From October 17 to 21, the Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA) Meeting was held in Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus Library. Over 90 university librarians and experts from China, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan attended the meeting to share their expertise and insights on the theme “Preservation, Development and Discovery of Archives and Special Collections in PRRLA Libraries” in a hybrid format.

PRRLA held the Steering Committee Meeting, where they reviewed the achievements of PRRLA in 2022, discussed the budget, and explored future five-year strategic priorities and action plans. The opening ceremony was hosted by Dr. Wang Lei, Chair of the PRRLA 2023 Meeting Program Committee and Associate University Librarian of Sun Yat-sen University. Professor He Wenping, University Librarian of Sun Yat-sen University, made welcome remarks. He introduced the development of SYSU Library, especially the important progresses in the collecting, collation, conservation, preservation, digitization and activation of special collections.

Professor He Wenping, University Librarian of Sun Yat-sen University, made welcome remarks.

Dr. Wang Lei, Associate University Librarian of Sun Yat-sen University hosted the opening ceremony.

Ms. Gwenda Thomas, Chair of the PRRLA Secretariat and University Librarian of University of Melbourne, expressed her gratitude for SYSU Library to hold this meeting and emphasized its significance in strengthening the communication and cooperation among PRRLA member libraries.

Ms. Gwenda Thomas, Chair of the PRRLA Secretariat and University Librarian of University of Melbourne, made opening remarks.

Professor Cheng Huanwen, from the School of Information Management, SYSU, Vice President of the Library Society of China, Vice Chairman of the Steering Committee of Academic Library and Information Service, the Ministry of Education, made a keynote speech entitled “Challenges and Opportunities: The Development of Research University Libraries in China”. He provided a comprehensive overview of the development of 42 research university libraries in China over the past decade, from the aspects of the number of librarians, library space, the holdings, and the expenditure on resources, etc. His speech elaborated the challenges faced by China’s research university libraries, while shedding light on their future development trends.

Professor Cheng Huanwen, from the School of Information Management, SYSU and Vice President of the Library Society of China, made a keynote speech.

17 scholars engaged in insightful presentations and discussions on various topics in four panels, including "Showcasing Expertise and Experience in Sharing and Unlocking the Potential of Scholarly Content of Archives and Special Collections," "Exploring the Strategic Opportunities of Digital Conservation and Extending the Engagement and Use of Scholarly Content Across Archives and Special Collections," "Reflecting on the Strategic Role and Opportunities for PRRLA Libraries to Lead in the Preservation and Development of Archives and Special Collections," and "Exploring New and Sustainable Professional Development Opportunities to Future-proof the Next Generation of Archive and Special Collections Specialists in PRRLA Libraries." The panels were respectively moderated by Shameem Nilofar Maideen, University Librarian of Singapore Management University, Benjamin Meunier, University Librarian of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Philip Kent, University Librarian of the University of Sydney and Haipeng Li, University Librarian of the University of California, Merced.

Su Rina, Librarian of Sun Yat-sen University, made the presentation.

The Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA) held a business meeting before the closing of the annual meeting. During the business meeting, the Secretariat made annual financial report for the past year, presented the updates from the 2023 Steering Committee Meeting, and specially explicated the PRRLA strategic priorities and progress, including updates on the Pacific Rim Libraries (PRL) repository, developments in professional practices, online presence, and the sustainability initiatives. At the closing ceremony, Ms. Gwenda Thomas, on behalf of the PRRLA Secretariat, celebrated the success of this meeting, and expressed sincere gratitude to Sun Yat-sen University Library for hosting the event.

The Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA) began as the Pacific Rim Digital Library Alliance (PRDLA) in 1997 and got its present name in 2005. Focusing on cooperative ventures among academic libraries located around the Pacific Rim to improve access to scholarly research materials, it seeks to overcome constraints through aggressive resource sharing, cooperative collection development and the use of technology in support of document delivery, and it has become a self-sustaining organization that meets once a year at one of its member institutions.

This meeting marked an important milestone in the history of the PRRLA annual meetings, as it adopted a hybrid format that combined both online and in-person participation and offered various activities, including exhibitions on ex-libris and special collections posters as well as cultural tours, which expanded and enriched the participation. It provided a good platform for PRRLA member libraries and experts in academic communication and will help to enhance their cooperation in archives and special collections in the future.

The Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA) Meeting was held in Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus Library.