The library stocks the latest books, instructional and reference materials in the fields of medical and clinical sciences. They are classified and shelved according to National Library of Medicine (NLM) Classification Scheme. The subject headings used are, likewise, taken from the NLM's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).   The pre-clinical, nursing and pharmacy collections are placed in University Library, using the same classification scheme for shelving.

Some standard and comprehensive textbooks on specific subjects for reference or urgent clinical consultation are on short loan (7 days) only. They are identified with a yellow label on the spine.

New books on arrival will be placed on the New Books Display shelves. The titles on the web are updated on alternate Monday evening:

• These two weeks
• Two weeks ago
• Four weeks ago

The Library subscribes to a number of electronic databases, electronic journals and electronic books. Most of them are accessible on the web while some are still on CD-LAN of the library. User guides for instruction of use have been prepared.

A large volume of multimedia and AV materials comprising microfilms, microfiches, CD-ROMs, video-cassettes and other formats is maintained in the library:

• Over 4,500 reels of microfilms could be viewed in the library using the two microfilm readers nearby the microfilm cabinets. These microfilms are essential medical journals, some start from their inaugural issues.
  
  
• There are over 600 sheets of microfiches, the majority of which are theses of the graduate students of the Faculty of Medicine.
  
  
• The standalone CD-ROMs have been installed in the workstations in the library for in-house use. They are also available for loan too. They are shelved in closed stacks behind the Circulation Counter. Those titles on pre-clinical, nursing and pharmacy subjects are kept in United College Wu Chung Multimedia Library.
  
  
• The AV materials comprise video tapes, video discs and sound cassettes. The majority is a collection of video cassettes on patient examination techniques donated by theClinical Skills Learning Center of the Faculty of Medicine.  They are separately marked as MD Audio-Visual in the online catalogue. 

About 1,050 titles of biomedical journals have been subscribed. Some 750 of these including 77 Chinese titles are located in the Medical Library. The journals are arranged in title alphabetical order.  Certain journal backfiles are in microforms or electronic format.  Older titles published before 1980 are shelved in compact shelves.

The course-related materials such as books, journal articles, handouts requested by the teaching staff as well as heavily used books are put on reserve in order to support teaching activities and facilitate easy access to these items. They are shelved in closed stacks behind the Circulation Counter and are available for loan on various loan periods.  An online request form is available for teaching staff to make recommendations.

The collection has been developed since 1989 with the aim to collect all primary and secondary sources pertaining to the development and history of medicine in the Asia Pacific region, with particular emphasis on China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.  It contains original and reprint works, illustrations, manuscripts, folklore, significant journal issues and many traditional Chinese formularies dating as far back as the 13th century to the present.  It comprises both Western and Eastern languages and a wide variety of formats including books, microfiches, microfilms, video tapes and CD-ROM discs.

In addition, the library also collects many rare copies of significant medical texts. Some of the rarest ones dating back to the 16th century have been placed in University Library's Rare Book Room for better preservation. Others are still kept in the Medical Library in closed stacks behind the Circulation Counter.

The Library keeps all the master theses and doctoral dissertations by graduate students of the Faculty of Medicine. Some of them are in microforms. From 1997 onwards, the fulltext of all doctoral dissertations of CUHK could be accessed on the web via Dissertations & Theses @ CUHK.

All Medical Faculty publications which have been recorded in the Research and Technology Administration Office (RTAO) Online Publication Input System are now searchable and accessible in the newly launched CUHK Scholarly Institutional Repository (CUHK SIR). It covers all publications of faculty and staff including working papers, journal articles, newspaper articles, books, book chapters, theses, conference proceedings, technical reports and patents. Full-texts of these publications will be available around second quarter of 2007.

The images of past examination papers of the Faculty of Medicine from 1995 onwards are searchable in the CUHK Examination Papers Database via CUHK network only. All examination papers are copyright of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Users are only permitted to make one copy of each paper for research and private study.