{"id":12317,"date":"2025-07-11T17:02:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T09:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=12317"},"modified":"2025-07-11T17:11:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T09:11:59","slug":"%e7%94%9f%e5%91%bd%e7%9a%84%e9%9f%8c%e6%80%a7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/en\/%e7%94%9f%e5%91%bd%e7%9a%84%e9%9f%8c%e6%80%a7\/","title":{"rendered":"The Resilience of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/span>The Resilience of Life<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Jim Hok-yan Chang laughs when he describes his life as a “540-degree magnificent turn.” He’s referring to three major career pivots: graduating from journalism school only to become a professional Chinese orchestra musician, then joining the public library system where he rose to Chief Librarian of Hong Kong Central Library, and finally\u2014after retirement\u2014finding himself teaching Chinese music at university. “Each turn was 180 degrees,” he chuckles. “Add them up and you get 540 degrees, right?” The three fields couldn’t be more different, yet he insists these weren’t calculated moves but rather “fate’s arrangement.” So how exactly did fate choose him?<\/p>\n

It all started during his undergraduate years. Chang calls himself a “journalism school dropout”\u2014not literally, but in spirit. Within his first year, he discovered he was “absolutely passionate about music.” He ended up spending most of his time on music as a minor, so when a Chinese orchestra offered him a position after graduation, it felt natural to accept. “Back then, the orchestra didn’t have any university graduates\u2014I was the odd one out.” But the orchestra went through personnel changes, and with his family strongly opposing a music career, he reluctantly had to quit.<\/p>\n

“Why the library? That was fate too,” he says. Becoming a civil servant was really about fulfilling his father’s dream. “It was at least a stable job, you know. When they offered it to me, I took it. But honestly, I’d never been particularly interested in libraries as a kid. Now here I am, spending every day in one\u2014I always joke that it’s karma.” He figured he’d have to give up music entirely, but it turned out the library had few staff members with musical knowledge. Almost without realizing it, management kept assigning him music-related projects. “I guess it was that musical connection that kept me here.”<\/p>\n

He threw himself into studying library science, and his career took off. By retirement, he had become Chief Librarian of Hong Kong Central Library. In his later years, he was tasked with creating special collections at the Central Library, specifically focused on preserving Hong Kong\u2019s musical heritage. \u201cWe took this on because honestly, apart from the Central Library, no other institution has the resources for this kind of work. It\u2019s a cultural mission.\u201d His orchestra background proved invaluable\u2014many precious items came from donations by musicians he\u2019d known during his performing days. \u201cWe\u2019ve assembled some incredibly rare firsthand materials that will be crucial for anyone studying Hong Kong music history.\u201d<\/p>\n

As one of the few librarians with serious musical credentials, he finally understood what fate had in mind. “I’m really happy that I was able to leave some mark in the space where music and libraries intersect.” His doctoral degree in music librarianship, he says, represents the “perfect marriage” of his two professional worlds. But what does any of this have to do with journalism? Chang sees his four undergraduate years as “when everything clicked.” The training in journalism and academic writing sharpened his awareness of society, taught him to think critically and analytically, helped him distinguish right from wrong and stick to his principles, built his positive outlook on life, and strengthened his resilience\u2014all of which shaped who he became.<\/p>\n

“You can’t control fate,” he reflects. “When people find themselves in situations they don’t like or that don’t suit them, many choose to complain. But I believe you should either not do something at all, or do it to the absolute best of your ability. Face any challenge with a positive mindset, and you’ll always come away with something valuable.” He believes in both fate and effort: “When you refuse to give up, opportunities will come your way, and that’s when you can really achieve something. That’s been my experience for most of my life.”<\/p>\n

Profile:
\nJim Hok-yan Chang graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1984. After graduation, he served as a professional sheng<\/em> (Chinese reed instrument) player at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. He later joined the former Urban Council Public Library system and served as Chief Librarian of the Hong Kong Central Library before retirement. He is currently a Part-time Lecturer at the Academy of Music, Hong Kong Baptist University.<\/p>\n

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