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Quiet, serious and everybody's best friend

Scenes from a library: The National Library of Singapore is shaking up ideas of what it means to be a library

Dian Kuswandini (The Jakarta Post)
Singapore
Mon, November 2, 2009

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Quiet, serious and everybody's best friend

S

span class="inline inline-center">Scenes from a library: The National Library of Singapore is shaking up ideas of what it means to be a library. In addition to offering patrons access to several comprehensive book collections, it also holds exhibitions, screenings, workshops and performances. Included in the 16-story building are spaces for studying and even gardens for reflection.JP/Dian Kuswandini

Bright and cheerful. Crowded but pleasant. It's a place to catch up with friends, watch an artistic performance, or simply rest your weary soul in a peaceful garden.

Are we talking about a mall?

Nope. It's a library. Or more specifically, the National Library of Singapore.

Glimpsing the library building, you might mistake it for a shopping center as you watch large numbers of people - young and old - head there for activities beyond just reading and borrowing books. Such enthusiasm seems rare these days, when libraries have lost their charm for many people.

Today, as malls sprout up everywhere attracting people like magnets, libraries seem to have a long to-do list to get through if they are to win the public's heart. And Singapore's libraries are no exception.

"We have to expand our activities to attract visitors," says Elizabeth Lam, senior librarian at the National Library of Singapore.

As Lam points out, efforts have been made to expand the library's functions, transforming it from being just a storehouse for books and a quiet place to read into a community center that attracts people from all walks of life.

And with a four-story drama center, 14 gardens, spacious exhibition areas and several spaces rented out to private institutions, the National Library building has evolved into a public arena that connects the "disconnected" in society.

"Here we hold various interesting events like exhibitions, screenings, workshops, performances ..." Lam says of the sophisticated 16-story building. "And as you can see, we also rent our spaces to a university and some institutions."

This way, Lam adds, people have plenty of reasons to come to the place - to hunt for books, take in art performances, spend a contemplative moment in the gardens, or even work or take a class.

It might seem contradictory that people come to a library and ignore the books. But a wonderful story shared by best-selling novelist Michael Connelly gives us a new insight into how a new reader can be born at anytime. As the story goes, the young Connelly loved to visit a library near the park where he and his friends played. However, they went there only for the air conditioning when it was hot outside and they got sweaty. One day, a librarian told him that he'd have to read a book if he wanted to stay, and she handed him one. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, captured the heart of the young Connelly, and so it happened - a new reader was born.

As the story suggests, it's not what you come for that matters, but what you leave with.

In realizing this, the National Library Board has embraced a range of activities that can bring the city's libraries closer to the community. In the case of the National Library, for example, it is putting art and cultural activities center stage to create a sense of excitement among visitors. Housing the 615-seat Drama Center, the setting for various performing arts activities, the library is carving out for itself a position as a haven for arts enthusiasts.

One of the library's visitors, Leong Wen Shan, admits that such artistic attractions are among the things that attract her to the library.

"Sometimes I go there to catch friends performing or to watch special screenings," says the 31-year-old, who works while studying part-time.

The Drama Center occupies four floors of the building - from levels 3 to 6. From levels 7 to 11, and level 13, you can find the heart of this building: the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library - otherwise known simply as "the National Library". Here, you can find a collection of some nine million books and other materials, including digital and non-digital audiovisual items, as well as microfilm and Braille collections. Serving as a heritage "depository", the library also exhibits the country's treasures of rare materials, the oldest of which dates back to 1577.

"We want this library to become a place where people come with their families and learn about our culture and heritage," Lam explains, adding, "We want to attract people with more than just books."

It certainly succeeds in that. If you're among those simply looking for a place to relax, for example, just head to the building's levels 5 and 10, sites of two heavenly gardens. These gardens are just two of the 12 reserved for special events and programs.

Combining indoor and outdoor elements, the garden on level 5 - known as The Courtyard - is a pleasant space used to hold activities. The one on level 10, called The Retreat, serves as a personal contemplative space, where you can calm your senses thanks to the sounds of new age music, a foot reflexology path and a spice and herb garden.

So just imagine how visiting a library can help melt your stress away. In fact, these gardens and other green spaces form 35 percent of the National Library building's total area, which helps lower the temperature.

In addition to the main features of the gardens, drama center and Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, the building also houses the Central Public Library in the basement. At this point some confusion could arise regarding the difference between the Central Public Library and the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

As its name suggests, the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library is for reference and research only, making it a non-lending library. Its collection is of national interest with a focus on heritage and culture. The Central Public Library, on the other hand, is a lending library, with its collection focusing on educational books and materials. Singapore also has another 20 public libraries that serve the community's recreational, lifestyle, information and educational needs.

Lam notes that there is yet another public library at the Esplanade Theater. Dedicated to the performing arts, the specialized library at Esplanade collects books and materials related to music, dance, theater and film.

This distribution, Lam says, "makes it easier for people to find certain collections of books".

The National Library Board has also made it easier for people to return their borrowed books and materials. The National Library building, for example, has a 24-hour book drop-box, where people can return their borrowed materials at anytime they want, without having to hurry to catch the library's operating hours. The library also operates several self-help e-Kiosks, where people can conveniently apply for library membership and check on the status of their book loans.

But are all these promises of convenience and pleasure enough to ensure the National Library's survival among Singapore's 4.9 million people? Well, given it had nearly 2 million visitors in 2008 alone, perhaps we can get a clue. And with all of Singapore's libraries getting a total of some 38 million visitors last year, we might also get an idea of how a library can actually become a shared space brimming with creative energy.

Hopefully, Indonesia's 2,500 public libraries will also find a way to share this same positive energy.

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