Preview Issue - National Library Singapore

contentsA New Chapterby Director, National Library 3The National Library:A Knowledge Hub 4Cover Image: This photograph was takenat Basement 1 of the new National Library.The red bricks were salvaged from theformer National Library at Stamford Road.Services at the Lee Kong ChianReference Library 6Editorial/ProductionSingapore Pages:National Library Board’sOnline Heritage Collection 7Istoria:Celebrating Singapore’s 40 Years 10Editor Publishing & Research Services,National Library BoardContributors Ambika Raghavan,Chow Wun Han, Jacqueline Fisher,Nor-Afidah A. Rahman, Wan Wee PinProduction Coordinator Veronica CheeDesigner Cicada Design© National Library Board 2005ISSN: 0219-8126The Singaporean Identity:Is it a Futile Chase? 13Zheng He in Singapore? 16Bookworm Bonanza:The 2005 Singapore Writers’ Festival 19Last Page 21Feedback Form 22This news journal promotes collection services andprogrammes of the new National Library. Whilst theNational Library Board, Singapore has used reasonableendeavours to ensure that the information providedin the journal is accurate and up to date as at the timeof issue, it reserves the right to make corrections anddoes not warrant that it is accurate or complete.Every reasonable endeavour has been made to contactrelevant copyright holders for illustrative material inthis journal. Where this has not proved possible, thecopyright holders are invited to contact the publisher.If you have any comments, questions or suggestionsabout this news journal, please direct them to:Publishing & Research ServicesNational Library Board100 Victoria Street, #07-02Singapore 188064Tel: 6332 3255Fax: 6333 7990Email: cis@nlb.gov.sgWebsite: http://www.nlb.gov.sgThe National Library Board wishes to acknowledge the late Dr Lee Kong Chian and the Lee Foundation’s donation of S$60 million towardsthe new National Library.

A New Chapterby Director, National LibraryThe re-opening of the National Library is indeeda momentous event in the history of modernSingapore and the National Library.July 22, 2005 marks the beginning of a new era and a newmilestone in the history of the National Library. We closedthe chapter on the National Library at Stamford Road inApril 2004 and now, just over a year later, we are readyto re-open the National Library at 100 Victoria Street inJuly 2005.For many years, the National Library at Stamford Road hadbeen serving our general public and researcher communityin meeting their needs for reference materials. Many of ourusers have fond memories of the time they spent in thelibrary, whether for the purpose of doing serious research,or meeting a friend or colleague to discuss a topic of interest.In the early 1980s, the National Library was experiencinga shortage of space in accommodating more users andcollections, and a proposal was submitted to the governmentto either extend or rebuild the library to facilitate the growthin collections and services. Serious planning and designwork started in 1996 when the budget for a new librarywas approved by the government.As there was inadequate space in the old Library to houseall the collections that we had acquired through the years,one of the most challenging tasks facing librarians then wasto make decisions on which materials were to be for openaccess and which to send to the warehouse for storage.With this new Library, we are pleased to say that we areable to bring out almost the whole collection of some 500,000items acquired over the past 47 years, and house them inthis spanking new building. These include all materialspublished in Singapore that we have acquired under thelegal deposit act, valuable collections that were donated tothe National Library over the years, and some 5,000 raretitles, many issued by Singapore’s earliest printing pressesin the 1800s. Some of these materials are accessible throughthe digital library or microfilms. Others will be availableupon request.This, I feel, is the most important outcome we have achieved,to ensure that you, our valued customer has access to asmuch of the materials that we have painstakingly selectedfor you.While the materials in print are very important to any library,we have also taken a deliberate decision to make availablea wide range of digital materials, as these are becomingequally, if not, more important for reference and research.Our digital materials comprise the following: a selection ofbooks digitised from our rare collection, a few dating backto the 1600s, most dating back to the 1800s; materials whichare born digital, for example books and poems written bylocal authors who have very kindly deposited their creativeworks with us; those that we have re-packaged frompublished materials, according to themes or subject matter,such as customs, early history of Singapore, and imagesfrom the British Library; and content that comes frominformation service providers who provide commercialdatabase services.Many of these will be new to you, as it is the first time weare making these materials accessible. I hope you will makefull use of the wide range of materials that we have puttogether for you, and make the National Library your firststopof call whenever you need to do reference or researchinto any particular area.As the National Library re-opens its doors to the public,we take this opportunity to highlight to you some of thecollections and services available, and to bring to you aglimpse of the many programmes and events scheduled totake place at the new Library through this library journal.This quarterly journal will provide a regular update on newsand events at the library to inform the public, practitionersand academics. This journal is meant specifically for you,the Library user and we hope that you find it informativeand interesting.The re-opening of the Library is indeed a momentous eventin the history of modern Singapore and the National Library.We invite you to be part of our history and to take part inthe festivities, events and programmes organised for you.We look forward to seeing you at the Library!Ngian Lek Choh (Ms)DirectorNational Library3

