Lai Bing Kan

Kan Lai Bing (Chinese: 簡麗冰; 19 July 1933 - 5 September 2024 ) was a librarian from Hong Kong who worked to establish librarianship classes and training in the region. She was director of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library from 1972 until 1983, and then as the University Librarian of the Hong Kong University Libraries until 1999. She was chairperson of the Hong Kong Library Association for five years between 1961 and 1982.

Early life and education Kan Lai Bing was born in Hong Kong in 1933. She attended Belilios Public School. She attended the University of Hong Kong (HKU), graduating in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree, with concentrations in botany, zoology, chemistry, and physics. She later pursued postgraduate studies in the United States at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a Carnegie Scholar. During her time at Berkeley, Kan earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Zoology and a Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) in Library Science, both awarded in 1959. After returning to Hong Kong, she furthered her academic credentials by obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chinese studies under the supervision of Jao Tsung-I at HKU. Her dissertation is titled "The organization and treatment of libraries in the Ming and Ch‘ing dynasties (Chinese: 明淸藏書制度)".

Career Kan began working at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Libraries in 1959. She started as an assistant librarian, and then became a sub-librarian by 1970. In 1968, she trained as a MEDLARS search analyst in Bethesda, Maryland.

Kan was particularly interested in information storage and retrieval. As a researcher, she focused on the history and ongoing development of libraries in Hong Kong and mainland China.

In 1997, she was named an Honorary University Fellow by the University of Hong Kong, her alma mater. The following year, she was conferred the honorary title of Honorary University Fellow by Charles Sturt University, Australia.

In 2002, she was awarded the HKSAR Medal of Honour for her valuable contribution to the public library services and the development and training of librarians in Hong Kong.

In 2005, she established the Dr. Kan Lai Bing Award to "recognize outstanding graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Information Studies".

On 29 July 2025, The University of Hong Kong hosted the Unveiling Ceremony of the Memorial Plaque of Dr Kan Lai Bing. The event also celebrated the donation of HKD 10 million by Kan’s family, which will support the Fung Ping Shan Library (Chinese: 香港大學馮平山圖書館) Centenary Development Plan.