Edward Spodick – A Three-and-a-half Decade-long Mission to Serve the Greater Good

For Mr. Edward SPODICK, Associate University Librarian at HKUST, the journey that led him from the North American Midwest to a career at HKUST in East Asia has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a new culture and help shape a brand-new university.

The JOAT librarian

His journey to HKUST began with a turbulent long-haul flight from Detroit, Michigan, in September 1990, involving multiple delays and stopovers. But when he landed in Hong Kong, he was filled with enthusiasm for his new job as Assistant Librarian (Facilities Planning, Media & Systems).

Initially signing a three-year contract, Mr. Spodick relished the challenges ahead.

“This was a rare opportunity to experience a new culture and help set up a new university. I mean, how often would you have the chance of helping develop a new center of learning from scratch? So, I said to myself, I had to seize this opportunity!” he said.

Mr. Spodick certainly experienced a radical shift in jobs in his early years. His duties encompassed every aspect of the University’s evolution under three different head librarians, covering everything from audio/visual content and equipment to library servers, computer systems, and remote access networks.

“I was practically the JOAT librarian”, which he jokingly referred to as the “Jack-of-all Trades.”

He admits, though, that he hadn’t intended to stay at HKUST for so long, but he found the experience to be professionally enriching.

“I really enjoyed the job, the people that I was working with, and the constant challenges,” he said, revealing a stack of business cards showing seven different job titles from over the years, including facilities planning, IT, and a range of library services.

Of course, there have been numerous challenges, he said. As everyone can remember, SARS and COVID-19 were not easy times, but the countless opportunities for professional development have far outweighed the difficulties. He specifically recalls that the shift from the three- to the four-year undergraduate degree structure in the early 2010s and the development of the Learning Commons in the Academic Building required considerable efforts, but he equally cherished the experience. 

Pioneer the Internet Waves

Working at the forefront of technology, Mr. Spodick has had the privilege of helping to launch some of the earliest networking systems at HKUST. These technological developments propelled HKUST ahead of the rest of Hong Kong. They included the adoption of Gopher and WAIS servers (early online document-searching protocols predating the HTTP standard) even before the World Wide Web became the standard protocol for internet surfing.

In those days, Mr. Spodick recounts that everything was about teamwork. “The main server for the HK Supernet used to be in Staff Quarter Tower 1. One time, the server required a reboot, but it was a weekend, and the relevant staff members were on leave. So, I went over to reboot the server myself, which I don’t think would be possible today!” he joked.

Contributing to the bigger picture

For Mr. Spodick, three decades at HKUST have provided him with a sense of fulfillment in serving the public, from Hong Kong to the region, and have kept him from leaving despite better-paid private-sector career opportunities that arise from time to time.

His top tip for the new generation of staff, based on his long career at the University, is this: Voice out your ideas; don’t hesitate. Work towards a larger goal and communicate across roles. Everyone has their own way to contribute to the bigger picture.

“Everyone has something to contribute. You don’t have to rely solely on your daily work. Think about what you can contribute, too,” he emphasized.

If you would like to share any stories and photos from the early 1990s, please get in touch with us at geco@ust.hk or  3469 3152.