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HKALL Borrowing Services

Through searching HKALL, all CityU staff and students of courses leading to CityU awarded degrees* can borrow books from all other University Grants Committee (UGC) funded libraries by requesting them online and have them delivered to the Circulation Counter of the CityU Library for checkout.

*

Awarded degree here means Associate Degree or its equivalent, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, Doctoral Degree and Postgraduate Degree/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate. (Students of short courses, single subject certificates, diplomas, professional diplomas, professional certificates or external degrees awarded by overseas institutions are excluded.)
*

Excluding outside HK or visiting students

[ HKALL Overview | Access HKALL ]

Participating Libraries

Chinese University of Hong Kong Library
City University of Hong Kong Library
Hong Kong Baptist University Library
Hong Kong Institute of Education Library
Hong Kong Polytechnic University Library
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library
Lingnan University Library
University of Hong Kong Library

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Searching HKALL

Users can search HKALL by either one of the following ways:
  • Transferring a search at the CityU Library Catalogue to HKALL by clicking the button "Search HKALL" which appears at the top of the screen alongside with the other buttons
  • Accessing HKALL by clicking the link "HKALL" on the main menu of the CityU Library Catalogue or by visiting http://hkall.hku.hk directly, then conducting a new search in the same way as searching in the CityU Library Catalogue.
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Requesting and Borrowing HKALL Books

What can be requested?

Books that are NOT available at our CityU Library (either because CityU Library does not hold the items or the items have been checked out) but with the status "AVAILABLE" in any other library on HKALL can be requested.

How to make a request?

  1. Conduct a search in HKALL.
  2. Select a desired item from the search result list by clicking the corresponding title.
  3. On the detailed record of the item, note the "status" of the copy (copies) listed. If a copy is AVAILABLE in any other library, click on "Request this title" to initiate a request.
  4. For the question "Which is your home library?", select "CityU Library".
  5. Fill out the authentication page and click on "Submit Above Information". The request is sent. HKALL will direct the request to a potential lending library.
  6. Please note that the book reservation quota for CityU eligible users is 6. This book reservation quota is used for both requesting HKALL books and recalling CityU books which are on loan.

What are the borrowing and returning procedures?

  • Users will be notified by email when the requested items are available. With the pickup notification, users should approach the Circulation Counter of the CityU Library to borrow the items concerned. Users will be given 5 calendar days to pick up the requested items after formal notification. Items not claimed will be returned to the lending library without prior notification to the users concerned.
  • HKALL items should be returned to the Circulation Counter of the CityU Library. Users should never put any HKALL books into the book drop.
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HKALL Borrowing Rules and Regulations

Eligible Users / Loan Quotas / Loan Periods (calendar days)

  Eligible Users Maximum No. of Books to be Borrowed* Loan periods
1. City University Council Members 20 items 30 days
2. Members of Departmental Advisory Committees 20 items 30 days
3. Academic/administrative equivalent staff, research staff and demonstrators 20 items 30 days
4. Staff other than category 3 10 items 15 days
5. CityU postgraduate students** 10 items 30 days
6. CityU undergraduate students** 10 items 15 days
7. CityU associate degree students** 10 items 15 days
   
** Students of courses leading to CityU awarded degrees. (Awarded degree here means Associate Degree or its equivalent, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, Doctoral Degree and Postgraduate Degree/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate. Students of short courses, single subject certificates, diplomas, professional diplomas, professional certificates or external degrees awarded by overseas institutions are excluded.)
** Excluding outside HK or visiting students
* Important: Users will be using their CityU Library loan quotas to borrow HKALL books.

Recalls

  • Holds cannot be placed on checked out HKALL books.
  • However, local users at the owning library can "recall" items loaned out to other HKALL libraries through their own library catalogue at any time. Upon recall, the users at CityU who have borrowed the items concerned will receive an email notification. The original due date may be shortened. Yet, there is a "minimum" use period of 15 calendar days.

Renewals

  • Renewal for twice is allowed on condition that the item concerned is not recalled by any local patron of the lending library.
  • Users can renew HKALL books online themselves (if the book is not overdue) via their individual circulation accounts accessible by clicking "Your Circulation Record / Renewal" on the CityU Library Catalogue opening menu. No email notification will be sent out and it is the users' responsibility to observe the new due date shown in their own circulation record.
  • To renew overdue books, users should approach the Circulation Counter in person with the books concerned.
  • The renewal period will be the same as the original loan period.
  • Renewal is treated as a continuation of loan and thus the book concerned will still be subject to recall at any time.

Cancellation of Requests

  • Users can cancel requests if they later do not need the items. However, this can only be done if the requests concerned are still under the status "HKALL REQUESTD" in the users' circulation records. If the lending libraries have already transferred the requested items to the CityU Library, the status of the requested items in the users' circulation record will become "IN TRANSIT" or "HKALL RECEIVED" and the users will not be able to cancel the requests at this stage.
  • Cancellation can be done via the users' individual circulation accounts accessible by clicking "Your Circulation Record / Renewal" on the CityU Library Catalogue main menu.
  • The lending libraries may also cancel the requests if the requested items are (i) not found on shelf, or (ii) being checked out by the local users or (iii) found not suitable for loan. The users concerned will be notified by email if the requested items are cancelled.

Overdues and Fines

  • An overdue notice will be sent via email to all categories of users as soon as the loan period of an HKALL book expires.
  • There is a grace period of 3 calendar days for returning an overdue item.
  • Fines for failing to return overdue items within the grace period are as follows:
    • Normal overdue: HK$2.00 per item per calendar day
    • Recalled overdue: HK$4.00 per item per calendar day

Loss and Damage of HKALL Books

  • It is the users' responsibility to take good care of HKALL books borrowed from the other libraries. No HKALL books should be taken overseas without prior permission from the lending libraries.
  • Users will be held responsible for any loss or damage of the HKALL books borrowed. Book replacement and penalty policies of the lending libraries will be followed when cases as such arise.
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Copyright © Run Run Shaw Library, City University of Hong Kong
Last modified on Wednesday, 27-Aug-08 09:35:56.