A Half Century Panorama of Library and Information Science Education and Training in Hong Kong: From

1
A Half Century Panorama of Library and
Information Science Education and Training in
Hong KongFrom 1958 to 2008 and Beyond

• KAN Lai BingSenior Adviser
• HKU SPACE
• YU Ling LingCollege Senior Lecturer
• Community College, HKU SPACE

2
Library and Information Science (LIS)Education
and Training in Hong KongBefore 1960

• There were only a few librarians, and some were
  expatriates and some locals.
• Most of them were working in the library of the
  University of Hong Kong.
• It is difficult to trace information on education
  and training on librarianship before 1960

3
LIS Education and Trainingfrom 1960

• A variety of short courses on library techniques,
  cataloguing and classification were organized by
  the Department of Extra-mural Studies of the
  University of Hong Kong (HKU DEMS)
• The Joint Certificate in Librarianship was
  offered from 1964 onwards
• It is still available yearly and in cooperation
  with the Hong Kong Library Association (HKLA)

4
LIS Education and Trainingfrom 1960

• All the courses for LIS education were operated
  in the part-time and short term mode
• The target students were mainly the library
  practitioners at various level
• Most of the courses before 2001 were offered by
  the Department of Extramural Studies of the
  University of Hong Kong.
• In 1973, the CUHK Department of Extra-Mural
  Studies joined as a partner in the Certificate
  Course for Library Assistants and started to
  offer the course in Chinese medium.

5
LIS Education and TrainingBefore 2001

• There were no full-time undergraduate and
  postgraduate courses in library science in the
  local universities
• The subject of library science was only included
  in education studies of HKU as a small part as
  short courses between 1989-1998.

6
LIS Education and Training Before 2001

• In 1990s, HKU DEMS started partnership with CSU,
  then there was a sudden boom in the mid nineties
• A variety of distance learning programmes from
  the UK, US and Australia inevitably led to the
  over-supply of the courses in the same period
• Also the programmes were rather expensive
• With keen competition from the graduates returned
  from overseas, and many could not get a full-time
  employment in libraries so the number of
  applications dropped
• The distance learning programmes operated by
  University of Wales, Aberystwyth / British
  Council as well as the University of Wisconsin
  Milwaukee / Chinese University of Hong Kong were
  suspended
• Most of the courses organized in the 1990s were
  at professional level

7
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958
Organizer
Language
Delivery Mode
Course Title
Year
HKU Dept of Extra-Mural Studies (HKU DEMS)
English
Part-time

• Library Techniques I

1960-1961
(HKU DEMS)
English Cantonese
Part-time Part-time

• Library Techniques II
• Librarianship (????)

1961-1962
(HKU DEMS)
Cantonese English
Part-time Part-time

• Introduction to Librarianship (????)
• Advanced library techniques

1962-1963
8
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
(HKU DEMS)
Cantonese
Part-time

• Library Cataloguing and Classification (???????)

1962-1964
(HKU DEMS)
English Cantonese English
Part-time Part-time Part-time

• Librarianship
• Librarianship (????)
• Librarianship (Second year)

1963-1964 1967
(HKU DEMS) / HKLA
English / occasional Cantonese
Part-time Yearly (120 hours)

• Joint Certificate in Librarianship

1964-1967
9
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
HKU DEMS / HKLA
English class occasionally also Chinese class
Part-time Yearly (120 hours)

• Certificate Course for Library Assistants

1967- to date
HKU DEMS / HKLA / CUHK
English (HKU) Chinese (CUHK)
Part-time Yearly (120 hours)

• Certificate Course for Library Assistants (
  ?????????)

1973-1996
HKU DEMS
English
Part-time

• Advanced Reference Bibliography

1974-1976
HKU DEMS
English
Part-time Yearly

• Librarianship Intermediate Part I. Courses
  preparing students for The Library Association
  (London)s examination

1967-1974
10
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
Australian Library Association
English

• Examination held in Hong Kong by the Australian
  Library Association

1975-1980
HKU DEMS
English (1977/78) Cantonese (1978/79)
Part-time 16 hours of lectures plus practical work

• Advanced Classification (?????)

