Knowledge Exchange and Community Engagement:An Academic Library Perspective

摘要

The University of Hong Kong Libraries has long recognized the significance of its position in Hong Kong Society. As the oldest and leading University in Hong Kong, and one of Asia's finest, it has a rich collection of resources that are of great interest to communities beyond its immediate family, including both local and global communities. As one of only three strategic themes, the University's new strategic direction of "knowledge exchange" has given the Library added motivation to excel in engaging the community, beyond the University. This paper will highlight a series of initiatives undertaken by the University of Hong Kong Libraries that serve to promote community access to collections, services and special events. At the forefront of these initiatives is the Scholar's Hub, the university's institutional repository which has been developed as a key strategic initiative in support of knowledge exchange. In providing open access to the intellectual output of the University, the Hub has realized over 1 million downloads in 2009. Numerous enhancements have made the intellectual output more discoverable by all across the world and made the Hub a unique tool. The paper will also introduce ways in which the Library has reached out to both local communities and those further afield through a series of activities that have been innovative and well received, from its work with local high schools to its support for the less privileged such as people with disabilities and libraries undergoing severe hardship such as those recovering from the Sichuan earthquake. While it is often cited that public libraries are those that serve the community at large, this paper will provide the perspective from an academic library viewpoint and will emphasize the view that such service should not be limited to public libraries alone and that academic libraries must play a role in community well-being.