Anthony (Tony) Ferguson

University Librarian and Chair of the Knowledge Team, University of Hong Kong

Tony Ferguson has worked at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) since 2001 as Librarian and is responsible for policy formation, planning, budgeting and a full range of development activities. He is also the chair of the Knowledge Team, a campus-wide action group devoted to helping HKU make better-informed decisions and develop better strategies for using information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance teaching and learning. Previously, he worked as the associate university librarian for collections-related affairs at Columbia University from 1986-2001; as the Texas A&M assistant director for collection development and technical services, 1985-1986; and in a range of positions at Brigham Young University from 1972-1985.

Since going to Hong Kong, Tony has served as the president of the Hong Kong Library Association and has chaired the Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee, the heart of Hong Kong's many collaborative library activities. He also chaired the Pacific Rim Digital Libraries Alliance, which brings together libraries from both sides of the Pacific Ocean, and served as a member of the Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau's Committee on Libraries. He served first as an elected and later as an appointed representative of Asia and the South Pacific to OCLC Members Council from 2004 to 2008, and was elected to the OCLC Board by Members Council in May 2008.

Before going to Hong Kong, Tony served on a variety of collection development-related committees for the American Library Association, Center for Research Libraries, New York Comprehensive Research Libraries, New York Metropolitan Reference and Research Library Agency, NYLINK and Research Libraries Group.

Tony received his bachelor's degree in Asian studies and political science from Brigham Young University in 1969, master's degrees in library science and political science from the University of Washington in 1971 and 1972, and a doctorate in education from Columbia Teachers College. He has consulted widely on collection development topics and writes a regular column, "Backtalk," in the Against the Grain magazine.