Singapore libraries: From bricks and mortar to information anytime anywhere

104 Pages·2013·2.5 MB·English

I F LA IFLA
Volume 39 Number 2 June 2013
Contents
Editorial
All Change: From Helsinki to Singapore 101
Stephen Parker
Articles
Singapore libraries: From bricks and mortar to information anytime anywhere 103
Julie S. Sabaratnam and EstherOng
Commonwealth of uncertainty: How British and American professional models of library
practice have shaped LIS Education in selected former British Colonies and Dominions 121
Mary Carroll, PauletteKerr, Abdullahi I. Musaand WaseemAfzal
Leadership in libraries in times of change 134
Petra Du¨ren
Welcoming, flexible, and state-of-the-art: Approaches to continuous facilities improvement 140
Charles Forrest and Sharon L.Bostick
UNIMARC – Understanding the past to envision the future 151
Rosa MariaGalva˜o and MariaIneˆsCordeiro
Techniques to understand the changing needs of library users 162
Susan Gibbons
Measuring the public library’s societal value: A methodological research program 168
Frank Huysmans and Marjolein Oomes
News 178
Abstracts 185
IFLA Journal
Offi cial Journal of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
ISSN 0340-0352 [print] 1745-2651 [online]
Published 4 times a year in March, June, October and December
Editor: Stephen Parker, Apt. 1C, Edifício Rosa dos Ventos, Rua Rosa Parracho 27,
Cascais 2750-778, Portugal. Email: [email protected]
Editorial Committee
Christine Wellems (Chair),
Buergerschaftskanzlei, Parlamentarische Informationsdienste, Hamburg, Germany. Email: [email protected]
Sanjay Kumar Bihani,
High Commission of India, India House, Aldwych, London WC2B 4NA, UK. Email: [email protected]
Ben Gu,
National Library of China, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Email: [email protected]
Jerry W. Mansfield,
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Email: [email protected]
Filiberto Felipe Martine z-Arellano,
University Center for Library Science Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico. Email: [email protected]
Ellen Ndeshi Namhila,
University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia. Email: [email protected]
Omnia M. Sadek,
Menufia University, Cairo, Egypt. Email: [email protected]
Réjean Savard,
École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Email: [email protected]
Ludmila Tikhonova,
Russian State Library, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: [email protected]
Christobal Pasadas Ureña,
Biblioteca Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. Email: [email protected]
Anna Maria Tammaro (Governing Board Liaison)
Università di Parma, Parma, Italy. Email: [email protected]
Stephen Parker (Portugal) (Editor, ex offi cio)
Email: [email protected]
Publisher
SAGE, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC.
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I FLA
Editorial
InternationalFederationof
LibraryAssociationsandInstitutions
All Change: From Helsinki to
39(2)101–102
ªTheAuthor(s)2013
Singapore Reprintsandpermission:
sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI:10.1177/0340035213487481
ifla.sagepub.com
Stephen Parker
As IFLA members and others prepare for the 2013 of the profession at all levels, and the next paper,
World Library and Information Congress in Singa- ‘Leadership in libraries in times of change’, by Petra
pore, we present in this issue a further selection of Du¨ren, aims to provide an overview of the leadership
papersfromtheHelsinkiconferenceof2012,together competences needed to succeed with deliberate large-
withtheusualkeypaperonlibrariesinthisyear’shost scale changes in libraries. Most of these competences
country. A common theme to all the papers in this can beimpartedduring undergraduate studies,andthe
issue is that of change. paper describes recent studies concerning leadership
In ‘Singapore libraries: from bricks and mortar to in academic and public libraries, emphasizing the
informationanytimeanywhere’,editorsJulieSSabar- importance of a number of success factors, especially
atnamandEstherOng,withcontributionsfrommany the communication competence of leaders in times of
colleagues in that country, present a comprehensive change.
lookintotheevolvinglandscapeoflibrariesinSinga- Another aspect of the question of change is dis-
pore. Since the first major libraries were founded in cussed in the next paper, ‘Welcoming, flexible, and
Singapore some 190 years ago, the country has seen state-of-the-art: Approaches to continuous facilities
a proliferation of libraries of all kinds that have improvement’, by Charles Forrest and Sharon L.