1977-1979
HKU DEMS / Education Dept
English
30 hours of lectures plus practical work

• Course for Teacher Librarians (part-time)
  (??????????? ???????????)

1979- 1980
11
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
HKU DEMS / HKLA
English
part-time 3 years (400 hrs)

• Diploma in Librarianship

1980-1989
The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Education
/ HKU DEMS (currently HKU SPACE)
English
Part-time short courses of lectures plus
practical workshops

• In-service Teacher Education Programme (INSTEP)

1989-1998
HKU SPACE / Education Department
English
Part-time one year course day-release for
teachers-librarians with 5-years of experience

• Refresher Course

1992
12
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
HKU DEMS / HKLA / CSU HKU DEMS (Now HKU SPACE) /
HKLA / CSU CSU/ HKU DEMS (Now HKU SPACE)
English English
part-time 3 years (400 hrs) 3 years (4 papers,
face to face 4 papers, distance education)

• Diploma in Librarianship / Graduate Diploma of
  Arts
• Diploma in Librarianship/ Graduate Diploma of
  Arts Library and Information Science (currently
  Graduate Diploma in Applied Science - Library and
  Information Management)

1990-1993 1993- to date
HKU DEMS / HKLA CSU / HKU DEMS (Now HKU SPACE)
English
Distance 3 years

• Diploma in Library and Information Science /
  Bachelor of Arts (LIS), currently Bachelor of
  Applied Science (LIM)

1993-to date
13
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
University of Wales / British Council
English
Distance 3 years

• Postgraduate Diploma in Librarianship

1993-1996
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee / CUHK
School of Continuing Professional Studies
English
Part-time 2 years (1/3 in HK 2/3 in Wisconsin)

• Master in Library and Information Science

1993-1997
The University of Hong Kong. Faculty of Education
English
Part of full-time programme

• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) (Course on library
  science elective)
• B.Ed. (Library and Information Studies)

1995-1996 1996-1999
14
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
CSU / HKU SPACE
English
Part-time 18 months Distance

• Master of Applied Science (Library and
  Information Management)

1996-to date
Hong Kong Baptist University. School of
Continuing Education
English
Part-time

• B.Ed. conversion programme (Course on school
  library elective)

1996 1997 1998
15
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
HKU SPACE Community College
English
Full-time 3 years (Face to face)

• Higher Diploma for Library Technicians. Title
  changed to Higher Diploma in Library and
  Information Studies (2003) and to Higher Diploma
  in Library and Information Management (2008)

2001-to date
Education Manpower Bureau (Now Education Bureau)
/ HKU SPACE
English / Chinese
Part-time

• Diploma for Teacher Librarians (DipTL)

2000- to date
16
A Chronology of the Courses After 1958 (Contd)
CUHK School of Professional and Continuing
Education
English
Full-time 3 years (Face to face)

• Higher Diploma in Library and Information Science

2004-to date
HKU Faculty of Education
English
Full-time / Part-time

• Master of Science in Library and Information
  Management

2004-to date
HKU Faculty of Education
English
Full-time (2 years, face to face)

• Bachelor of Science in Information Management
• (BSc(IM))

2005- to date
17
LIS Education in the First Decade of the 21st
Century

• The major development of LIS education in Hong
  Kong in the 21st century was the introduction of
  full-time local programmes at sub-degree level

18
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes

• Since 2001
• The first institution set up the full-time LIS
  course, namely Higher Diploma for Library
  Technicians, in Hong Kong. It is
• a three-year programme
• library and information science core contents
• generic skills including English and Chinese
  languages
• inter-personal skills
• bridging the gap between B.A. (LIS) programme and
  the Certificate Course for Library Assistants

19
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes
(Contd)

• Structured in a modular mode allowing the
  students in-and-out flexibly.
• The first year graduates would receive the
  Certificate
• The second year graduates Advanced Certificate
• The third year graduates the Higher Diploma
• This course was the major breakthrough in library
  and information science education in Hong Kong.

20
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes (Contd)

• From 2005
• Students of Advanced Level results can apply for
  2 years programme
• Students of HKCEE qualification are still
  required to take three year programme.

