Witnessing the Evolution of Higher Education in Hong Kong through the Eyes of an American Academic Librarian

Abstract

Founded in 1991, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is known as one of the fastest growing institutions of higher education in the region. It was ranked the number one in Greater China in 2017 for its students’ employability, and number twelve worldwide. HKUST Library plays an important role in supporting the teaching, learning and research activities, contributing to the University’s missions as well as its unparalleled academic excellence. The library and its library professionals play essential roles in creating an environment that fosters collaborative, experiential learning amongst students from different academic disciplines. This is through a combination of excellent services and collections, as well as welcoming, useful, and beautiful spaces. In the following interview, Victoria Caplan shares how information instruction services and librarians continue to be needed in the age of Google, and will discuss the pedagogical roles of information instruction librarians/reference librarians.