become increasingly important in the lives of Singa- Bostick.Asagenerationofstudents entersuniversity
poreans.Theyachievethisbyadaptingtotechnologi- having embraced online, mobile, anytime, anywhere
caldevelopmentsaswellaschangesinuserdemands access to information, the 21st century academic
and behaviours with innovative digital products and library must continually recreate itself as a place that
services that include library management systems, fosterscuriosity,engagement,collaboration,andlife-
e-resources, digital devices as well as the utilisation long learning. This paper discusses efforts at two
of social media to engage users. The programme of major academic institutions in the United States to
library visits during the Singapore conference pro- develop innovative ways to evaluate library spaces,
mises to be an eye-opener for colleagues from other functions, services, operations and maintenance with
parts of the world. theaimofcontinuallyrefreshingandrenewinglibrary
International influences are the subject of the next spacesthatenhancelearning,inspirescholarship,and
paper, ‘Commonwealth of uncertainty: How British foster community.
andAmericanprofessionalmodelsoflibrarypractice Major changes that are envisaged for the biblio-
haveshapedLISEducationinselectedformerBritish graphicstandardsenvironmentprovidethecontextfor
Colonies and Dominions’, by Mary Carroll, Paulette thenextpaper,‘UNIMARC–Understandingthepast
Kerr, Abdullahi I. Musa and Waseem Afzal. This to envision the future’, by Rosa Maria Galva˜o and
paperfromtheHelsinkiconferenceexamineshowthe MariaIneˆsCordeiro.Withtheaimofreflectingonthe
convergence of the British and American influences nature and specification of MARC and its adequacy
on LIS education have left a complex legacy which fortheintegrationofbibliographicdiscoverysystems
has shaped the aspirations of the LIS profession into the larger world of networked information and
and influenced the delivery and the educational systems, this paper provides an overview of the
modeloflibrarianshipinanumberofCommonwealth evolutionofUNIMARCandthepracticesofitsmain-
countries. tenance,collectingknowledgethatmaybeusefulasa
How to cope with changes in the library environ- firstcontributiontoinformfuturestepsinredesigning
mentisanissuewhichincreasinglyexercisesmembers bibliographic data standards.
102 IFLA Journal 39(2)
Changeisagainthethemeofthenextpaper,‘Tech- The final paper in this issue again focuses on the
niques to understand the changing needs of library theme of change. In ‘Measuring the public library’s
users’,bySusanGibbons.Thepaperdemonstratesaset societal value: a methodological research program’,
oftechniquesdevelopedattheUniversityofRochester FrankHuysmansandMarjoleinOomesnotethatpub-
(USA)aimedatagreaterunderstandingoftheacademic lic libraries in the Netherlands face growing scepti-
work practices of a university or college community cism about their value to communities and society
can reveal unintentional misalignments between a at large. There is thus a growing need for public
library’sservicesanduserneeds,aswellasoverlooked libraries to show their worth – not only in an eco-
opportunitiesforalibrarytoprovidenewservices.This nomic, but also in a more sociological sense. This
hasbeenachievedthroughtheadoptionandadaptation paperdescribesaresearchprojectundertakenbythe
of methods from anthropological and ethnography, Netherlands Institute of Public Libraries to develop
whicharethenappliedtothestudyofsegmentsofauni- a measurement instrument geared at validly and
versitycommunity.Whilethefindingsofthesestudies reliably demonstrating the societal value of public
areuniquetotheacademiccommunityoftheUniversity libraries. The findings help to identify and five
ofRochester, themethodsofstudy canand have been domains of possible impact: cognitive, social, cul-
applied successfully to the study of library users on tural, affective and economic, which will guide the
othercampuses. developmentofameasuringinstrument.