21
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes (Contd)

• Higher Diploma in Library and Information Studies
  has developed into two themes
• Information Studies theme consists more course
  contents on librarianship
• Information Management theme includes more
  subjects on information technology with the
  collaboration of Information Technology teaching
  unit

22
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes (Contd)

• Since Summer 2008
• Programme title Higher Diploma in Library and
  Information Studies was changed to Higher Diploma
  in Library and Information Management (LIM)

23
HKU SPACE Full-time Sub-Degree Programmes Practicu
m

• Throughout the development of the HDLIS / HDLIM
  course, practicum is always considered as an
  important part of the learning process. HKUSPACE
  Community College has a strong partnership with
  local school, academic, public and special
  libraries

24
Other Full-time Sub-Degree Programme

• In 2004, the School of Continuing Studies of the
  Chinese University of Hong Kong also commenced
  its Higher Diploma programme in library studies

25
HKU Full-time LIS Degree Programmes

• In September 2005, a full-time UGC funded
  programme was introduced as an add-on to the
  sub-degree programmes, that is for the Associate
  Degree or Higher Diploma holders.
• The Master of Science in Library and Information
  Management is the first local full-time
  postgraduate degree offered by the Faculty of
  Education of the University of Hong Kong.
• This programme can be studied part-time. Its
  first intake started from September 2004.

26
Top-up Programmes for the LIS Higher Diploma
Holders to Study Overseas Programmes

• Both HKU SPACE and CUHK SCS have articulation
  arrangements with Northumbria University in UK
  for the holders of Higher Diploma in Library and
  Information Studies / Management to apply for its
  full-time bachelor degree in librarianship

27
Top-up Programmes for the LIS Higher Diploma
Holders to Study Overseas Programmes

• The HKU SPACE LIS Higher Diploma holders can
  apply for
• (a) the third year full-time BSc Information
  Management at Manchester Metropolitan University.
  This has to be studied in Manchester
• (b) part-time degree course of Bachelor of
  Applied Science (LIM) of Charles Sturt University
  and
• (c) the distance learning programme, BSc
  Librarianship, at Northumbria University. This
  can either be studied in HK by distance learning
  or in the UK.

28
Current PT Non-Degree LIS Programmes

• Certificate Course for Library Assistants,
  Chinese and English (HKUSPACE HKLA)
• Up to the summer of 2008, 1,361 students were
  graduated
• Together with CUHK SCSs partnership between
  1973-1996 (teaching in Chinese medium), over
  2,000 students were graduated
• Certificate Programme for Library Assistants
  (CUHK SCS)
• Advanced Diploma Programme in Library Studies
  (CUHK SCS )
• Advanced Professional Diploma Programme in
  Information Technology for Librarians (CUHK SCS )
• Certificate for School Library Assistants
  (Caritas Francis Hsu Evening College Hong Kong
  Teacher Librarians Association) ceased this
  year
• Certificate / Diploma in Library and Information
  Studies (HKBU SCS) under-restructured

29
Professional Programme from Overseas Institutions

• Charles Sturt University in 1990 collaborated
  with HKU DEMS and HKLA joined as the third
  partner
• Those successfully completed the programme were
  awarded the Diploma in Librarianship by HKU DEMS
  / HKLA
• Those who possess a degree recognized by Charles
  Sturt University can also obtain a Graduate
  Diploma of Applied Science (Library and
  Information Management)
• Holders of this Graduate Diploma are eligible to
  apply for the Associateship of Australia Library
  Association (AALA, now Australia Library and
  Information Association AALIA)

30
Current Professional Programme from Overseas
Institutions (contd)

• CSU Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Library
  and Information Management) since 1990
• The Graduate Diploma in Applied Science consists
  of 8 papers with teaching packages provided by
  CSU and 4 papers by distance mode with HKUSPACE
  local tutors.
• CSU Master of Applied Science (Library and
  Information Management) since 1993
• The Master programme requires 6 papers to be
  completed in 18 months to 24 months
• Both programmes have teaching units instructed by
  CSU teaching staff in HK
• Those are the most popular part-time postgraduate
  programmes in distance learning mode with local
  tutorship provided by HKUSPACE

