New Beginnings

It can be daunting to face new beginnings, with the uncertainty that comes with new faces, new places and new ways of doing things. In my case, any apprehension I may have experienced on assuming the role of University Librarian at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) quickly dissipated thanks to the incredible welcome I have experienced since arriving in Hong Kong, both in the city and in the university. Hong Kong has a global reputation as a cosmopolitan metropolis that connects East and West, a bridge between cultures. The reality that underpins that reputation continues to hold true, after the incredibly challenging past few years.

One of the attractions for me to join CUHK is its mission “to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West”. Those goals are as important as ever in today’s geopolitically uncertain world, where developments in fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are challenging previous assumptions about the nature of work, of art, and raises new questions about how we ascertain what is true. In my view, if the challenges of today’s hyper-connected world are going to be overcome for the benefit of humanity, it will take the application of many forms of intelligence. Howard Gardner, a Harvard Professor, introduced eight types of intelligence in his book Frames of Mind in 1983, which he updated in 1999 to set out how this theory might apply in the 21st century. Some of those forms of intelligence might be enhanced by automation and computing, some will remain the preserve of human beings. In some areas, there will be contradictory answers proposed by AI and by human thinkers. More than ever, people will need to be able to navigate a landscape which is overabundant with information, to think for themselves and to make decisions that lead to fulfilling lives and to healthy, prosperous societies.

Given the challenges of our times, I believe that universities and their libraries are absolutely vital. Libraries are equipping students, staff and users from beyond in the university with the skills to critically assess information, use tools available to explore what lies at the edge of current knowledge, and support researchers to push those boundaries further. For the Library to retain these functions, we need to nurture and develop our collections, particularly the unique materials that CUHK Library is renowned for. But we will also need to invest and develop new capabilities to enable the university to be an active player in an increasingly open global scholarly communications system. Some challenges will require that we work in partnership with other institutions, given the sheer complexity and magnitude of the issues. For instances, I am looking forward to working with The Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee (JULAC) members and institutions in the Greater Bay Area on how we manage the challenges but also the opportunities of Open Scholarship, greater automation and machine learning in the information landscape.

I am impressed by the research strengths, the well-rounded educational offering and the large and growing scale of the institution. CUHK Library is a crucial service in a large, multi-disciplinary university with global reach and lofty ambitions. I have been struck by two observations since I started in the role in early April. The first is the support that the Library enjoys within the institution. This is apparent from the prominence of the library on campus, both through the University Library and the branch libraries that support academic activity in all areas. In a global environment where finances are a limitation for many institutions, the Library is fortunate to have the resources we can draw on to achieve our mission. The second is the Library staff’s commitment to delivering an excellent user experience, across the entire service. Based on these fundamentals, I feel that CUHK Library is in a fantastic position to continue to provide first-class services for our students, to meet the needs of the academic community, and to become a leader in the region on Open Access and Open Scholarship initiatives.

I am keen to hear from the university community about what you think about our Library, and to explore opportunities to develop our services to meet the needs of all our users. If you would like to get in touch, don’t hesitate - you can contact me at benjamin.meunier@cuhk.edu.hk. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to engaging with many of you over the coming years.

Benjamin Meunier
University Librarian