I FLA
Article
InternationalFederationof
LibraryAssociationsandInstitutions
Singapore libraries: From bricks
39(2)103–120
ªTheAuthor(s)2013
and mortar to information Reprintsandpermission:
sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
anytime anywhere DOI:10.1177/0340035213488710
ifla.sagepub.com
Edited by
Julie S Sabaratnam
SingaporeUniversityofTechnologyandDesign
Esther Ong
TemasekPolytechnicLibrary
Abstract
This article presents a comprehensive look into the evolving landscape of libraries in Singapore. Some 190
years ago, two institutions – the National Library of Singapore and the National University of Singapore
Library – were instrumental in laying the foundation for libraries in this Southeast Asian island state. Since
then, Singapore has seen a proliferation of libraries that include public, academic and special libraries.
Supported by government policies and strategies, libraries have remained important in the lives of
Singaporeans. In order to adapt to technological developments as well as changes in user demands and
behaviours, the nation’s libraries have had to come up with new ways to manage their collections as well as
serve the needs of their users. This paper examines the history of libraries in Singapore before throwing the
spotlight on library innovations, paying particular attention to digital products and services that include library
management systems, e-resources, digital devices as well as the utilization of social media to engage users.
Keywords
libraries, Singapore
Introduction help our people stay abreast and attain a competitive
advantage. The libraries thus provided access to read-
Thelittlereddot,Singapore,isanislandcitystatewith
ing and research materials and embarked on training
nonaturalresources.Oursurvivaldependsonourpeo-
each of their target communities to become informa-
ple,our only precious and criticalresource. Thus, itis
tion literate. Collectively, the libraries journeyed to
important for our people to stay relevant, competent
reach users of all walks of life from cradle to grave.
and highly skilled. To minimize social disparity and
Theauthorsandcontributorswillillustratetheevolu-
tonurtureatalentpoolthatwillcontributetoeconomic
tionoflibrariesinSingaporeastheyperseveredthrough
viability, our government has placed emphasis on
theyearsfromprovidingbreadandbuttercoreservices
investing in education, training and lifelong learning
and ‘business as usual’ to leapfroggingto playa more
to create a highly skilled workforce for work in a
responsive, value-added proactive role supporting the
knowledgeintensiveindustry.Inaddition,thecitystate
societal,academic,researchandbusinessneedsofour
also places emphasis on research and development.
communities in today’s digital era. The advent of
The Singapore government announced an investment
ofSG$16.1billionor3.5percentoverthenext5years
startingfrom20111.Thegovernmenthasalsoinvested
Correspondingauthor:
heavily in lifelong learning and skills upgrading.
Julie S Sabaratnam, Singapore University of Technology and
ItisagainstthisbackdropthatthelibrariesinSinga-
Design,20DoverDriveSingapore138682.Tel:þ65-63036691.
pore were developed to support the national goals to Email:[email protected]
104 IFLA Journal 39(2)
technology has also given libraries the opportunity to academic institution, by default an academic library
offer a myriadofpossibilities tosupport learning, dis- will be set up to serve the institution’s needs.
coveryandresearchinthisknowledgeintensivesociety. However, in the 1990s, as we entered the Internet
era, Brigadier-General George Yeo, then Minister of
First seeds that spurred growth InformationandtheArts,queriedthelegacypractices
and guidelines for public library development. He
Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819. We
challenged the norms and commissioned the land-
gained independence in 1965. An analysis of the his-
mark Library 2000 study to review library develop-
toryoflibrariesinSingaporerevealedtwinpillarsthat
ments in Singapore in the light of technological
sproutedfromthefirstseedsplantedmorethanacen-
developments and birth of the World Wide Web in
tury ago.
1992. The Library2000 Review Committee involved
The seed was planted in 1823 when Raffles, our
top executives from the public and private sectors as
foundingfather,mootedtheideaofsettingupalibrary
well as academia, communities and librarians.
to support Singapore’s first educational institution,
The 2-year study resulted in major recommenda-
whichwasnamedtheSingaporeInstitution.However,
tions that set the pace for library transformation in
in 1844, a decision was made to expand the library at
Singapore. Its report, Library 2000: Investing in a
the Singapore Institution and it was transformed into
Learning Nation2 was accepted by the government.
asubscription-basedlibraryserviceformembers.This
One of the first recommendations adopted was the
library evolved intotheSingapore Libraryandits role
establishment of a new statutory board, the National
expandedtoinclude eventhatofacting asthe Curator
LibraryBoard(NLB),in1995tospearheadthetrans-
totheMuseumCommittee.Severalchangestookplace
formation of libraries in Singapore and turn the
and progressed into the modern National Library in
Library 2000 vision to reality. This had a catalytic
1957.Itwasalonganduphilljourneyduetopriorities
impact in transforming the public library landscape.
in nation building and limited resources.
