Dr Anthony W. Ferguson

Let me begin by saying how totally delighted I am to be here. HKU has the well-deserved reputation of being a world-class university and I believe our library system is doing an admirable job in meeting the needs of its faculty and students. I am especially impressed by the quality of the staff and the wide array of new forms of electronic information and services that are available.

Libraries are moving from a past rooted almost totally in the printed word to a future based upon electronic communication. The importance of books and journals will not, however, disappear. For some disciplines print will remain dominant. Indeed, computers have made it easier to print books as well as documents from one's own computer. But the future will be different from the way things are today.

The new Librarian on board, 4/F, Main Library
To make sure we are meeting the needs of today's faculties and students we will select, buy, catalogue, shelve, circulate, and preserve books, journals, and manuscripts, and will deliver electronic forms of information. We'll also provide first-rate reference service and user education programs. All of this means that we have to retain and continue to update the skills of our current staff and recruit new members of staff to fill old and new jobs.

My job as the new Librarian is to help establish and communicate a cohesive vision of what we want to do, set performance standards, help maintain focus, and to do all of this in the context of how things are done at HKU. I can't do it on my own and so need the help of the library staff, the faculty, and the university's administrators. I am looking forward to a summer of getting to know the library better and to the fall when I will get out to meet the deans, department heads, and members of the library committees.

AWF
Ferguson@hkucc.hku.hk
June 2001