8
RecordsList of Interviews
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Anuar, Hedwig (Mrs) @ Hedwig Elizabeth
- Broadcast Date: 16/10/1998
- Accession No: 002036
- Reel No: 27
A librarian for over three decades and pioneer of the National Library, Mrs Anuar was Director of the National Library from 1960 - 1961 and 1965 - 1988, and concurrently director of the National Archives and Records Centre from 1969-1978.
Mrs Anuar shares how Mobile Library stops were selected - they were not just confined to English speaking areas. There were three vans at first, how they were staffed and the limitations of the bookmobile - space, range of books. The service tapered off with more branch libraries being built. Mobile Libraries were run by the Library Extension Section.
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Anuar, Hedwig (Mrs) @ Hedwig Elizabeth
- Broadcast Date: 20/10/1998
- Accession No: 002036
- Reel No: 28
A librarian for over three decades and pioneer of the National Library, Mrs Anuar was Director of the National Library from 1960 - 1961 and 1965 - 1988, and concurrently director of the National Archives and Records Centre from 1969-1978.
Details of how the Mobile Library operated are discussed, and its expansion into Community Centres when it got too crowded. A trial run of the bookmobile in 1964 to Tanjong Pagar and West Coast. The crew on the mobile library, hours of the mobile library. "The van had to travel quite a distance for an hour or more.. in those days the roads seemed much futher, there were no expressways...in ulu Singapore"
The Kiwi influence - after exchange stints observing the success of the mobile library service, NL staff returned with ideas of applying these BEST practices locally. Making the bookmobile local - having to translate "mobile library" into four languages to paint on the side of the vehicle.
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Ng Cheng Onn
- Broadcast Date: 13/4/2000
- Accession No: 002274
- Reel No: 4
Mr Ng worked in National Library from 1960-91. He served as Assistant Director in the areas of Administration, Loan Services, Loan and Reference Services and Technical Services.
Mr Ng discusses the objectives of the Mobile Library service. It was essentially an interim service designed to bring library services to people living in outlying areas. It was thought to be an uneconomical use of manpower compared with larger countries, where mobile libraries made sense because they serve a wider area. The National Library then embarked on the concept of decentralisation through the establishment of regional libraries and Mobile libraries were gradually phased out. The target users of the mobile library service were children and books were selected for the service with them in mind. Books for adults were deduced from borrowing habits observed over time.
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Chan Thye Seng
- Broadcast Date: 10/5/2000
- Accession No: 002265
- Reel No: 8
Mr Chan, a Colombo Plan scholar, headed the Home Reading Division of the National Library from 1971-75. He then moved on to head the Planning, Training, Research & Development Division from 1976-79. Subsequently he took charge of the Marine Parade and Toa Payoh Branch Libraries for four years and ten years respectively.
Mr Chan speaks about his involvement in the national library's move to Stamford Road, the library board members and the impact of Mr Loke Wan Tho. The Library Association of Singapore (LAS) fought to be represented on the National Library Board.
Mr Chan was appointed head of the library extension section. He recalls there that a library van was gifted by UNESCO in the late 1950s. In the early 1960s, the van was sent to rural and suburban schools to serve the students. In 1962, it was discontinued due to lack of staff. However, before Mrs Priscilla Taylor left her post as Director of Library, she started a mobile library for children in the Tanjong Pagar area.
Staff took turns going out to community centres to conduct a survey on whether they had the space to host a mobile library. The hours of 5-7pm enabled morning and afternoon students, as well as adults to benefit from the mobile library.
Problems faced included inclement weather, drivers' inability to drive the trailer.
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Chan Thye Seng
- Broadcast Date: 10/5/2000
- Accession No: 002265
- Reel No: 9
Mr Chan, a Colombo Plan scholar, headed the Home Reading Division of the National Library from 1971-75. He then moved on to head the Planning, Training, Research & Development Division from 1976-79. Subsequently he took charge of the Marine Parade and Toa Payoh Branch Libraries for four years and ten years respectively.
He discusses why the mobile library was often preferred over having a branch library. What goes into planning and constructing a library. His experience running a small library alone.
The construction of Queenstown, Toa Payoh and Marine Parade branch libraries.
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Perumbulavil, Vilasini (Mrs)
- Broadcast Date: 19/10/2000
- Accession No: 002437
- Reel No: 11
"Mrs P" as she was known was co-ordinator of Children's Services at the National Library from 1970-80; and Head of the Central Lending Library, 1976-83; and Head (Asian Collection of Children's Books), National Library, 1984-91.
In choosing books for the Mobile Library, the emphasis was on easy reading, simple fiction books to appeal to the different levels of readers. Shelves were never labelled by age, or competency of readers but by theme. Non-English books were also included in the book selection.
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Koh, Douglas Bee Chuan
- Broadcast Date: 31/10/2002
- Accession No: 002368
- Reel No: 5
Mr Koh was Head, Group Services Section, National Library, from 1970-73; He held a variety of roles in the Ministry of Culture between 1973-78, and was Director of Programmes at the People's Association from 1978-93.
Mr Koh's experience manning the Mobile Library, driving to the less developed areas of Sembawang, Bukit Timah, Chong Pang. Each week saw a different collection of books going out.
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Koh Boon Long
- Broadcast Date: 19/8/2011
- Accession No: 003625
- Reel No: 3
Mr Koh was an educator for four decades, teaching at Swiss Cottage, Raffles Junior College, and serving as Vice-Principal and Principal in various secondary schools including Bedok Town, Christ Church and Outram Institute.
Mr Koh talks about the Mobile Library from the viewpoint of a user. He recalls the paucity of local authors in the 1950s. What a privilege it was to have access to books, which many could not afford via the Mobile Library. Classes had to take turns as it couldn't fit all students at one go. How school libraries in the beginning were dark and dingy, and not properly arranged, more like a storeroom, and not open every day.
