Transcript My Library and OCLC Shirley Leung Hong Kong Baptist University

Academic Libraries/Librarianship:
A Point of View
By Shirley W. Leung
Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Library Education and Career Forum
8 November 2003
All libraries in fast changing environment
• Information explosion
• Information technology and telecommunication
advancements
• Social, economic, and political factors
• Knowledge economy
knowledge society
• Changing environment of higher education
• The physical library and the virtual library
• Changing expectation and use patterns of primary
clientele
• Challenges and opportunities
1
Enduring values of libraries/librarianship
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identify
Select
Collect
Organize
Disseminate
Facilitate use
Preserve
information / recorded knowledge
2
Academic libraries/librarians – some characteristics
Mission
Support and enhance the teaching, learning, and research
endeavors of the institution/university
- Primary users - faculty, staff, and students
•Librarians expected to perform at a professional level
•Subject and functional area expertise
•Planning, implementing, managing, supervising activities
•Ability to manage change
3
Two examples: The University of Hong Kong Libraries
and the Hong Kong Baptist University Library
Organization of University of Hong Kong Libraries
Organization of Hong Kong Baptist University Library
Librarian
-Fund Raising & PR Team
- PR & Development
University Librarian
-Senior Management Team
- BL (Administration) - Administration Services Team
- Library Administrative Office
- Staff Dev & Admin
- Budget, Office, Staffing
- Systems
- Premises
- Cleaners
- Special Projects
-Deputy Librarian
- Hing Wai Services Team
- Public Services - Circulation & Interlibrary Loan
- Libraries Effectiveness Assessment Team
- Multimedia Learning Centre
- Records Management Team
- Reference & User Education
- Preservation & Remote Storage
- European Documentation Centre
- Bindery
- Special Collections & Archives
-Deputy Librarian
- Chinese Medicine Library
- Collection Development Team - Collection Development
- Technical Support Services Team - Cataloguing
- Technical & Collection Services - Acquisitions
- Acquisitions
- Cataloguing
- Systems
- Collection Services
- Reformatting Team
- Main Library Services Team - FPS Librarian
Adapted from Organization Chart (30 June 2003)
- Reference
- Access Services
- Special Collection
- Audio Visual
- Info Literacy & Knowledge Mgmt
- Branch Library Services Team - Music Library
- Law Library
- Dental Library
- Medical Library
- Education Library
4
Adapted from Organization Chart (8 September 2003)
Hong Kong Baptist University Library
Staffing Structure
•Professional Staff
Associate Librarians
Assistant Librarians
Junior Assistant Librarians (usually 3 years)
Executive Officer, Computer Assistant Officer
•Support Staff
Library Assistant I
Library Assistant II
Library Attendants
Office Assistant
Ancillary Staff
•Part-time staff and student helpers
5
Academic libraries -- qualifications and
requirements of staff (1)
Formal education and credentials:
For HKBU staff :
• Form 4 for Library Attendants
• Form 5 (School Leaving Certificate) for Library Assistants
• Bachelor degree for Executive Officer and Computer
Assistant Officer
• MLS or equivalent for professional staff
Experiences:
Positions held previously – no. of years and duties involved
6
Academic and research libraries: functional
and service areas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
cataloging (bibliographic control)
acquisitions (monographs, serials, all formats)
preservation (physical processing, binding)
collection development and management (all formats)*
special collections and archives
development/advancement
reference and user education/instruction/information
literacy/knowledge management
systems
circulation/interlibrary loan (access services)
multimedia/media
facilities management, special projects
7
Academic and research libraries -qualifications and requirements of staff (2)
Other attributes (including):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing
- proficiency in Chinese and English; Putonghua increasingly
important for Hong Kong libraries
ability to think creatively, analytically, critically, and systematically
ability to conceptualize and synthesize
ability to work with faculty members with confidence and as a
professional
ability to deal with changes and ambiguity
knowledge and experience with IT-based applications
work effectively in team-based environment
good interpersonal skills – ability to work with diverse groups of people
initiative and capacity for self-learning
self-initiated effort to stay abreast of trends and developments related to
library and information services
8
Academic librarians: areas for development
and attention
•
•
•
•
•
•
budget planning
personnel supervision
project management
liaison with academic units
participation in university activities
participation in regional/systemwide library networking
and collaborative activities
• contribution to the profession
- professional organization activities
- presentation at conferences
- publications (books, journal articles)
9