The first session of the Forum introduced local librarianship study programs of various levels. We had speakers from five institutes.
Ms T K Kan and Ms Amy Chan, President and Vice-President of the Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians' Association (HKTLA) presented the Certificate for School Library Assistant program, which was jointly offered by the HKTLA and Caritas Francis Hsu Evening College. This program provides training to Form 5 graduates on basic knowledge of school librarianship and practical skills in information management.
Useful links:
http://hktla.hkcampus.net/
http://www.cfhc.caritas.edu.hk/
Ms Sandra Lee, Lecturer of The Centre for Information Technology in School and Teacher Education (CITE) of the Faculty of Education, HKU, explained the admission requirements and the program structure of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Master of Science in Information and Technology in Education (MSc). The BEd is a three-year part-time program, and targets at in-service teachers who wish to become leaders of school libraries. The MSc program is designed for educators and information professionals who want to upgrade their knowledge in information technology. Both programs emphasize information technology and communication in an educational setting.
Useful links:
http://bed.cite.hku.hk/
http://msc.cite.hku.hk/
Ms Cindy Cheung and Mr. Cheung Wai Fung, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University presented on their short courses and the forthcoming diploma program. The two-year part-time program will be offered early 2003. The curriculum is designed for teacher-librarians and library assistants who want to upgrade their skills.
Useful links:
http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~sce/
Dr F T Chan gave us an overview of courses offered by the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPACE), HKU. These courses spread from certificate level, diploma level, to postgraduate level. Some of them are jointly offered by the Education Department (ED) or other professional associations. He also gave details on the full time Higher Diploma for Library Technicians course which targets at Form 5 graduates, Certificate for Library Assistants, a HKLA joint program and the Diploma in Teacher Librarianship program which is subsidized by ED.
Useful links:
http://www.hku.hk/space/div_it/progs_curs/liblist.html
http://www.hku.hk/space/cc/hd/hdlt.html
Dr John Mills of Charles Sturt University introduced two distance education programs conducted in Hong Kong; Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Library and Information Management) and Bachelor of Arts (Library and Information Science). He outlined the structure of the two programs and mentioned that they were currently under subject review and more emphasis on information management and user services would be added to the curriculum.
Useful links:
http://www.hku.hk/space/div_it/progs_curs/IT18-801-00.html
http://www.hku.hk/space/div_it/progs_curs/IT18-101-00.html
After a short break, the Forum moved on to the second session. In this session, four experienced professionals shared with us their expertise in different types of libraries.
Dr Y C Wan of Fung Ping Shan Library, University of Hong Kong gave audience a brief overview of the mission and functions of university libraries. These functions are carried out by various staff including professional librarians and supporting staff such as library assistants, book binders, computer officers and secretaries. He described in details the qualification requirements, job rankings, salary ranges and career prospects of the two primary positions; librarian and library assistant.
Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) is under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Ms Rochelle Lau stated that the aim of public library services was to serve the community's information and recreational need, and promote reading among the society. Currently there are 2.6 million registered users. In addition to general library services, such as acquisition, cataloging and reference service, public libraries emphasize customer-oriented services and user education for the general public. Degree holders may apply for librarian positions. Usually the public libraries provide on the job training or subsidize staff in attending librarianship training course. Vacancies can be found in newspapers and HKPL homepage.
Mr. Hung Ming, teacher librarian of the SKH Bishop Mok Sau Tseng Secondary School, pointed out that the requirements of a teacher librarian are slightly different from other librarian posts. To become a teacher librarian, he/she must be an eligible teacher, i.e. with education training, in order to carry out teaching duty. Usually two years' teaching experience is required. On the other hand, librarianship training is not a prerequisite, as the Education Department will provide in-service training. The teacher librarian in school is responsible for all reading activities, including acquisition of materials, cataloging, book display, etc. Teachers who are creative and outgoing, and love books and working with teenagers may consider pursuing their career as a teacher librarian. To learn more about the joy and depression experienced by teacher librarians, Mr. Hung recommended the book ¡§Shu xiang qing yuan¡¨ (®Ñ»±¡½t), which is available in most public libraries.
Special libraries are special in many ways, according to Mrs. Edith Lam, Manager of Hong Kong Cable TV News Channel Library. The collections of special libraries are unique and focused. Their users have special interests in particular subjects. These libraries always establish a close relation with their users and provide almost tailor-made services to them. The Cable TV News Channel Library demonstrates all these features. Its major collection is news videos, which requires a tightly controlled storage environment. Cataloging is critical for successful retrieval of these videos. Users are mainly reporters, editors, translators and photographers who are working whenever there is news. To meet their need, the library opens 24 hours a day over the year, and all library staff are required to be able to work independently with sharp judgment and fast response.
After attending this informative and intensive Forum, audience who are interested in pursuing a career in this field may draw a clear picture of their future. They are probably also aware that working in libraries has become more competitive.
Last but not the least, we would like to thank everyone who attended the forum, and particularly the speakers who spent their precious time sharing their experience and expertise with us.
Sintra Tsang
Chair
Education and Training
Committee