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays and Special School Activities
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10:00 a.m.-9:45 p.m.
9:00 a.m.-9:45 p.m.
Closed
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2. Application of Library Card & Rules for Users
| 1. |
Students of the School are eligible to apply for a Library card (student card) to borrow books from the Library. Special students who have the Library Cards are allowed to borrow books. |
| 2. |
Alumni who have finished their degree or diploma, and have been awarded the corresponding certificates, are eligible to apply for Library Cards. The annual fee is HK$150. This can be renewed annually at a cost of HK$100. |
| 3. |
Graduating students must return the Library Card (student card) to the academic department before the assigned date. |
| 4. |
Library cards are not transferable and cannot be loaned. |
3. Rules for Borrowing, Renewing and Holding Books
| 1. |
The normal loan period for books for all students, alumni and special readers is 14 days (effective from 3 Sep. 2007). Users can renew the item if no other users have requested it.
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| 2. |
Except for the full time and part-time students self-renewing items for four times, all other users can renew items twice by themselves on the Internet. |
| 3. |
Except for items held by other users, users may renew the checked out items by themselves via "Union Catalogue" on the Internet. If the self renewal limit is reached, users must bring the items and Library Cards to the library staff for processing any other renewals. |
| 4. |
Self-renewal must be made on or before the due date of the initial loan period. |
| 5. |
Users can place a hold (request) on a book that has already been checked out and the new books that are on display in the CGST Library via "Union Catalogue" on the Internet. |
| 6. |
No due date will be stamped on the insider cover of the book. Please view the circulation record online at: http://einhip.gotdns.org:82/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=cgst |
| 7. |
Library notices, including coming due alert, hold pick-ups, recalls and overdues, are sent to all students via your email address provided by CGST Information Technology Services Department. If you prefer to have the notices sent to other email address, you could either update it via iPAC or email to us. |
| 8. |
Users are therefore reminded that it is their responsibility to check their emails often so as not to miss any important library notices. The responsibility of returning books on time lies with the borrower. When the loan period expires, an overdue notice is sent to all categories of borrowers. |
| 9. |
The number of loan quota for Th. M and Ph. D students are 30 items, for other full time students are 15 items, for other part time students are 10 items. All of them can request holds for 5 items. For the other categories of users, please enquire the library staffs. |
4. Rules for Borrowing Reserve Book
| 1. |
Users are allowed to borrow no more than two reserve books at a time. |
| 2. |
Users who borrow a reserve book after 7:45 p.m. must return it to the Library before 11:00a.m.on the following working day. |
| 3. |
A fine of HK$1.00 per hour will be charged for each overdue reserve book. |
5. Rules for Borrowing Other Materials
| 1. |
Current or bound issues of periodicals cannot be checked out from the Library. |
| 2. |
CD-ROM can be used directly on the computer. Ask the on-duty staff for assistance if required. |
| 3. |
Reference books and thesis can be used only in the Library. |
| 4. |
Rare books, Close Stack books and Culture Periodicals cannot be checked out from the Library. For special requests, please enquire the Library staffs. |
| 5. |
To access the full text databases, please access "Library Information Network" via CGST Pulse. |
| 6. |
To learn more about how to use the Library and the databases, please access: "Library Information Network"-->"The Library"-->"User Instruction". |
| 7. |
Please observe the rules of the licence agreement of each database vendor / publisher. Users must follow the rules laid down within the particular database they are accessing. Don't undertake 'systematic' or 'excessive' downloading or reproduction. Legal action will be taken by the copyright owner for any infringement. |
6. Photocopying Service
| 1. |
Insert the OCTOPUS card into the fee chargeable machine of the photocopiers. |
| 2. |
Each photocopy costs HK$0.3. |
| 3. |
Users are not permitted to bring their own transparencies for photocopying. If users need to photocopy transparencies, please purchase them from the Library. Each transparency costs HK$2.00. |
| 4. |
Please observe the rules of the copyright law while you photocopy the materials. |
7. Fines & Compensation
| 1. |
All categories of borrowers who keep books / items beyond the loan period are subject to a fine of HK$1.00 per item per day. A fine of HK$1.00 per hour will be charged for each overdue reserve book. Borrowers who fail to return books or who return books damaged beyond repair will be charged the cost of replacement in addition to the processing cost of $100 and any accumulated fines. Borrowers cannot keep the damaged item after they paid for the replacement, as all materials, be they damaged or otherwise, belong permanently to the Library. |
| 2. |
The loss of a Library Card must be reported to the Library immediately and is subject to a fine of HK$100. A duplicate card may be issued after the loss is reported and the fine paid. |
| 3. |
A fine of HK$20 per day for each unit of personal items left behind without personal attendance on the carrels of the Library will be charged and HK$10 for each unit left behind in the library storing stacks. The Library will keep these items for 3 days only. Users cannot get back such items after 3 days. |
| 4. |
Marking or scribbling on materials of the Library is strictly forbidden. Any full time faculties, staffs or students who violate the regulation will not be allowed to enter the library for one week. For other library cardholders, the penalty is for one month. |
8. Conduct of Library Users
| 1. |
Only drinking water is permitted in the Library. |
| 2. |
Silence must always be observed in the Library. Any discussion should be made outside the Library. |
| 3. |
Personal pagers and mobile phones must be turned off in the Library at all times. |
| 4. |
Personal items on the carrels without personal attendance for over half hour will be confiscated by the Library. |
| 5. |
Bags and briefcases must be placed in the library storing stacks. The users themselves are advised to keep expensive and valuable property with them. The Library will not be responsible for any loss or damage of personal items. |
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