A Half Century Panorama of Library and
Information Science Education and
Training in Hong Kong:
From 1958 to 2008 and Beyond
KAN Lai Bing
Senior Adviser
HKU SPACE
YU Ling Ling
College Senior Lecturer
Community College, HKU SPACE
Library and Information Science (LIS)
Education and Training in Hong Kong
Before 1960
• There were only a few librarians, and
some were expatriates and some locals.
• Most of them were working in the library of
the University of Hong Kong.
• It is difficult to trace information on
education and training on librarianship
before 1960
LIS Education and Training
from 1960
• A variety of short courses on library techniques,
cataloguing and classification were organized by
the Department of Extra-mural Studies of the
University of Hong Kong (HKU DEMS)
• The Joint Certificate in Librarianship was offered
from 1964 onwards
• It is still available yearly and in cooperation with
the Hong Kong Library Association (HKLA)
LIS Education and Training
from 1960
• All the courses for LIS education were operated
in the part-time and short term mode
• The target students were mainly the library
practitioners at various level
• Most of the courses before 2001 were offered by
the Department of Extramural Studies of the
University of Hong Kong.
• In 1973, the CUHK Department of Extra-Mural
Studies joined as a partner in the Certificate
Course for Library Assistants and started to offer
the course in Chinese medium.
LIS Education and Training
Before 2001
• There were no full-time undergraduate
and postgraduate courses in library
science in the local universities
• The subject of library science was only
included in education studies of HKU as a
small part as short courses between
1989-1998.
LIS Education and Training Before 2001
• In 1990s, HKU DEMS started partnership with CSU, then
there was a sudden boom in the mid nineties
• A variety of distance learning programmes from the UK, US
and Australia inevitably led to the over-supply of the courses
in the same period
• Also the programmes were rather expensive
• With keen competition from the graduates returned from
overseas, and many could not get a full-time employment in
libraries so the number of applications dropped
• The distance learning programmes operated by University of
Wales, Aberystwyth / British Council as well as the University
of Wisconsin – Milwaukee / Chinese University of Hong Kong
were suspended
• Most of the courses organized in the 1990s were at
professional level
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958
Year
Course Title
Delivery
Mode
Language
Organizer
19601961
• Library
Part-time
Techniques I
English
HKU Dept of ExtraMural Studies
(HKU DEMS)
19611962
• Library
Part-time
Techniques II Part-time
• Librarianship
(圖書館學)
English
Cantonese
(HKU DEMS)
19621963
• Introduction Part-time
to
Librarianship
(圖書館學)
Part-time
• Advanced
library
Cantonese
(HKU DEMS)
English
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
19621964
• Library Cataloguing and Part-time
Classification (圖書編
目分類學)
Cantonese
(HKU
DEMS)
19631964
1967
• Librarianship
• Librarianship (圖書館
學)
• Librarianship (Second
year)
• Joint Certificate in
Librarianship
English
Cantonese
English
(HKU
DEMS)
19641967
Part-time
Part-time
Part-time
Part-time English /
Yearly
occasional
(120 hours) Cantonese
(HKU
DEMS) /
HKLA
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
1967to date
• Certificate Course for Part-time
Library Assistants
Yearly
(120 hours)
English class; HKU DEMS
occasionally / HKLA
also Chinese
class
19731996
• Certificate Course for Part-time
Library Assistants ( 圖 Yearly
書助理員文憑課程) (120 hours)
English (HKU) HKU DEMS
Chinese
/ HKLA /
(CUHK)
CUHK
19741976
• Advanced Reference
& Bibliography
Part-time
English
HKU DEMS
19671974
• Librarianship:
Intermediate Part I.
