In 1992, as PPS to PM, I joined a diverse group of individuals to form a Library 2000 Review Committee. The appointments were made by then MITA Minister George Yeo. The Review Committee was led by Dr Tan Chin Nam, with Mr Ko Kheng Hwa as his Deputy. They were then Chairman and CE of NCB respectively.

At that time, the public library scene was worrisome. All key indicators were either trending down or stagnating, whether it was library membership or the number of book loans. Staff morale was also low. MITA made a strategic decision to do a comprehensive review and to re-chart its direction. We knew then that the status quo would only lead to eventual decline.

Dr Tan Chin Nam's able chairmanship led to a Library 2000 Report in 1994. It contained a number of significant recommendations. The strategic intent was to re-invent the public library system. In today’s jargon, we would have used the word, to re-make. But whether it was to re-invent or to re-make, the aim was so that it could help expand our collective capacity to learn. It is to support Singapore's role as a knowledge hub. Through the public library system, we hope to strengthen our ability to access knowledge across a wide spectrum and in different languages.

When we wrote the Report, we had some hazy idea about the future for the public library system. We could not be sure what exactly the future would be like, except that it could not be like the past. But we tried to discern its rough shape and formulate the key strategies by focussing on the basics.

Personally, I would be satisfied if the recommendations half achieved what we set out to do. As it turned out, the outcome far exceeded our expectation.

MITA promptly set up the National Library Board in 1995 and in that last 7 years, our public library system has been completely re-made.

Last year, the transformation even caught the attention of the Harvard Business School. They wrote a Harvard Business School case study on it. The case study began with a quotation from Dr Christopher Chia, CE of NLB:

The Harvard Team noted that our libraries had become popular destinations. They have become lifestyle products. As Tan Chin Nam put it:

When my wife brings around our visiting relatives and friends from overseas, she would include the Woodlands Regional Library in her itinerary. And the visitors would inevitably come out impressed. That our public library could become a tourist destination was something not quite in our terms of reference in 1992!

This evening, we open the Library @ Eslanade, the region’s first performing arts library. It is the latest innovation in our public library system. We set out to achieve three purposes with this branch.

First, by partnering with the Esplanade, we hope to synergise arts and knowledge, to mutual benefits. Art goers to the Esplanade can come here before and/or after a performance. The library’s 55,000 strong collection, in particular its Arts Central and Special collections, can provide both a quick primer to performances and in-depth follow-up reference. The result, we hope, is a richer cultural experience when one is better informed about a performance through reading, research or mere interaction at the library.

Second, as the performing arts library, it is well positioned to help promote and nurture the performing arts for all. This will be an important contribution to our efforts to make Singapore a global arts city.

Third, we hope to leverage on the library’s popularity to help draw the masses to the arts. Our public libraries have become popular hangouts for all people, from all walks of life, from all ages. It is "cool" for both young and old.

Overall, we expect this library to be an asset to the Esplanade.

Last week, the ERC Sub-Committee on the Service Industries that I chair, held its final meeting. We have completed our deliberations. We are now ready to share our findings and recommendations with all Singaporeans.

As the service industries span a wide spectrum of activities, ranging from arts to zoo, we have earlier set up 8 Working Groups to study the details of each sector. We have decided to release the 8 Working Group reports and discuss them over several sessions. To kick off the public consultation, we have scheduled, over the next 10 days, 4 press conferences to share our findings with the public.

Here, I see a little similarity with the Library 2000 Review Committee. Let me explain.

The Library 2000 Review was prompted by a realisation that library membership and visitorship had been stagnating or trending down. Likewise, after a decade of spectacular growth, our service industries have been weakened by the Asian financial crisis. As a result, our service industries have been under performing in recent years.

In 1986, Singapore was the world’s 18^th largest exporter of services. In the subsequent 10 years, we made very good progress. Our global ranking improved and we moved up to world’s No 12 by 1996. However, since the Asian crisis, we had fallen to No 15.

Between 1996 and 2001, our global market share in services has dropped from 2.4% to 1.8%. Meanwhile, our Asian competitors have pushed ahead.

The lesson from the Library 2000 Review is that the Library 2000 Report alone could not deliver the results. It was strong leadership at NLB Board and sound execution by the NLB Management and Staff that succeeded in re-inventing our public library system.

Likewise, the ERC Sub Com Report will merely be the beginning of the work ahead. To make our services engine world-class would require strong leadership and sound execution.

But unlike the Library 2000 initiative which largely involved only one Ministry and one statutory board, the remaking of the service industries would require efforts from many people, cutting across all the 3 P sectors of public, private and people.

It will therefore be considerably more challenging. However, with a compelling vision and excellent teamwork, we can again surpass expectation.

With this note, I am pleased to declare the Library @ Esplanade open.