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Special Note: Two pieces of subsidiary legislation under the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) (the Ordinance), namely the Copyright (Libraries, Museums and Archives – Prescribed Conditions for Making Copy) Regulation and the Copyright (Specified Libraries, Museums and Archives under Sections 47 to 53) Notice, will come into effective from 1 January 2026. There will not be any change in making a request via the HKALL and Partners Service. However, users will only be contacted and required to fill in a Declaration Form per request if the Library has successfully located the resource (article/book chapter) and the reproduction of that resource falls within the requirements of the Copyright Ordinance. For details, please visit the HKSAR Intellectual Property Department (IPD) website and its FAQ webpage. |
When the study and research materials you are looking for are not available at Lingnan University Library collection, eligible Lingnan staff and students can request them from other libraries using the Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL) and Partners service.
HKALL allows user to request and check out physical / digital items held by other UGC-funded university libraries in Hong Kong. For items not available through HKALL, we can also source them from other local and overseas Partners.
- Place a Request
- Checkout and Download
- Track and Manage Requests
- Privileges and Quota
- Copyright Restrictions
- Resource Sharing Service for Local and Overseas Libraries
Place a Request
Always start your search at our 1-Search platform. If the item is available at the Lingnan University Library, you can access it online or check out the physical item.
In case the item is not available in our Library collection, click “Expand your search to HKALL and Partners” to expand the search to check holdings of HKALL and other partner libraries.
Depending on availability, you may see the following request options:
Request a physical copy? - Request the entire book, it may take time for delivery and pickup.
Request a digital chapter / digital copy? - Request only a specific chapter or an article, it would be a good choice if you prefer to access a part of the scholarly work with fast delivery. Please provide as many details as possible (volume, chapter title, number, page numbers, etc.) and press Send to submit a request.
Users can make more informed decisions about different types of request based on your needs, delivery time and format of the requested items
In case the item cannot be found in the 1-Search platform, please click ‘Didn’t find what you need? Library staff is pleased to help”. Fill out the Request Form with accurate details (e.g. DOI, ISBN, ISSN, title, etc), which are especially helpful for us and our partners to locate the resources.
Checkout and Download
- Digital Articles/Chapters
- Delivered subject to partners’ turnaround time, usually faster than the physical requests.
- Digital files can be downloaded from your Library Account or via the link provided in the notification email.
- Due to copyright restrictions, the files must be accessed within 2 weeks (max 5 downloads/views)
- Physical Items
Physical copies from HKALL libraries are delivered in approximately 5 working days, subject to partners’ turnaround time. Requests for books in other local partner normally take 1 to 2 weeks, whereas overseas requests normally require 1 to 3 months.
When the item is available, you will receive a notification email. Requested items can be picked up at the Self-Pickup Locker (1/F Zone B) before the expiry date. Staff may also request the Office Delivery Service for delivery.
Checkout Privileges vary by user types. Some materials may only be available for in-library use at the request of the lending library.
While Library would work closely with partners to fulfill your requests, please also note that Lingnan University Library and partner libraries can reject /cancel your requests due to various reasons, e.g.:
- Requested Item already in Lingnan Unviersity Library collection
- Partner libraries restricts lending (e.g. electronic format, special collection, oversize, physical conditions, etc).
- Copyright limitations (e.g. repeated requests, or similar requests made in the same scholarly work).
Track and Manage Requests
- Track and Cancel
You can monitor the status of your requests, as well as the digital article/chapter downloads, under "My Requests" in your Library Account. Please check your email and Library Account regularly for updates.
If you no longer need the requested item, please cancel the request as soon as possible in your Library Account.
- Renewal
Similar to all Library checkouts, renewals can be made in the Library Account under ‘My Requests’. To ensure timely processing, please submit a renewal request at least 3 working days before the due date.
However, depending on the policy and terms offered by the lending libraries, some items cannot be renewed, and even may recall to shorten the checkout period. These items must be checked in immediately. Please always check your email on any updates from the Library.
Privileges and Quota
Request and checkout quotas for the HKALL and Partners books are shared with your Lingnan Library collection checkout quota. Details can be found in Checkout Privileges.
To ensure equity of access, the use of other libraries’ resources is bound by a quota system.
| HKALL / Local Partners | Overseas Partners | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books | Book Chapters / Journal Articles |
Books | Book Chapters / Journal Articles |
|
| Academic / Postgraduate Students |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ (conditions may apply)* |
Yes |
| Non-Academic Staff / Undergraduate Students |
✓ (HKALL only) |
✓ (conditions may apply)* |
No | Yes (conditions may apply)* |
The Library reserves the right to charge for expensive items obtained from overseas libraries; user will be notified before the request proceeds.
* In case the partner libraries impose charge for the requests, Library reserves the right not to handle the requests.
Copyright Restrictions
All materials obtained through HKALL and Partner services must comply with Hong Kong copyright laws and are strictly for research or private study. Excessive downloading and photocopying, as well as redistribution of the materials, are prohibited. Please refer to our Copyright page for more about copyright restrictions in this area.
Resource Sharing Service for Local and Overseas Libraries
In addition to RapidILL and Rapido partners, Lingnan University Library also support resource sharing in other academic libraries, library communities, government departments/agencies and authorised/registered organisations with or without reciprocal agreements. Please refer to the Service Guidelines for more details.