Courses preparing
students for The
Library Association
(London)’s
Part-time
Yearly
English
HKU DEMS
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
19751980
19771979
19791980
• Examination
held in Hong
Kong by the
Australian
Library
Association
• Advanced
Part-time 16 hours
Classification of lectures plus
(高級分類學) practical work
English
Australian
Library
Association
English
(1977/78)
Cantonese
(1978/79)
HKU DEMS
• Course for
30 hours of
Teacher
lectures plus
Librarians (part- practical work
time) (學校圖
書館管理初級
課程 ; 學校圖
書館管理高級
課程)
English
HKU DEMS /
Education Dept
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
19801989
• Diploma in
Librarianship
part-time
3 years
(400 hrs)
English
HKU DEMS /
HKLA
19891998
• In-service
Teacher
Education
Programme
(INSTEP)
Part-time short
courses of lectures
plus practical
workshops
English
The University
of Hong Kong
Faculty of
Education /
HKU DEMS
(currently HKU
SPACE)
1992
• Refresher
Course
Part-time one year
course; day-release
for teacherslibrarians with 5years of experience
English
HKU SPACE /
Education
Department
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
19901993
• Diploma in Librarianship part-time
English
/ Graduate Diploma of
3 years
English
Arts
(400 hrs)
19933 years (4
to date • Diploma in
papers, face to
Librarianship/ Graduate face;
Diploma of Arts: Library 4 papers,
and Information Science distance
(currently Graduate
education)
Diploma in Applied
Science - Library and
Information Management)
1993- • Diploma in Library and Distance
English
to date
Information Science /
3 years
Bachelor of Arts (LIS),
currently Bachelor of
Applied Science (LIM)
HKU DEMS /
HKLA / CSU
HKU DEMS
(Now HKU
SPACE) /
HKLA / CSU
CSU/ HKU
DEMS (Now
HKU SPACE)
HKU DEMS /
HKLA
CSU / HKU
DEMS (Now
HKU SPACE)
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
19931996
• Postgraduate Diploma Distance
in Librarianship
3 years
English
University of
Wales /
British Council
19931997
• Master in Library and
Information Science
Part-time
2 years
(1/3 in HK
2/3 in
Wisconsin)
English
University of
Wisconsin –
Milwaukee /
CUHK School of
Continuing &
Professional
Studies
19951996
• Bachelor of Education Part of full(B.Ed.) (Course on
time
library science: elective) programme
English
The University of
Hong Kong.
Faculty of
Education
19961999
• B.Ed. (Library and
Information Studies)
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
1996-to • Master of Applied
Part-time English
date
Science (Library and
18 months
Information Management) Distance
CSU / HKU
SPACE
1996
1997
1998
Hong Kong
Baptist
University.
School of
Continuing
Education
• B.Ed. conversion
programme (Course on
school library: elective)
Part-time
English
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958
(Cont’d)
2001-to
date
• Higher Diploma for
Library Technicians.
Title changed to Higher
Diploma in Library and
Information Studies
(2003); and to Higher
Diploma in Library and
Information
Management (2008)
Full-time
3 years
(Face to
face)
English
HKU SPACE
Community
College
2000- to
date
• Diploma for Teacher
Librarians (DipTL)
Part-time
English / Education
Chinese Manpower
Bureau (Now
Education
Bureau) / HKU
SPACE
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Cont’d)
2004-to
date
• Higher Diploma in Full-time
Library and
3 years
Information Science (Face to
face)
English
CUHK School
of Professional
and
Continuing
Education
2004-to
date
• Master of Science in Full-time / English
Library and
Part-time
Information
Management
HKU Faculty
of Education
2005- to
date
• Bachelor of Science Full-time (2 English
in Information
years, face
Management
to face)
• (BSc(IM))
HKU Faculty
of Education
LIS Education in the First Decade
of the 21st Century
The major development of LIS
education in Hong Kong in the 21st
century was the introduction of fulltime local programmes at subdegree level
HKU SPACE Full-time
Sub-Degree Programmes
Since 2001
• The first institution set up the full-time LIS
course, namely Higher Diploma for Library
Technicians, in Hong Kong. It is
• a three-year programme
• library and information science core contents
• generic skills including English and Chinese
languages
• inter-personal skills
• bridging the gap between B.A. (LIS) programme
and the Certificate Course for Library Assistants
HKU SPACE Full-time
Sub-Degree Programmes (Cont’d)
• Structured in a modular mode allowing the
students in-and-out flexibly.
• The first year graduates would receive the
Certificate
• The second year graduates Advanced
Certificate
• The third year graduates the Higher Diploma
• This course was the major breakthrough in
library and information science education in
Hong Kong.