31
Current Professional Programme from Overseas
Institutions (contd)

• From 2008, Northumbria University has started its
  distance learning programme entitled BSc in
  Librarianship for students in UK and the same
  course is available for the HDLIS / HDLIM
  graduates of HKUSPACE Community College by
  distance learning mode

32
Other Short Courses Operated by HKU SPACE and
Other Institutions

• Diversified topics were covered in individual
  short courses run by HKUSPACE
• Executive Certificate in Knowledge Management,
• Executive Certificate in Digital Library /
  Information Centre Management
• Executive Certificate in Records Management
• Executive Certificate in Archives Management
• There are other short courses on different topics
  offered at different institutions by face to face
  mode, correspondence or by Internet

33
Graduates of the Higher Diploma of HKU SPACE

• 5 batches of graduates, a total of 302
• The majority are working as paraprofessionals in
  different types of libraries and information
  centres, schools, book and publishing companies,
  as well as in academic institutions and
  commercial firms

34
Graduates of the Higher Diploma of HKU SPACE
(contd)

• Some continued to take part-time degree
  programmes
• Others studied full-time in local universities
• About 13-16 were able to get offer from the
  Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong to
  study a two-year full-time Bachelor of Science in
  Information Management.
• A few students went overseas to study in the past
  few years
• Around 65 of the graduates are now working in
  the library and information industries

35
Graduates of Certificate for Library Assistants

• They find jobs as library assistants, general
  clerks, executive assistants in different kinds
  of libraries, schools, government offices, media,
  publishing and bookselling industries, computer
  firms, information communication technology
  industries, government or commercial enterprises
  and a variety of other institutions and
  organizations

36
Graduates of Higher Qualifications

• Holders of higher qualifications such as
  Bachelors degree, Graduate Diploma and Masters
  degree, etc. work as professionals in information
  sector and in different business setting in Hong
  Kong society.
• Some have been very successful in their careers.
• A few has reached very senior or top positions as
  directors or chief librarians.

37
History of In-Service Training for
Teacher-Librarians

• 1978 starts the nine-year universal and
  compulsory education in Hong Kong
• From October 1979, a two day-release two-year
  training programme for teacher-librarians was
  organized by the Library Section of the Advisory
  Inspectorate of the Education Department jointly
  with the HKU DEMS
• All government and aided secondary schools with
  18 classes or more would be able to appoint a
  non-graduate teacher with a minimum of two years
  teaching experience to take charge of the school
  library on a full-time basis

38
History of In-Service Training for
Teacher-Librarians (Contd)

• In 1989, the INSTEP (In-service Teacher Education
  Programme) was launched
• Workshops were organized on school-based
  curriculum development to produce simple teaching
  materials and collections of resources to support
  project work and classroom activities
• In 1992, a one-year part-time two day-release
  fresher course was introduced
• aimed to upgrade the knowledge and techniques of
  the serving teacher-librarians who had already
  completed the two-year in- service training
  course and with more than 5 years school library
  working experience.

39
History of In-Service Training for
Teacher-Librarians (Contd)

• In 1997, the primary school has the equivalent
  provision of a teacher-librarian
• In 2000, a formal credit-bearing training
  programme was organized by Hong Kong Teacher
  Librarians Association with HKUSPACE

40
Current In-Service Training for
Teacher-Librarians

• Diploma in Teacher Librarianship (DipTL)
• is mainly initiated and financed by Education
  Bureau
• was awarded to the Hong Kong educational
  institutions through tender process
• the specifications of the tender varied from year
  to year
• is now running by HKU SPACE and Faculty of
  Education, HKU
• is an award bearing programme
• an induction training intended for all the newly
  appointed teacher-librarians
• split for primary and secondary school
  teacher-librarians in 2008 due to the forthcoming
  New Senior Secondary Curriculum in 2009/2010
  preparation for the educational change to the so
  called 334 system
• Up to the summer of 2008, about 360 teachers
  working in different schools were graduated

41
Current In-Service Trainingfor
Teacher-Librarians (Contd)

• Short courses
• Education Bureau has also taken the initiatives
  to arrange various topical short courses for the
  professional development of teacher-librarians
• Short courses are also awarded by tender process
• Two kinds of short courses
• Non Award-bearing short courses
• In 2008, 12 short courses of this kind on
  cataloguing, classification, subject analysis and
  promotion of information literacy programmes are
  organized
• Ten of these short courses were awarded to
  HKUSPACE
• Award bearing short courses
• has been operating since 2006
• have to be completed within 5 years

