Becoming a librarian: from Sydney to Hong Kong via a LIS degree

Abstract

This is a personal reflection of a new librarian from Sydney, Australia. It is a reflection on her previous lives before her LIS education, and her preparedness upon entering the workforce. The author relates how she learned and developed in the first two years of her library employment, and how she found herself working in an academic library in Hong Kong. The author also shares the results of a brief survey of new librarians working in academic libraries in Hong Kong regarding their experiences of LIS education and first years in the profession. The article concludes with some recommendations for other new librarians entering the workforce.

Keywords:

• Librarianship education
• information studies
• academic librarians
• Hong Kong
• Imposter Syndrome

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge all my former colleagues from Bond University Library, in particular Wendy Abbott and Michele le Claire, for providing opportunities for me to learn and encouraging me to push myself. I would also like to thank Michael Wallace, Jessie Donaghey, David Honeyman, and Sarah Dern for being a wonderful team to work with in my first library job. I would also like to thank my current colleagues at City University of Hong Kong, in particular Professor Christian Wagner and Dr. Teresa To. Thank you to all my CityU colleagues for giving me opportunities to try new things, and helping me adjust not only to the new work environment but to a new cultural environment as well. I also extend my gratitude to the librarians I have met and worked with via the Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee. And finally, thank you to John and Angela, without whom I would never have made it to HK!.