HONG KONG Polytechnic University and the Tsinghua University in Beijing have set up a co-operation programme between their libraries in areas of document exchange, inter-library loans and staff attachment. It was the first time the territory library had entered a co-operation programme with a mainland library, said the local university's librarian-in-charge, Barry Burton. 'We were impressed with the application of new information technologies in Tsinghua and, more importantly, the positive and enthusiastic attitude of their senior management,' Mr Burton said. 'The co-operation will help the university increase its collection of high-standard Chinese materials, especially in relation to science and technology. Library services will also be strengthened with the support of inter-library loans.' Under document-exchange arrangements, Tsinghua will help the university acquire Chinese materials. In return, the territory university will supply Tsinghua with Western-language materials. So far, the university has received about 400 science and technology books from its counterpart. The two libraries also agreed to set up a staff-exchange training programme. Tsinghua University's librarian-in-charge, Professor Zhu Wenghao, said: 'As a start to this programme, Tsinghua will send our head catalogue specialist to assist in the cataloguing of Chinese materials in the Bibliographic Control Section of the Polytechnic Library in February.' He added: 'We intend to open our library services and hope to establish links with other universities in Hong Kong in the future.'