42
Current In-Service Training for
Teacher-Librarians (Contd)

• Chinese University of Hong Kong. The School of
  Continuing and Professional Studies
• short courses
• on school library operation and management
• by distance learning
• with the options to receive the learning
  materials by correspondence or by Internet

43
Difficulties of Keeping Experienced
Teacher-Librarians

• Lack of promotional prospect
• School principals seem to assign more teaching
  loads to the teacher-librarians
• Now some school administrators try to replace the
  teacher-librarian with a HDLIS graduate though
  such a tendency should not be encouraged

44
Future Development A Discussion
Education Level

• HKU is now accepting students for PHD programme,
  which is worked out on individual basis
• We hope that more students are interested in
  applying for this doctorate programme in the
  future

45
Future Development A Discussion (cont d)

• Curriculum Content
• We need to strengthen the existing programmes and
  enhance the curricula according to local needs
• Overseas developed curricula should be modified
  to fit local education and training needs
• Training of research skills, analytical skills,
  communication and managerial skills with
  flexibility and adaptability attitudes for all
  levels of library and information practitioners
  is still essential

46
Future Development A Discussion (contd)

• Wider Coverage and More Electives
• LIS students can be trained to gain competencies
  in working for different kinds of
  information-related environment by adding the
  following subjects as electives
• knowledge management
• archives management
• record management
• museum management
• web content management
• publishing

47
Future Development A Discussion (contd)

• Wider Coverage and More Electives
• Legal, financial, business, health, geographic,
  political, economical, social and government
  information sources
• Library and information services for special
  community group such as the disadvantaged and
  minority groups
• IT and IM application, e.g. Internet technology
  such as web 2.0, Google search, open source
  integrated library system development
• Strategic planning operations planning

48
Future Development A Discussion (contd)
Experiential Learning A relatively short-term
professionally supervised work experience offered
as part of the schools curriculum and taken
during the academic sequence. The practicum is
typically pursued in the same library or
information agency for the total experience.
Other than incidental expenses, the practicum
student odes not receive a salary.

• Practicum
• Many LIS programmes in Hong Kong such as
  HDLIS/HDLIM, DipTL, BSc in IM which require the
  students to attend placement
• For some programmes, placement is better to tie
  to specific learning objectives and are
  reflected upon throughout the semester in order
  to enrich appreciation of course (Jacoby and
  Associates, 1996)

49
Future Development A Discussion (Contd)

• Needs for Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians
• The specifications of the LIS programmes for
  teacher-librarians vary in each tender exercise
  by EDB annually
• It has deterred the local academic institutions
  from developing a well structured and organized
  programme suitable for training
  teacher-librarians in Hong Kong educational
  environment
• The programme needs to aim at supporting the new
  334 education system in Hong Kong SAR

50
Future Development A Discussion (Contd)

• Needs for Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians
• More research should be carried out to collect
  the reflections of teacher-librarians and
  recognize their difficulties in library resources
  development and operation
• Teacher-librarians personal attributes such as
  confidence, capability of influencing, skills
  transfer, risk taking to develop new services
  and ability to judge relevance, quality and
  reliability should be encouraged
• Learning culture should be developed among the
  library and information professionals
  particularly teacher-librarians in this era
  encouraging life learning so that learning
  culture can be prosperous in the school
  environment

51
Conclusion

• LIS programmes for continuous development and
  improvement
• Education programmes, courses, seminars and
  workshops should be deigned to support lifelong
  learning
• They should timely offered as need arrives
  according to new trends of development
• delivered at different times, in different modes
  to different kinds of students either face to
  face, by correspondence or on-line

52
Last But Not the Least

• We wish the Hong Kong Library Association, our
  professional organization, continue to
• grow and prosper, from strength to strength year
  after year , provide valuable help as well as
  strong support to all of us in achieving our
  endeavours, goals and objectives in the many
  years to come!

grow and prosper
strength to strength
year after year
valuable help
strong support