national libraryA Knowledge HubBy Ambika Raghavan, Senior Reference Librarian,Lee Kong Chian Reference LibraryHailed as the “people’s library for the knowledge age,” the newNational Library is designed as a unique and modern library to meetthe challenges of the 21st century. Standing 16 Levels above groundat Victoria Street, the focus of the Library will be on providing accessto a comprehensive range of reference and research collection,services and facilities to promote lifelong learning for all communitiesand enable knowledge acquisition to create lasting social andeconomic impact for Singapore. It is worth noting that the Libraryis situated in the heart of the Arts, Culture, Learning and Entertainmentbelt thus making it the one-stop point for information and researchneeds amongst researchers, professionals, scholars and students.Compared to the old National Library building at Stamford Road, thenew one is five times bigger with a gross floor area of 58,500 sq m.The building comprises two blocks with distinctive characteristics.One showcases the Library’s contemplative side in the rectilinearblock housing the bulk of the Library’s collections. The curvilinearblock manifests the Library’s dynamic side with most of theprogrammes and events held there.Lee Kong ChianReference LibraryThe Reference Library had its humble beginnings in 1951 atthe Raffles Library and Museum. On 12 November 1960, theNational Library moved to its new premises at 91 StamfordRoad. The Reference Department was renamed as ReferenceDivision in 1963 and later renamed again as Reference ServicesDivision (RSD) in 1970. It remained as RSD until January 1998when the National Reference Library was formed with theestablishment of the National Library Board. The old NationalLibrary was a landmark and was closed on 1 Apr 2004.The reference library at the new National Library is namedthe Lee Kong Chian Reference Library to commemorate aphilanthropist and founder of the Lee Foundation, the late DrLee Kong Chian, who had made valuable contributions in thefields of public library service. He had donated S$375,000 in1953 for the development of the former National Library.Fifty years on, his son donated another S$60 million towardsthe new Library. This donation was the largest ever madeto any public organisation in Singapore from a corporatesector benefactor.The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library spans seven floorsfrom levels seven to thirteen. It has over half a million itemsin its collections on various disciplines.Level 7:Social Science & Humanities and Science &Technology CollectionsThe former includes works on education, government, socialpolicy and culture while the latter features information on lifesciences, biotechnology, material sciences and engineering.Level 8:The Arts and Business CollectionsArt lovers will be treated to works on visual arts, architectureand creative design. The National Library hopes to contributeto the cultural capital and the development of a vibrant creativearts industry in Singapore. Also housed on this floor is theBusiness Collection comprising selected market research,specialised country and annual reports, business and tradedirectories as well as guidebooks.Level 9:Chinese, Malay and Tamil CollectionsThe Chinese, Malay and Tamil Collections are developed tosupport the library as a centre of excellence for research onChinese, Malay and Tamil Studies. The Chinese collectioncovers materials on arts, business, education, history andgeography with special focus on resources on China, traditionalChinese medicine and healthcare as well as Chinese overseas.The Malay collection covers all aspects of community life inthe Malay Archipelago, including socio-economy, politics,culture, religion, language and literature. The Tamil collectionfocuses on religion, language, arts and literature.4

