Singapore Government Press Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts

36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963.

Tel: 3757794/5

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My fellow parliamentary colleagues,

Dr Christopher Chia, Chief Executive, National Library Board,

Ladies & Gentlemen

I am happy to be here this morning to officiate the opening of the Community Children’s Library here in Changkat. This is indeed a very happy occasion and marks the culmination of two years’ planning and effort by the Management Committee of the PAP Community Foundation, Changkat Branch, to bring this particular service to our residents. My deep appreciation goes to their hard work and dedication, and also to the National Library Board as well as the Northeast Community Development Council (CDC) for their great support of this project.

Education holds the key to the future of our nation. We have a good educational system which is continuously evolving to meet the challenges of the times. The academic achievements of our students have been much acclaimed by the international community. For us to charge into the 21^st century, we must prepare our young for working in a knowledge-based economy in an IT environment. Our children must form the habit of self-directed and life-long learning from a young age. As a first step, they must form the habit of reading and have a love for reading. Thus, it is crucial that we provide as many libraries as possible in the community to facilitate their reading and learning.

The idea of setting up Community Children’s Libraries was mooted by our Prime Minister in March 1993. The National Library Board has been driving this project since. The National Library Board provides the start-up resources, including books, computers and CD ROMs, and professional expertise. To date, there are 33 such libraries in different parts of Singapore. The project has been a tremendous success.

The Community Children’s Library in Changkat is the 34^th of such libraries. This marks the completion of the first one-third of the targeted 100 CCLs by the year 2003. We are very grateful that we are given this privilege to be among the first third of the CCLs. Changkat has roughly 11,000 dwelling units, with more than 40,000 residents. It has 7 RC zones. The children of these families will benefit tremendously from having access to the Library right in their midst. I encourage all parents to enrol their young children as members of the Library and more importantly, bring them here to read, to use the facilities and borrow books to read at home. You will be giving your children a very good start in their learning journeys by nurturing their love for reading. Reading opens up treasures of knowledge. It is for this reason that we have chosen the theme of "Hidden Treasure" for the Changkat CCL. The Library will also organise many interesting activities to stimulate the children’s intellectual curiosity, such as story-telling sessions, puppet shows, arts and crafts, field trips, holiday programmes and other activities.

While the National Library Board is fully behind us, providing professional guidance and adding books and CD ROMs to our collection, the successful continuation of the Library depends on community support. We need volunteers for the daily operation and management of the Library. We also need volunteers who can contribute their talents in the various activities. We will also need to raise funds for our monthly operational expenses and extra resources. Thus, I appeal to you all to contribute in whatever ways you can to make this community children’s library your very own community project. It is through your personal involvement and contribution that you will have a sense of pride and ownership in the project.

I am very grateful that the Northeast CDC, under the chairmanship of Mr Charles Chong, MP for Pasir Ris, has decided to assist the Changkat PCF to ensure that our library will be a success. The NE CDC is the first CDC that has entered into a partnership with a community children’s library. The NE CDC will provide some funding for the Changkat library’s ad hoc activities and such facilities as additional computers and IT equipment. It will also help us to find volunteers through matching our needs with its pool of Neighourhood Volunteers, including student volunteers. As you know, all secondary students are now encouraged to do community service. It will be very good if some of them from our neighbourhood schools can volunteer their service at the Community Children’s Library. The CDC will also help us publicise the Library’s facilities and activities among the primary school students in the constituency, so that more of them will come and use the Library.

With the support of the National Library Board and the NE CDC, I am confident that our Library will become one of the standing, and even outstanding features of community services in Changkat. The other features include, of course, our Community Centre, the PCF kindergartens and childcare centres, the PCF student care centre, and also the services offered by other VWOs such as the upcoming Day Care Centre for the Elderly run by the Mehta Welfare Association.

Last but not least, I like to thank the members of the RCs, particularly those in Zone 1 & 2, for their active involvement in commissioning this Library. RC Zone 1 & 2 are new additions to the Changkat family since the last GE. This Library, together with a new PCF education centre and childcare centre which will be set up within a year or so in these two zones, will fulfil an urgent need of the young families residing in these two zones. I look forward to your continued support.

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