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes
(Cont’d)
From 2005
• Students of Advanced Level
results can apply for 2 years
programme
• Students of HKCEE
qualification are still required to
take three year programme.
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes
(Cont’d)
• Higher Diploma in Library and Information
Studies has developed into two themes:
Information Studies theme consists more
course contents on librarianship
o Information Management theme includes
more subjects on information technology with
the collaboration of Information Technology
teaching unit
o
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes
(Cont’d)
Since Summer 2008
• Programme title Higher Diploma in Library and
Information Studies was changed to Higher Diploma
in Library and Information Management (LIM)
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes
Practicum
• Throughout the
development of the
HDLIS / HDLIM course,
practicum is always
considered as an
important part of the
learning process.
HKUSPACE Community
College has a strong
partnership with local
school, academic, public
and special libraries
Other Full-time Sub-Degree Programme
In 2004, the School of Continuing Studies of
the Chinese University of Hong Kong also
commenced its Higher Diploma programme
in library studies
HKU Full-time LIS Degree
Programmes
• In September 2005, a full-time UGC funded
programme was introduced as an add-on to the
sub-degree programmes, that is for the
Associate Degree or Higher Diploma holders.
• The Master of Science in Library and
Information Management is the first local fulltime postgraduate degree offered by the Faculty
of Education of the University of Hong Kong.
• This programme can be studied part-time. Its
first intake started from September 2004.
Top-up Programmes for the LIS Higher Diploma
Holders to Study Overseas Programmes
Both HKU SPACE and CUHK SCS have
articulation arrangements with Northumbria
University in UK for the holders of Higher
Diploma in Library and Information Studies /
Management to apply for its full-time bachelor
degree in librarianship
Top-up Programmes for the LIS Higher Diploma
Holders to Study Overseas Programmes
• The HKU SPACE LIS Higher Diploma holders can
apply for:
o (a) the third year full-time BSc Information
Management at Manchester Metropolitan University.
This has to be studied in Manchester
o
(b) part-time degree course of Bachelor of Applied
Science (LIM) of Charles Sturt University and
o
(c) the distance learning programme, BSc
Librarianship, at Northumbria University. This can
either be studied in HK by distance learning or in
the UK.
Current PT Non-Degree LIS Programmes
• Certificate Course for Library Assistants, Chinese and
English (HKUSPACE & HKLA)
o
o
Up to the summer of 2008, 1,361 students were graduated
Together with CUHK SCS’s partnership between 1973-1996
(teaching in Chinese medium), over 2,000 students were
graduated
• Certificate Programme for Library Assistants (CUHK
SCS)
• Advanced Diploma Programme in Library Studies
(CUHK SCS )
• Advanced Professional Diploma Programme in
Information Technology for Librarians (CUHK SCS )
• Certificate for School Library Assistants (Caritas
Francis Hsu Evening College & Hong Kong Teacher
Librarian’s Association): ceased this year
• Certificate / Diploma in Library and Information Studies
(HKBU SCS): under-restructured
Professional Programme
from Overseas Institutions
• Charles Sturt University in 1990 collaborated with
HKU DEMS and HKLA joined as the third partner
• Those successfully completed the programme were
awarded the Diploma in Librarianship by HKU DEMS /
HKLA
• Those who possess a degree recognized by Charles
Sturt University can also obtain a Graduate Diploma
of Applied Science (Library and Information
Management)
• Holders of this Graduate Diploma are eligible to apply
for the Associateship of Australia Library Association
(AALA, now Australia Library and Information
Association: AALIA)
Current Professional Programme
from Overseas Institutions (cont’d)
• CSU Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Library and
Information Management) since 1990
o
The Graduate Diploma in Applied Science consists of 8 papers
with teaching packages provided by CSU and 4 papers by
distance mode with HKUSPACE local tutors.