Level 10:The Donors' CollectionsPrivate collections of individuals, organisations and societiesthat provide valuable sources of information on Singapore'shistory, social and cultural heritage are kept on this floor.Some of these include the Ya Yin Kwan collection donatedby Tan Yeok Seong and collections donated by Tan Swie Hian.Level 10:Asian Children’s CollectionThe Asian Children’s Collection covers literary and researchmaterials related to children’s literature in the four officiallanguages. This is an ideal resource for educationalists,illustrators and anyone interested in the use and productionof children’s reading and writing materials from an Asianperspective.Level 11:Singapore and Southeast Asian CollectionsThese form the core collection of the Lee Kong ChianReference Library with over 200,000 items, including itemsinherited from predecessor libraries such as the RafflesLibrary. Special formats in the form of microfilms, maps,audio-visual materials, ephemera and posters are housedin this location.Level 13:Rare Materials CollectionIncludes extremely valuable and rare publications, mostlyfrom the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of which wereissued by Singapore’s earliest printing presses. This collectioncontains some of the important treasures of Singapore’shistory and literary heritage such as Jawi manuscripts, Malayand Southeast Asian language dictionaries, directories,almanacs, scholarly journals and casual and serious accountsof travels in the Malay Archipelago and Southeast Asia.Basement 1:Central Lending LibraryLocated at Basement 1, the Central Lending Library focuseson offering visual, creative and literary art, business andmanagement collections and award winning literature to itspatrons, mainly the arts and business community in thearea. Compared to the Reference Library, it fans out to amuch broader group of users such as children, youthsand adults.ServicesOnsite and remote information services are provided by theLee Kong Chian Reference Library. Patrons can get accessto information through counters at levels 7, 8, 9 and 11. Theycan also submit their enquiries through telephone, email,fax as well as postal mail. A Fiction Advisory Service, whichoffers advice to users on the type of fiction titles to read willbe provided at the Central Lending Library.In addition, self-help services are always available at Librarye-Kiosks placed at strategic locations in the library fordirectional, circulation and other enquiries.Digital and Electronic ResourcesThe Library hopes to push more digital content through theNLB Digital Library at www.nlb.gov.sg. These include a greaterselection of databases, images, unpublished works of localauthors, digitised rare materials and thematic articles onSingapore heritage and other materials from partner librarieslike the British Library.Members of the public can access an array of some 40 onlinedatabases to support the specialised collections at the Library.Factiva, Proquest, REALIS (URA Real Estate InformationSystem), GMID (Global Market Information Database),Kompass, Bibliography of Asian Studies and Grove ArtOnline are some of the databases, which will be madeavailable online at the multimedia stations at a nominal fee.ExhibitionsLibrary patrons can also enrich their learning experienceabout the history of the Library’s heritage as well as thematicevents through exhibitions and public programmes.Two exhibitions are currently in development:• Zheng He and Maritime Asia exhibition, whichcelebrates the 600th anniversary of the maidenvoyage of Admiral Zheng He, is scheduled todisplay from 13 August 2005 to 10 February 2006.• History of the National Library of Singaporeexhibition, which will be a permanent featuredescribes the Library’s heritage from the 1800s.ProgrammesThe Library will also host a variety of programmesand performances for its various audiences.In addition, visitors to the Library can get anoverview of the Library’s services, collections,architecture and exhibitions by joining theLibrary’s public guided tours. They can alsosign up for special collection tours.In short, the National Library of Singapore promises to be a fusion pod for learning,discovering and application of knowledge through its many activities, programmmesand wealth of information.Come visit us. You will be enthralled by the quality of information service and ourknowledgeable reference specialists.5

national libraryServices at theLee Kong Chian Reference LibraryBy Chow Wun Han, Manager, Lee Kong Chian Reference LibraryReference & Information ServicesThe Lee Kong Chian Reference Library provides advisoryservices for research assignments, business ventures andpersonal interest. Our reference librarians can provideanswers to queries, suggest useful search strategies andguide you to relevant and useful resources available atthe Library. Researchers from academic to business fieldsmay also make an appointment with qualified referencelibrarians specialising in the subject area to help clarifyand locate what you need.Reference PointIn addition to the on-site reference and informationservices, Reference Point also satisfies your referenceneeds from the comfort of your home. You can email,mail, fax or call Reference Point whenever you havean enquiry.Audio-visual ServicesA wide range of audio-visual materials on many topicsranging from business and management to the arts maybe viewed within the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.Our audio-visual materials include videotapes, laser discs,digital videodiscs (DVD), video compact discs (VCD) andcompact discs. Customers may browse our catalogue tocheck for titles before applying to view them.Interlibrary Loan and Document DeliveryInterlibrary loan is available for libraries and governmentorganisations that wish to borrow items from NLB librariesor overseas libraries. This service allows institutionalmembers convenient access to the vast materials fromour network of libraries.The Document Delivery Service supplies documents fromNLB’s print and microfilm collections as well as databasesof selected overseas libraries for individuals, governmentorganisations, corporate members, NLB’s institutionalmembers and overseas libraries, subjected to the copyrightlaw. Customers may request for details from the ReferenceCounters at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.Repository Used Collection (RUR)The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library also providesfor consultation access to the older Repository UsedReference (RUR) materials stored outside the Library’spremises. Customers can place a reservation for a RURbook at $1.55 per item; once the book arrives at the library,customers will be notified by post and will be able to consultthe RUR item within the Library only.Printing, Photocopy and Reprographic ServicesCustomers can print downloaded documents from websitesand databases at the multimedia stations, available onlevels 7, 8, 9 and 11 at $0.30 per A4 copy. For our customer’sconvenience, black and white photocopying services at$0.05 per A4 copy are also available on levels 7, 8, 9 and11, while quality colour photocopying services are availableon levels 8 and 11 at $0.50 per A4 copy.Customers can also obtain black and white photocopiesfrom microfilms at the photocopying service on level 11.For better quality printouts from microfilms, customerscan place a reprographic order at the Reference Counter.Digital ContentAn increasing amount of e-content, whether digitised fromour local collections or acquired from our partners andcommercial providers, is available through the digital libraryportal at www.nlb.gov.sg. The digital library portal contains40 online databases and electronic journals that supportresearchers by its convenient search and access. Digitalcontent covers Business information, Art, Social Sciences,Science and Chinese databases. Highlights of our databasesinclude Britannica Online, Grove Art Online, ForresterResearch, GMID (Global Market Information Database)Euromonitor, REALIS (URA Real Estate Information System),China Infobank and Singapore Pages.6

