The University of Hong Kong's School of Professional and Continuing Education and Charles Sturt University (Australia) offer various joint degree and postgraduate diploma courses in Library and Information Science for students in Hong Kong.

As part of their course, students in the Graduate Diploma (Library and Information Management) and Bachelor of Arts (Library and Information Science) are required to undertake a practical subject – Professional Placement – in their second or third year of studies (April 2002 – September 2003).  This subject requires students to complete a two-week practical experience in a given library or other information agency.  The purpose is to gain an overview of a library or selected information agency, and to aid the student to relate the theory of librarianship to practical situations.

We very much hope that your library/information centre will assist us in promoting library education in Hong Kong by offering our students the valuable and necessary professional experience.  The contributing library would need to have a professional trained in library sciences on staff.  Though the placement is to be regarded as a learning experience, it also provides an opportunity for a student to demonstrate in a workplace his or her suitability to the profession by performing useful tasks beneficial to the host library.

Currently, we have over 100 students enrolled in this subject.  By the time of the placements, these students will have completed a number of library and information science subjects.  The full background information about student's studies and experience in librarianship/information science, and his or her particular professional interests will be given in the Student Profile.  This Profile will be sent to your organization prior to the placement.  The students will be provided with detailed guidelines in regard to their professional conduct in the host library.

The supervisor or Library Director of the hosting library will need to complete a brief Supervisor Report Form providing an assessment of the student's performance at the end of the placement.

I would appreciate very much if you completed the ATTACHED FORM and forwarded it via mail, fax, or email to Ms Edith Au prior to April 1, 2002 if possible.

Ms Edith Au
SPACE, University of Hong Kong
Units 708-7-9, 7th Floor Fortress Tower
250 King's Road North Point, HK

(Tel: 2807 6909   Fax: 2807 2054   E-mail: edith@hkuspace.hku.hk)

I would like to thank you in advance for your careful consideration and hope to hear from you soon.
 

Eva Kandelaars
Course Coordinator
Library and Information Science
SPACE, The University of Hong Kong
Tel:  2510-7321
Fax:  2807 2054
E-mail: evak@cis.edu.hk