Careers in Academic Libraries
Hong Kong Library Education and Career Forum 2007
Frederick Nesta
University Librarian
Lingnan University
The Academic Mission:
To serve the research and study needs of university
students, faculty, and staff
Academic Library work is collegial, often involves work
with committees within and outside of the library,
including university committees and cross-university
committees. You will be expected to work closely with
colleagues within and outside your department.
Academic librarians are often expected to participate in
scholarly activities, publishing articles and presenting
papers at conferences
Skills:
Masters degree in Library or Information Science necessary,
additional subject masters or doctorate may be asked for
Varied, but language skills highly important, particularly English and
Putonghua as students and faculty from the Mainland and abroad are
increasing
Communication skills must be very good to excellent, both written
and verbal
Team work very important
Good general knowledge
Specialist knowledge sometimes necessary, e.g., Science, Art, Music,
Medicine, Law
Increasingly digital, high level of computer skills are necessary
Persistence
Benefits:
Pay, allowances are good
Chance for advancement
Academic environment
Contact with students and faculty
Serve mature students and faculty
Very focused, research-level collections
Often at leading edge of innovation
Positions
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Technical Services
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Cataloguing
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Monographs /Serials/non-book/AV
Acquisitions
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Monographs /Serials/non-book/AV
Gift and Exchange
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Systems Operations (Catalogue/Web/Databases/Management
Systems/Hardware)
Electronic Resources (database selection/instruction/etc).
Collection Development (to insure quality and depth of collection)
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Public Services
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Reader Services/Access Services
Circulation
Audio/Visual Services
Inter-library Loans
Subject Librarians
Instructional Services
Web Design
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Rare Books, Manuscripts, Special Collections
Archives
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Administration
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Human Resources Management
Advancement (fund raising)
Buildings/Purchasing/Accounting/etc.
Special Projects
UGC-Funded Library Staff in 2005/6:
Total of 979 Staff
161 Professional Staff
756 Support Staff
62 Student Assistants
(Numbers are FTE: Full-Time Equivalent)
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong - 12,052 Full Time Equivalent [FTE]
students. University status 1963, founded by the merger of three
existing colleges, the oldest dating from 1949
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City University of Hong Kong - 13,119 FTE students. Founded as City
Polytechnic, 1984, university status 1994
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Hong Kong Baptist University - 4,942 FTE students. Founded 1956,
university status 1994
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The Hong Kong Institute of Education - 5,160 FTE students. Founded in
1994
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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - 13,185 FTE students. Founded
in 1937, university status 1994
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Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - 6,689 FTE students.
Founded in 1991
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Lingnan University - 2,253 FTE students. Founded in Hong Kong in 1967
by alumni of Lingnan University, Guangzhou, founded in 1888.
University status 1999
The University of Hong Kong -11,912 FTE students. Founded in 1912
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
•CUHK is a campus university founded in 1963, the 2nd oldest in Hong Kong,
with the coming together of 3 Colleges: Chung Chi, New Asia and United.
•Chinese University's name reflects the foundation policy of teaching in Chinese
or English. CUHK’s mission is to emphasise Modernity based on Chinese
Tradition in a collegiate system.
•There will soon be at least 6 Colleges.
•7 libraries in the University Library System: a newly opened Law Library, 3
College libraries (including a multimedia library); Medical Library; Architecture
Library; and, a main University Library building. - All libraries have been
refurbished and modernised over the last 5 years.
•There are 400+ public PCs, wireless LAN in all public areas, information
commons, and a range of different study environments ranging from a Rare
Book Room to single faculty study rooms to student discussion rooms and
open-air balconies.
•2 million print, audio-visual and e-items split by subject across the 7 libraries,
30,000+ journal titles, 185 staff (including 29 professionals).
•Special Collections include: Archives of 2 Chinese Nobel Prize-winners:
C.N.Yang (Physics) and Gao Xingjian (Literature); Chinese Overseas Studies;
Hong Kong Studies etc.
•The DAO (Digital Access Online) system allows access to all major online
vendor databases, VoD, as well as locally produced databases on modern
Chinese drama, Hong Kong literature and others.
City University of Hong Kong
• CityU is committed to providing quality higher education to its students. CityU strives to produce a
new breed of graduates who will excel in their professions and possess a broad knowledge base to
cope with the challenges of a changing world.
• The educational philosophy of the University emphasizes whole person development so that students
will receive ample opportunities to nurture both the “breadth” (analytical and problem-solving skills,
knowledge of the world) and “depth” (subject knowledge and professional skills) of their minds.
• The University has achieved phenomenal growth since its establishment in 1984. To date, it has a
student population of 26,045 enrolled in over 145 programmes at the associate degree, undergraduate
and postgraduate levels.
• The Library was established in 1984 and was named Run Run Shaw Library in recognition of a
generous donation by Sir Run Run Shaw in 1990. The Library has a collection of more than 850,000
volumes of books and 184,000 volumes of bound periodicals. It holds around 39,000 print and
electronic serials titles and provides access to over 123,000 e-book titles.
Hong Kong Baptist University
• Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is a publicly funded institution with a
Christian education heritage. HKBU’s motto 篤信·力行 embraces the Christian
and Confucian virtues of “Faith and Perseverance,” and reflects its commitment
to human values and educating the “whole person” through intellectual, physical,
and moral development.