Singapore Pages:National Library Board’sOnline Heritage CollectionBy Nor-Afidah A. Rahman, Senior Reference Librarian, Lee Kong Chian Reference LibraryBackgroundWhen NLB planned to showcase its heritage collection online in 2003, they thought of anappropriate name to give to the portal - a name that would instantly invite people to thumbthrough Singapore’s history and culture. A myriad of interesting names were thrown up,but one stuck as it was at once a simple yet consummate description of how the Singaporeexperience gets documented - through our pages. Singapore Pages, NLB’s gateway to onlineand print resources on Singapore was thus born and officially launched on 31 October 2003.To bridge the gap between these rare gemsand their potential users, NLB started aninitiative to identify and digitise them, atask that would take the Library throughseveral phases. The initial phase involved acollaboration with the British Library that ledto a trial digitisation of 38 of their rare items.From the NLB’s heritage collection residingat the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library,another 38 rare items were identified anddigitised. Needing a platform to showcasethese 76 items, NLB created Singapore Pages.Thus began NLB’s journey to bring toSingaporeans and to the world written wordsand images that tell the Singapore story.Prelude to Singapore PagesAmong the treasures at the Lee Kong Chian ReferenceLibrary are our rare books and manuscripts. The needto preserve these older and valuable items for futuregenerations meant that they have to be kept under restrictedaccess. At the same time, there are other older and valuablecollections on Singapore that reside in overseas institutions.By virtue of distance and restricted access policy, thesecollections are out of reach for most Singaporeans. Onesuch collection resides at the world-renowned British Library- the Oriental & India Office Collection. From this collection,of most significance to Singapore are the early printedbooks and periodicals from Malaysia and Singapore thatinclude works from mission presses, lithographed worksfrom early Muslim presses, Peranakan books in Malay, anda wide range of government and official records.Highlights of Singapore PagesDigitised Collection and The Singapore StoryArising from NLB’s digitisation of the rare imprints,more than 13,000 digital images documenting Singapore’shistory and culture are now available in Singapore Pages’Digitised Collection. These include early Singapore imprintsand primary sources such as government records andmanuscripts that are commonly referred to by researchers.They have significantly augmented the Lee Kong ChianReference Library’s Singapore and Southeast AsianCollections, for many a story can be told when the age-oldprinted books are supplemented by the new-age onlinematerials. Whether they tell of the challenges and triumphsthat shaped the remarkable lives of our forefathers orof the milestones that punctuated Singapore’s growing upyears, these stories are weaved from the lines of the printedas well as the online pages. Singapore Pages have capturedand displayed these stories under its researched articlessection called The Singapore Story.7

national libraryOne such story is The Life and Times of Sir ThomasStamford Raffles, Singapore’s founder. The writing ofthis article made use of old imprints that form part ofSingapore Pages’ Digitised Collection, specifically onRaffles. They are:1. Boulger, Demetrius C. (1897). The life ofSir Stamford Raffles. London: H. Marshall.2. Raffles, S. (1830). Memoir of the life and publicservices of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles,particularly in the government of Java, 1811-1816,and of Bencoolen and its dependencies, 1817-1824: with details of the commerce and resourcesof the Eastern Archipelago and selections fromhis correspondence. London: J. Murray.3. Raffles, T. S. (1824). Statement of the services [tothe court of Directors of the East-India Company].London: Cox and Baylis.4. Singapore local laws and institutions, 1823. (1824).London: Printed by Cox and Baylis.The Singapore Story is an attempt at sifting out interestingdetails about Singapore’s history from the digitised pages.Our Singapore and Southeast Asian librarians then reenactthe past by combining these details and other nuggetsthat they have unearthed from the Singapore and SoutheastAsian Collections. Applying the adage, “a picture is wortha thousand words”, The Singapore Story write-ups arepeppered with images taken from the digitised pages.Sample of Raffles’ Handwriting8