The second seed was laid in 1905 when the Straits
A new organizational structure
and Federated Malay States Government Medical
School set up a small library. This first single library When established in 1995, the NLB was chartered to
inamedicalschoolmarkedthebeginningoftheevolu- implement the key strategies proposed by the Library
tionofacademic librariesin Singapore.Ithasevolved 2000 committee. These included: an adaptive public
overtheyearsintoSingapore’slargestuniversitylibrary library system comprising the national and public
systemcomprisingsevenlibrariesattheNationalUni- libraries working in cohort with the academic and
versityofSingapore. special libraries, a national collection strategy and
Hence, the twin pillars: the National Library of knowledge arbitrage. The NLB would also establish
Singapore (NLS) with a 190 year history played an symbiotic linkages with business and community
important role in developing a public library system groupsandofferqualityservicesthroughmarketorien-
to serve the masses, while the National University of tation. To bring libraries forward and to be plugged
Singapore Library (NUSL) with a 108 year history into the social and economic fabric, it was envisioned
strived as the main academic library for many years that exploiting technology and development of a pool
until new academic institutions were set up. The twin of information professionals were critical as enablers.
pillars played an important role in the early develop- The NLB today manages the National Library and
mentoflibrariesandlibrarianshipinSingapore.These thepubliclibrariesandalsooperatesmostofthespe-
two stalwarts were joined by each major academic, cial libraries in various government agencies. The
specialandpubliclibrarythatsproutedthroughoutthe NLB engages the communities in designing various
years. Through their passion, perseverance and com- public libraries. Instead of standalone libraries,
mitment, the pioneer librarians contributed to the libraries are located in shopping malls and housing
developmentofourlibraries,thelibraryprofessionand estates, among others.
the Library Association, and introduced change. The academic libraries report to their parent insti-
tutions and come under the purview of the Ministry
A major turning point of Education, while the special libraries are managed
by the organizations they belong to.
Intheearlyyears,thepubliclibrarysysteminSingapore
was managed by the then National Library (NL).
The changing landscape
The NL would initiate setting up a public library
when a constituency reached a population of Typically, the library’s role is to acquire, organize,
250,000. When the government establishes a new preserve and provide access to information. To add
Sabaratnam and Ong: Singapore libraries: From bricks and mortar to information anytime anywhere 105
Figure 1.Mapof libraries inSingaporeandtheir locations todate.
value, libraries began to play the role of coach/men- Toalargeextent,wecanenvisiontwomajorpillars
tor/guide/facilitator where they helped nurture read- that influence growth and change: the public library
ing, inculcate search skills, and assist in research system being transformed and repositioned to serve
and so on. These are functions that any library can the demands of a more affluent population, and the
perform and the scope and content varies depending growth in the number of academic libraries as new
onthetypeoflibraryandwhoitsstakeholdersandcli- institutions of education are being set up. The third
entele are. pillar, comprising special libraries, is seen to be
The National Library, as the custodian of the undergoing consolidation due to rising costs, the
nation’s literary heritage, has from time immemorial financialandeconomicchallengesoftheglobalecon-
collected, organized and provided access to this omy as well as the ready access to free information.
unique and precious heritage. The National Archives Many organizations have scaled down on corporate
ofSingapore(NAS),meanwhile,istheofficialcusto- library services and adopted alternative approaches
dian of the corporate memory of the government – it such as outsourcing, relying on their main office or
manages public records and provides advice to gov- buying services on an ondemand basis.
ernmentagenciesonrecordsmanagement.InNovem- The library landscape remains vibrant as libraries
ber 2012, the NLB Act was amended to facilitate the are constantly adapting and innovating to cater to the
transferoftheNASfromtheNationalHeritageBoard needsoftheGenYusers.Emphasisisplacedonrede-
to the NLB3. fining the roles and positioning librarians as an inte-
Likewise, academic libraries have taken on the gral part of the organization, where many play
additional critical role in preserving the academic expanded roles.
institution’s heritage and scholarly output while
acquiring, organizing and making accessible a rich
Prototype Library of the Future
knowledge base.