• CSU Master of Applied Science (Library and Information
Management) since 1993
o
The Master programme requires 6 papers to be completed in 18
months to 24 months
• Both programmes have teaching units instructed by
CSU teaching staff in HK
• Those are the most popular part-time postgraduate
programmes in distance learning mode with local
tutorship provided by HKUSPACE
Current Professional Programme
from Overseas Institutions (cont’d)
• From 2008, Northumbria University has started
its distance learning programme entitled BSc in
Librarianship for students in UK and the same
course is available for the HDLIS / HDLIM
graduates of HKUSPACE Community College by
distance learning mode
Other Short Courses Operated by
HKU SPACE and Other Institutions
• Diversified topics were covered in individual
short courses run by HKUSPACE:
o
o
o
o
Executive Certificate in Knowledge Management,
Executive Certificate in Digital Library /
Information Centre Management
Executive Certificate in Records Management
Executive Certificate in Archives Management
• There are other short courses on different topics
offered at different institutions by face to face
mode, correspondence or by Internet
Graduates of the Higher Diploma of
HKU SPACE
• 5 batches of graduates,
a total of 302
o
The majority are working
as paraprofessionals in
different types of libraries
and information centres,
schools, book and
publishing companies, as
well as in academic
institutions and
commercial firms
Graduates of the Higher Diploma of
HKU SPACE (cont’d)
• Some continued to take part-time degree
programmes
• Others studied full-time in local universities
• About 13-16% were able to get offer from the
Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong to
study a two-year full-time Bachelor of Science in
Information Management.
• A few students went overseas to study in the past
few years
• Around 65% of the graduates are now working in
the library and information industries
Graduates of Certificate for Library Assistants
• They find jobs as library assistants, general
clerks, executive assistants in different kinds of
libraries, schools, government offices, media,
publishing and bookselling industries, computer
firms, information communication technology
industries, government or commercial enterprises
and a variety of other institutions and
organizations
Graduates of Higher Qualifications
• Holders of higher qualifications such as
Bachelor’s degree, Graduate Diploma and
Master’s degree, etc. work as professionals in
information sector and in different business
setting in Hong Kong society.
• Some have been very successful in their careers.
• A few has reached very senior or top positions
as directors or chief librarians.
History of
In-Service Training for Teacher-Librarians
• 1978 starts the nine-year universal and compulsory
education in Hong Kong
• From October 1979, a two day-release two-year
training programme for teacher-librarians was
organized by the Library Section of the Advisory
Inspectorate of the Education Department jointly with
the HKU DEMS
• All government and aided secondary schools with 18
classes or more would be able to appoint a nongraduate teacher with a minimum of two years
teaching experience to take charge of the school
library on a full-time basis
History of
In-Service Training for Teacher-Librarians
(Cont’d)
•In 1989, the INSTEP (In-service Teacher Education Programme)
was launched:
o
Workshops were organized on school-based
curriculum development to produce simple teaching
materials and collections of resources to support
project work and classroom activities
•In 1992, a one-year part-time two day-release fresher course was
introduced:
o
aimed to upgrade the knowledge and techniques of the
serving teacher-librarians who had already completed
the two-year in- service training course and with more
than 5 years school library working experience.
