Let me begin by saying how pleased I am to be in Hong Kong.  As a young man I first visited this vibrant city in 1964 and was impressed by its people and culture.  Since then I have visited many times and have enjoyed myself whether as a poor student or professional librarian.  Now I get to live here and practice my profession.  What could be better?

From Hong Kong I went to Taiwan where I lived for two and one-half years learning Chinese and working with the people.  Then I returned to the States to resume my studies graduating in Asian Studies and political science from Brigham Young University.  Subsequently, I earned an M.A. and M.L.S at the University of Washington and just this year an Ed. D. degree from Columbia University Teachers College in Comparative and International Educational Development.  During the years prior to coming here I worked in a variety of positions at Brigham Young, Texas A & M, and Columbia universities.  While I have generally focused on collection development, I have had management responsibilities related to technical services, preservation, rare books and manuscripts, and fund raising.

The University of Hong Kong Libraries have a rich heritage and reflect the pride and devotion of generations of faculty and librarians.  I feel privileged to be appointed as its Librarian.  We are currently in the process of developing and implementing a strategic plan emphasizing the growth of printed and digital collections; analyzing their use; improving access to these materials; providing excellent and friendly services; improving our facilities; improving our organization; recruiting, training and retaining a superior staff; communicating our strengths to our user community; and cooperating with other libraries in Hong Kong, China, and the world to better accomplish all of our other goals.  We won't accomplish all of our goals but I am confident in the staff's abilities to make nearly all of this a reality.

I hope in the coming months and years I can get to know all of you and we can find ways to working together effectively.

Anthony (Tony) W. Ferguson