The grouping of libraries by type, size and roles is TodemonstratetheinfinitepossibilitiesoftheLibrary
no longer practical in this digital era. The greying of of the Future, the Library 2000 Review Committee
boundaries reinforces the need for greater collabora- soughtadditionalresourcesfromthegovernmenttoset
tion amongst libraries on all fronts. up a prototype library. The community played an
106 IFLA Journal 39(2)
Figure 2.TheCourtyard attheNational Library atStamford Road.Thelibraryeventually closed in2004.
active role in the design and development of the first introduced changes by refreshing their spaces and
regionallibraryatTampines,thatwasofficiallyopened exploiting technology to offer enhanced services and
in1994,evenbeforethefinalrecommendationsofthe access.Lifestylespaceswerebeingcreatedtocaterto
Committeewerepresentedto the government. Named the Gen Y users. Typically, these lifestyle spaces are
the Tampines Regional Library (TRL)4, new facilities designedascreativecornerswithgames,lifestylecol-
such as automated check-ins and check-out kiosks, lectionsandcafes.Cafe´satthelibraryhavebecomea
video-on demandterminals,satellite television,access norm, but it was Dr Tan Chin Nam, Chairman of the
to electronicdatabases,anda commercially-run book- Library2000ReviewCommitteeandfoundingChair-
shop and an IT gallery were introduced. The commu- man of NLB, who first mooted the idea in 1994 of a
nitywasamazedbythenewlookandsuiteofservices. cafe´ at the prototype Tampines Regional Library
Following the success of the TRL, the National (TRL).
Library at Stamford Road was given a much needed
facelift5. The renovation transformed the almost 30
year-old library into a modern and spacious National Library 2010 Report (2005 to 2010)
ReferenceLibraryandaCentralCommunityLibrary.
TheLibrary2010(L2010)ReportmappedoutNLB’s
NewexpandedservicesandfacilitiessuchasaMulti-
strategic framework to help Singaporeans meet new
mediaCentreandStudentReferenceCentreprovided
information and knowledge demands arising from
students with the opportunity to use computers and
aneconomythatwasbecomingmoretechnologically
multimedia resources. NLB also launched Reference
and knowledge driven. In fact, during the 10-year
Point,acallservicetohandlepublicenquiries,andset
period from 1994 to 2004, the share of professional,
up a Business Information Service. Several thematic
managerial and technical jobs created in the labour
collections in the area of Arts, Business, Singapore
market had increased from 32 percent to 43 percent,
and Multicultural works were enhanced.
while the share of job holders with at least a post-
secondary qualification had grown from 15 percent
Post Library 2000 developments
to 31 percent (National Library Board 2005b). This
Justastheretailandhospitalitysectoralignstomeetthe indicated that the Singapore workforce was not only
changingneedsanddemandsofitsclienteleandensure becoming better qualified, but also employed in
itretainsmarketshare,librariesinSingaporehavealso higher skilled jobs. To help libraries stay relevant in
undergone a facelift and adopted consumer-centric this changing economic landscape, L2010 was to
approaches in redesigning the spaces, services, and guide NLB to build a round-the-clock library system
programmes. thatprovidedseamlessaccesstoitsphysicalanddigi-
Followingthevisionofthefuturelibraryasshared tal content so that the knowledge embedded could be
through the TRL, the major academic libraries also disseminated easilytolibrary users(NationalLibrary
Sabaratnam and Ong: Singapore libraries: From bricks and mortar to information anytime anywhere 107
Board 2005b). The three guiding principles of the While implementing the digital infrastructure as
L2010 Report were: envisioned by L2010, NLB continued to widen its
physical reach by opening more community libraries,
1. CreateandchangeexistinglibrariesintoLibraries which by then were renamed Public Libraries. The
forLifesothatNLB’snetworkoflibrariescanpro- Public Libraries continued to organize a myriad of
vide Singaporeans with multiple avenues to information literacy programmes, and reading cam-
develop their personal knowledge and learning paignsandactivitiestoreachouttodifferentsegments
skills. of the community (National Library Board 2008).
