Preserving the educational heritage of Hong Kong: The blending of library and museum services

The Hong Kong Institute of Education – one of the eight Government funded higher education institutions in Hong Kong – has taken the initiative to preserve the rich cultural heritage of education in Hong Kong through the establishment of The Hong Kong Museum of Education. Unique amongst tertiary education institutions in Hong Kong, the Museum has been established as a part of the Institute Library Services, and has come about through the collaborative efforts of library professionals, museum curators and academic staff. The Museum is one of a number of cultural heritage projects undertaken by the Institute to explore, interpret and disseminate research on the history of education in Hong Kong, and the Institute Library has also taken the leadership in the development of an historical research collection, a digital repository of historical educational artifact, images and documents, and a bibliography of Hong Kong education to complement and enhance the role of the Museum. The achievement of this has involved a high degree of creativity and innovation, and has entailed the integration of the roles of library professionals, museum curators and technical staff, as well as project based organizational structures which mix the responsibilities and reporting lines of these professional and technical groups. This paper reflects on the experience of the professional staff involved in this merging of academic library services and cultural heritage, the skill sets which have been required, and the way in which the specialist skills of each professional group have been blended to achieve successful outcomes. It also discusses how the diversification of the library’s services to embrace cultural heritage can strengthen the Library’s role and profile both within and beyond the academy. Copyright © 2009 The Author.