Institution-based repositories of digital content have developed remarkably in recent years. These digital repositories represent an emerging framework of global cooperation in which libraries move beyond serving their local communities and participate in a global network for cooperative information access and preservation. Developing digital repositories with different purposes and dissimilar contents, challenges librarians with issues of easy access, reliable authentication, steady growth, adequate support, and long-term sustainability. This article intends to share the HKUST Library’s experience in developing, implementing, and maintaining purpose-driven digital repositories with the goal of providing users effective access to digital content for teaching, research, or other purposes; while at the same time promoting its sustainability and interoperability in a global network of distributed repositories.