2. Refine and deepen existing library services so Someoftheprogrammesincluded‘READ!Singapore’
thatNLB’snetworkoflibrariescanreachoutfur- for those 15 years old and above, ‘10,000 Fathers
ther to the whole community. Reading!’ for father figures and their children, the
3. Support the growth of Singapore’s knowledge- national ‘kidsREAD’ programme for children from
based economy by positioning NLB as a lower-income families, ‘Read and Reap’ for primary-
coordinator to collect, preserve and disseminate to college-level students, and the ‘Share-A-Story’
Singapore’sknowledgeasset,aswellasacreator Storytelling Club for seniors, adults and teenagers.
of content and services to support learning. NLB also incorporated new technology and har-
nessed the connectivity power of social media to
One of the first and most definitive initiatives enhance the services of public libraries and improve
launchedunderL2010wasNLB’sDigitalLibrary.Set their engagement with the public. For instance, in
up in 2005, the digital library offered users extensive 2009, NLB introduced the Library in Your Pocket
online access to information and resources, including mobileapplicationtoprovideuserseasyandconvenient
digitized materials and subject databases, e-books and accesstopopularlibraryservicesontheirmobilephones
e-magazines.Thecontentwasgearedtowardsaligning (NationalLibraryBoard2010).Thiswasinadditionto
NLB to become a leading institution in information themyLibraryapplicationonFacebook.TheFacebook
provision and knowledge development (National applicationenablesuserstoaccessandsharelibraryser-
Library Board 2006). The digital library provided one vices and resources through their Facebook page.
seamless interface with access to a wide selection of Besides online initiatives, NLB also introduced a new
libraryservices,databaseservicesandgeneralinforma- search facility other than the existing OPAC system.
tion onNLB. Library members could access over 100 Known as NLB SearchPlus, it allows users to explore
onlinedatabaseswithawidevarietyofsubjectcontent. both NLB’s physical and digital resources as well as
In addition, they could also perform online library topersonalizeandsavetheirsearchresults.
transactions such as applying for renewal of member- TheNationalLibraryshiftedfromStamfordRoadto
ship,paymentoffinesandfees,signingupforduedate anewlocationatVictoriaStreet.Atthetimeofitsopen-
reminderservice,anditemrenewal.Allinall,thedigi- ingin2006,thenewNationalLibraryhadastart-upcol-
tallibrarywastobeanencompassingeffortbyNLBto lectionsizeofover634,000itemsacrossafloorareaof
offer an efficient and convenient service to its users more than 58,000 square metres, which is five times
aroundtheclock,whilstexpandingitsreachtonewand larger than its previous facility. It comprises the Lee
untapped communities. KongChianReferenceLibrary,andtheCentralPublic
To broaden NLB’s digital reach and to deepen the Library. Taking advantage of its new central location,
content of the digital library, NLB created a number the National Library began holding a series of large-
of information portals. These included Infopedia in scale exhibitions to highlight the National Library’s
2008, NewspaperSG in 2009 and MusicSG in 2010. collections.