History of
In-Service Training for Teacher-Librarians
(Cont’d)
•In 1997, the primary school has the equivalent
provision of a teacher-librarian
•In 2000, a formal credit-bearing training
programme was organized by Hong Kong
Teacher Librarians’ Association with
HKUSPACE
Current In-Service Training
for Teacher-Librarians
Diploma in Teacher Librarianship (DipTL)
•is mainly initiated and financed by Education Bureau
•was awarded to the Hong Kong educational institutions through tender
process
•the specifications of the tender varied from year to year
•is now running by HKU SPACE and Faculty of Education, HKU
•is an award bearing programme
•an induction training intended for all the newly appointed teacherlibrarians
•split for primary and secondary school teacher-librarians in 2008 due to
the forthcoming New Senior Secondary Curriculum in 2009/2010:
preparation for the educational change to the so called “334” system
•Up to the summer of 2008, about 360 teachers working in different
schools were graduated
Current In-Service Training
for Teacher-Librarians (Cont’d)
Short courses
•Education Bureau has also taken the initiatives to arrange various
topical short courses for the professional development of teacherlibrarians
•Short courses are also awarded by tender process
•Two kinds of short courses
Non Award-bearing short courses
 In 2008, 12 short courses of this kind on cataloguing, classification,
subject analysis and promotion of information literacy programmes are
organized
 Ten of these short courses were awarded to HKUSPACE
o Award bearing short courses
 has been operating since 2006
 have to be completed within 5 years
o
Current In-Service Training for Teacher-Librarians
(Cont’d)
Chinese University of Hong Kong. The School of
Continuing and Professional Studies
•short courses
•on school library operation and management
•by distance learning
•with the options to receive the learning materials by
correspondence or by Internet
Difficulties of Keeping
Experienced Teacher-Librarians
•Lack of promotional prospect
•School principals seem to assign more teaching
loads to the teacher-librarians
•Now some school administrators try to replace
the teacher-librarian with a HDLIS graduate
though such a tendency should not be
encouraged
Future Development: A Discussion
Education Level
•HKU is now accepting students for PHD programme,
which is worked out on individual basis
•We hope that more students are interested in applying
for this doctorate programme in the future
Future Development: A Discussion (cont’ d)
Curriculum Content
•We need to strengthen the existing programmes
and enhance the curricula according to local
needs
•Overseas developed curricula should be
modified to fit local education and training needs
•Training of research skills, analytical skills,
communication and managerial skills with
flexibility and adaptability attitudes for all levels
of library and information practitioners is still
essential
Future Development: A Discussion
(cont’d)
Wider Coverage and More Electives
LIS students can be trained to gain
competencies in working for different kinds of
information-related environment by adding the
following subjects as electives :
•knowledge management
•archives management
•record management
•museum management
•web content management
•publishing
Future Development: A Discussion (cont’d)
Wider Coverage and More Electives
•Legal, financial, business, health, geographic, political,
economical, social and government information sources
•Library and information services for special community
group such as the disadvantaged and minority groups
•IT and IM application, e.g. Internet technology such as
web 2.0, Google search, open source integrated library
system development
•Strategic planning & operations planning
Future Development: A Discussion (cont’d)
Practicum
Experiential Learning
A relatively short-term
professionally
supervised work
experience offered as
part of the school’s
curriculum and taken
during the academic
sequence. The
practicum is typically
pursued in the same
library or information
agency for the total
experience. Other than
incidental expenses,
– (Jacoby and Associates, 1996)
the practicum student
odes not receive a
salary.
•Many LIS programmes in Hong Kong such as
HDLIS/HDLIM, DipTL, BSc in IM which
require the students to attend placement
•For some programmes, placement is better to tie
to “specific learning objectives and are reflected
upon throughout the semester in order to enrich
appreciation of course”
Future Development: A Discussion (Cont’d)
Needs for Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians
•The specifications of the LIS programmes for
teacher-librarians vary in each tender exercise by
EDB annually
•It has deterred the local academic institutions
from developing a well structured and organized
programme suitable for training teacher-librarians
in Hong Kong educational environment
•The programme needs to aim at supporting the
new “334” education system in Hong Kong SAR
Future Development: A Discussion (Cont’d)
Needs for Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians
•More research should be carried out to collect the
reflections of teacher-librarians and recognize their
difficulties in library resources development and operation
•Teacher-librarians’ personal attributes such as
“confidence, [capability of] influencing, skills transfer,
risk taking” to develop new services and ability to judge
relevance, quality and reliability should be encouraged
•Learning culture should be developed among the library
and information professionals particularly teacherlibrarians in this era encouraging life learning so that
learning culture can be prosperous in the school
environment
Conclusion
LIS programmes for continuous development
and improvement
• Education programmes, courses, seminars and
workshops should be deigned to support lifelong
learning
• They should timely offered as need arrives
according to new trends of development
• delivered at different times, in different modes to
different kinds of students either face to face, by
correspondence or on-line
Last But Not the Least
• We wish the Hong Kong Library Association, our
professional organization, continue to
grow
grow and
and prosper,
prosper from strength
strengthtotostrength
strength
year
after
year
, provide valuable
help
as well as
year
after
year
valuable
help
strong
support
to all of us in achieving our
strong
support
endeavours, goals and objectives in the many
years to come!