DUBLIN, Ohio, 9 November 2020—Smit, University Librarian at Utrecht University in Utrecht, Netherlands, and Shirley Chiu-wing Wong, University Librarian at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, took their seats on the OCLC Board of Trustees today during the board's regular November meeting. Both were elected by OCLC Global Council to serve four-year terms on the board.
There are currently nine librarians from five countries serving on the 15-member OCLC Board of Trustees.
After an international career of over 30 years in library management and library automation, Anja Smit joined Utrecht University in 2010 as University Librarian. In 2018, she initiated an Open Science Program in her University. Previously, she has served as a University Librarian at the Radboud University and Maastricht University and worked with Academic Libraries in the United States as an Executive Consultant.
Smit is active in national and international networks, including the Dutch Consortium Library Consortium UKB, the LIBER Board, and LERU INFO group. In addition to her work for Utrecht University, she is chair of the Board of the Public Library South East Utrecht and a member of the Board of the Utrecht Archive on behalf of the National Government. She served on OCLC Global Council beginning in 2010, was elected Vice-President/President Elect of Global Council in 2014 and served as President in 2015-2016.
Smit holds an MA from Utrecht University in Dutch Literature.
Dr. Shirley Chiu-wing Wong has served as University Librarian of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) since 2012. Before that, she served at The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library where she was responsible for library user services, mandatory information literacy assessment, the library extension project, and the development of learning commons and research commons.
Wong was the principal investigator of the three-year project funded by the Hong Kong University Grants Committee (UGC) and involved all eight UGC-funded universities to enhance information literacy among university students by developing and implementing the InfoLit for U MOOC, launched in 2018.
In Hong Kong, Wong was Chair of the Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee (JULAC) in 2016-2017, Chair of the JULAC Learning Strategies Committee in 2012-2020, Chair of the JULAC Copyright Committee in 2008-2012, Chair of the JULAC Committee on Reference Services in 2005-2007, and Secretary to and member of the then Heads of Universities Committee Task Force on Copyright in Education in 2005-2012. Internationally, Wong was Chair of OCLC Asia Pacific Regional Council in 2018-2019, a board member of IATUL in 2014-2017, and a member of the Copyright and Other Legal Matters Committee of IFLA in 2009-2017.
Wong obtained her Bachelor of Science, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (with Distinction) and Advanced Diploma in Education (Psychology of Student Learning) from The University of Hong Kong. She was awarded an overseas postgraduate scholarship for pursuing an MA in Library and Information Studies at University College London, and she received her doctoral degree in education from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Smit and Wong will replace Madeleine Lefebvre, Chief Librarian Emerita, Ryerson University, and Jacques Malschaert, Owner/CEO, Malschaert Project Bureau BV, who were both elected by Global Council in 2016 and served four-year terms on the Board.
The OCLC Global Council is elected by OCLC members to represent the global library community. They provide reflection and insights regarding the needs and issues facing modern libraries. They also elect members to the OCLC Board of Trustees.
About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC's WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world's collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff and partners make breakthroughs possible.