These portals were significant additions to NLB’s In2010,NLBembarkedonitsnextphaseofstrate-
digital content. For instance, Infopedia is an online gicplanningforthefutureofitslibraries.NLB’s2020
encyclopediathatallowsuserstosearchforauthorita- ‘Libraries for Life’ vision is to foster ‘Readers for
tive articles on Singapore. As these articles cover a Life, Learning Communities, and a Knowledgeable
wide range of topics such as historical events, arts, Nation’.ThenewstrategicplanacknowledgesNLB’s
culture, economy, government and key personalities, enduring role of providing not only information
it is a useful reference portal for students and resourcesbutalsoequippingthenation’scitizenswith
researchers.AsforNewspaperSG,itisanonlineplat- skillstoharnessinformation,andencouragingknowl-
form that allows users to search, browse and retrieve edge sharing. It has four strategic objectives:
full text news content from digitized issues of Singa-
porenewspapersdatingfrom1845suchasTheStraits 1. Reading, Learning and Information Literacy:
Times and The Singapore Free Press. to entrench the reading habit and strengthen
108 IFLA Journal 39(2)
Figure 3,4 and5.Singapore Polytechnic’sLibrary designed its spacesaccording todifferent zones tosuit thevarious
needsofitsusers.Theseincludezonessuchasthemultimediaanddiscussionzones.Studentsarealsoabletoenjoynature
intheindoor Garden inthelibrary.
the information literacy skills of Singapore’s aviewandagardeninthelibraryconcept.SPLibrary
citizens. hassincealsorenovateditsspacesandadoptedazon-
2. Next-Generation Libraries:to strengthen therole ing approach – Quiet Zones for quiet study, Project
of libraries as well-loved community spaces, Rooms and Discussion Zones, PC Zone on an entire
where there is equal access to knowledge for all, floor, a Media Viewing Zone and Colours Zone that
knowledgesharing,andcommunityengagement. introduced materials for personal development and
3. Excellence in Singapore and Regional Content: lifestyle based education as part of the Polytechnic’s
wheretheNationalLibrarywillensureanauthor- new General Elective Module (GEMs) curriculum.
itative collection of Singapore content, and OtherssuchastheNanyangTechnologicalUniver-
engage Singaporeans in discovering, using, and sity (NTU Library) and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP
appreciating their Singapore published heritage. Library) have also introduced learning hubs where
4. DigitalLibrary:tomakeadiverserangeofdigital students have access to interactive whiteboards,
content and services easily accessible on users’ screens and multimedia facilities to enhance discus-
preferred devices and spaces. sion and learning.
New libraries, new approaches
Transformation at academic libraries
Whilst the established libraries had the challenge of
The Lien Ying Chow Library at Ngee Ann Polytech- convincing stakeholders of the need to refresh and
nic (NP Library) was the first academic library to repositiontheirservices,thenewerlibrarieswereable
introducealifestylelibraryin2000.Thehipandcool to jumpstart and offer new technologically-grounded
design and de´cor were aimed at attracting the Gen Y services. For instance, Singapore’s fourth University,
users. It integrates an Internet Cafe´ with iPad Ser- the Singapore University of Technology and Design
vices;InteractiveCubewithmultitouchgamingexpe- (SUTD), adopted an innovative approach by involv-
rience; Board Games Room to develop creativity, ingpioneerstudentstocreatealearninganddiscovery
sharpen minds and improve vocabulary skills; Music space, one that is ‘designed to inspire’ and users will
Area; Video Zone; Cablevision programmes and walk away inspired to design.
Smart TV and 3D TV experience. The Lifestyle TheSUTDLibraryadoptednewtechnologiessuch
Library was designed to spur and inculcate reading as surface computing, writable tables and interactive
and to inspire students to explore, discover, read and tools to promote collaborative research and learning
enjoy. Other libraries followed suit. where groups can share the same surface to discuss,
Temasek Polytechnic (TP Library) had, in 2003, search, save and go. It paid attention to creatively
transformed the library’s image from an academic enticetheuserstoDISCOVER,LEARN,SHAREand
resource provider to an enabler of lifelong learning. CONNECT in the physical and virtual space.
One of its floors was renovated with a lifestyle con- Hence,SUTDLibrary’skeyspaceswereorganized
cepttomeetusers’expectationforacosy,welcoming as The RANGE, offering access to a wide range of
social space. A podium with raised flooring provided resources that provides a sensory experience of read-
theidealplatformtosupportlocalartsgroupssuchas ing, viewing, touch and feel. The unique touch and
a cappella and beat boxing. feel experience is made possible by a materials hub
The Singapore Polytechnic (SP Library) intro- whereusersgettosee,touchandfeelwhatsustainable
duced a creative close-to-nature Hilltop Library with materials are instead of imagining. The CANVAS