Hong Kong Library Association

History of Hong Kong Library Association In the 1950’s, Hong Kong had just been gradually recovering from a series of wars and the library services in Hong Kong were not yet so well developed at that time. In early 1958, Mrs. Dorothea Scott, the Librarian of University of Hong Kong, realized that in a long run, it was necessary to establish an organization to unite the practitioners in different libraries and information institutions, to plan and promote the development of the library profession and to enhance the professional status of the library practitioners. On 3rd April, over 40 library practitioners from different local libraries and information institutes attended a meeting convened by Mrs. Scott at Fung Ping Shan Library, University of Hong Kong, to determine on the establishment of the association. The inaugural meeting of the association was held on the 11th September and Mrs. Scott was elected the first Chairman of the association. The first Council was set up and the constitutions were endorsed. The founding of the association laid a milestone on the development of library and information profession in Hong Kong. Over the past 52 years, through the enthusiasms and efforts of a group of voluntary library practitioners, the association greatly helped to enhance the development of local library and information profession, raise the professional status of library practitioners and unite the interests of them through the provision of a series of academic activities, publications, professional courses, scholarships and awards, etc.