•In 2005, HKBU and Beijing Normal University opened the United International
College (UIC) in Zhuhai, China, creating the first university jointly established by
Mainland China and Hong Kong universities, and the first Mainland university
with English as the language of instruction.
• In 2004, HKBU established Hong Kong’s first Academy of Visual Arts The
program includes studio arts, cultural education, and advanced art technologies.
•The HKBU libraries hold more than 1 million volumes, a full range of electronic
databases, and 60,000 e-books. The main library contains large English and
Chinese collections and unique special collections such as the Archive on the
History of Christianity in China.
• HKBU’s other libraries are the Chinese Medicine Library in the School of
Chinese Medicine, the Shek Mun Campus Library, and the European
Documentation Centre.
•HKBU emphasizes the role of its libraries as centres of continuous teaching and
learning where librarians teach students the intricacies of information gathering,
validating, and exposition.
• HKBU libraries regularly invite librarians from Mainland China for residencies to
observe local methods, participate in professional development activities, and
share their expertise with HKBU librarians.
The Hong Kong Institute of Education
•As a centre for teaching, learning
and research in a university-level
institution, the Library will be the
leading technology based quality
service provider in the Asia-Pacific
Region, best known for its
excellent information resources
and the exploitation of all and any
available resources in the area of
education.
•Two locations, campus and town
centre
•Sixty PCs installed with common
application software are set up at
each of the three e-Learning
Centres
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Established in 1937, PolyU has the largest
number of UGC students.
The library vision is to be a leading academic
library delivering world-class client-centred
information resources and services.
The Library has a dynamic team of 23 library
professionals serving over 50,000 active users.
Key areas of excellence:
1. We are a well-used and functional
library that admits 2.8 million users yearly.
2. The Library has over 2 million items,
and provides the largest number of seats
(3,588) among UGC libraries for our users.
3. We are committed to user
empowerment by vigorously providing library
workshops and online information literacy
programs to users.
4. We contribute to the library
profession by providing training opportunities
and consultancy services to Mainland libraries
and local students.
Library Homepage:
www.lib.polyu.edu.hk
Hong Kong University of Science &
Technology
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Established in 1991, HKUST is a research university and the only
one to offer an all-PhD faculty in Hong Kong.
The University's mission is to advance learning and knowledge
through teaching and research, particularly in science and
technology.
It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate
programs, including 25 PhD programs.
HKUST has a student population of over 8,800 and a faculty of over
450.
In only 15 years, HKUST has catapulted itself into the ranks of the
world’s best universities.
It is ranked 58th among the world’s top universities, and 17th in
technology, by the Times [London] this year.
Its full-time MBA program has been ranked by the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) as No. 1 in Asia and Australasia. Its
Executive MBA program was ranked no. 2 in the world by the
Financial Times
in 2005.
Lingnan University
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The only liberal arts university in the
region
In keeping with its liberal arts
tradition, values its small size (it is the
smallest of the Hong Kong
universities), residential atmosphere,
and student-oriented faculty.
Three-quarters of Lingnan’s
undergraduate students live on
campus.
Lingnan has a full-time faculty of 183,
many of whom are also active scholars
and affiliated with several research
centres on campus
The Library has over 426,000 volumes,
3,100 print serials, 174 databases &
electronic access to over 40,000
journals and newspapers.
There are ten professional librarians, a
support staff of 26, and numerous
student assistants
The University of Hong Kong
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The University of Hong Kong’s Libraries
seeks to sustain and enhance the
University’s excellence as an institution
of higher learning, as a pre-eminent
international university in Asia, and to
provide outstanding teaching and worldclass research support collections and
services so as to produce well-rounded
graduates with lifelong abilities to
provide leadership within the societies
they serve.
The University of Hong Kong Libraries
was established in 1912. The Main
Library comprises an all-rounded
collection of materials in the arts,
humanities, architecture, social sciences,
and science and technology, giving vital
support to the teaching and research of
the university.
Additional libraries are the Fung Ping
Shan Chinese Library, Music Library,
Education Library, Dental, Medial, and
Law libraries
Print collection of 2.3 million volumes
A leader in digitization projects,
including China Through Western Eyes.
HKU Libraries recently added their One
Millionth E-Book, a valuable 1798
edition of George Staunton's
An Authentic Account of an Embassy
from
the King of Great Britain to the
Emperor of China.
Other Academic Libraries
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Open University
Academy of Performing Arts
Shue Yan University
Hong Kong Institute of
Vocational Education
How to find a job?
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HKLA Website:
http://www.hkla.org/
University Websites
Be willing to start at a lower level to
gain experience
Be flexible
Be willing to take chances
Resume Tips
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Keep it simple
List work experience with most recent job
first
List education with highest degree first
Explain any gaps
Do not include photos, transcripts, or
testimonial letters
Cover letter must address job description
Questions?
Frederick Nesta
University Librarian
Lingnan University
nesta@ln.edu.hk
University of Wales,
Aberystwyth
Department of Information Studies
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Information and Library Studies Single Honours (BSc Econ)
Distance Learners
Health Information Management (MSC Econ / Diploma)
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Management of Libraries and Information Services (MSc
Econ / Diploma)
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Archive Administration (MSc Econ / Diploma)
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Information & Library Studies (MSc Econ / Diploma)
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Records Management (MSc Econ / Diploma/Certificate)
MPhil and PhD full and part time research
Cost approx. £4,300 = $66,000, not including residency
costs
Aberystwyth, Wales