Another story that tapped on the wealth of Singapore Pages’Digitised Collection is First Impressions Matter..., an articlethat visits some of the popular notions about earlySingapore. Using classic texts like the works of MunshiAbdullah and Makepeace, the article has several imageryof landscape in colonial Singapore. Altogether, the articlemade references to 15 digitised titles, including:1. Abdullah Abdul Kadir, Munshi. (1918). The autobiographyof Munshi Abdullah. (Shellabear, W. G, Trans.). Singapore:Methodist Publishing House.2. Abdullah Abdul Kadir, Munshi. (1874). [Hakayit Abdulla]:Translations from the Hakayit Abdulla (bin Abdulkadar),Munshi). London: H.S. King.3. Bennett, George (1834). Wanderings in New South Wales,Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore, and China. London:R. Bentley.4. Cameron, J. (1865). Our tropical possessions in MalayanIndia: Being a descriptive account of Singapore, Penang,Province Wellesley, and Malacca; Their peoples, products,commerce, and government. London: Smith, Elder.5. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds.).(1921). One hundred years of Singapore, being someaccount of the capital of the Straits Settlements from itsfoundation by Sir Stamford Raffles on the 6th February1819 to the 6th February 1919. London: J. Murray.First Impressions Matter...: Old Transport in Carts and WheelsNORA (NLB Online Repository of Artistic Works)More recently, to the delight of creative writing enthusiasts,NLB launched NORA on 27 January 2005. NORA is acompendium of works by renowned and aspiring writerswho contribute to a repository of drama, fiction, poetry andother writings. Comprising mostly unpublished as well asout-of-print works, the who’s who of NORA include MadelineLee, Eleanor Wong, Alvin Pang (these three are the pioneersof NORA), Edwin Thumboo, Ovidia Yu, Haresh Sharma,Goh Poh Seng and the late Kuo Pao Kun.In the WorksCome November, or when the new National Library officiallyopens, Singapore Pages will be bringing out more of the oldstuff and the not so old ones. Look out for another excitinglist of digitised titles and more stories about Singapore. Thenew addition to the digitised rare works include:Pictures from FirstImpressions Matter...:Ladies’ Lawn Tennis Club(top) and the Esplanade1. Travels in South-Eastern Asia. (1831). London: C.J.G. &F. Rivington.2. Thomson, J. T. (1865). Sequel to some glimpses into lifein the Far East. London: Richardson.3. Florence, C. (1889). To Siam and Malaya in the Dukeof Sutherland’s yacht ‘Sans peur’. London: Hurstand Blackett.4. Photographic views of Singapore. (1930). Singapore:H.P. Cork.5. Nakhodá Múda. (1830). Memoirs of a Malayan family.London: Oriental Translation Fund.6. Malaya in monochrome: [a souvenir of the British EmpireExhibition]. (1924). Singapore: Published for the MalayanGovt. by Houghton-Butcher (Eastern).These will definitely provide the fodder necessary forchurning out more interesting stories about old Singapore.NORA will also grow and will include contemporary non-English works. Visit us at www.nlb.gov.sg.9

national libraryIstoria: CelebratingSingapore’s40 YearsBy Wan Wee Pin, Assistant Manager, Inventlike Singapore that places a premium on everythingSingaporean (except of course our local English songs...).Istoria is H-istoria without the “H” - it is the Greekequivalent of the word “History” but more than that, itcarries with it additional meanings like story and tale.It is that time of the year again when we bring out thenational flags that have been hidden in our drawers andhang them out on the veranda of all HDB flats as a signof our loyalty and love for the country...or more likelyout of fear of being the odd one out or losing out if thereare any benefits to be gained. Yet that “kiasu” charactertells more about us as Singaporeans then any superficialsinging of community songs or reciting of the pledge.The magical concoction of loyalty and patriotism - if Ihad the formula for this potion, I would have bottledit up and made millions from it - especially in a placeIstoria is also an attempt then to tell the stories behindour past that make us who we are. It is the NationalLibrary Board’s potpourri of programmes, events andexhibitions that allow us to get in touch with our ownidentity and to reconsider just what are our own storiesand what make them ours.So if you are still searching for your own identity or ifyou feel that being Singaporean means more than justPhua Chu Kang, the Merlion or char kway teow, thenjoin us. We don't promise that you will find the answersbut hopefully you will find your meaning in searchingfor them.What's on Showat the New Library?At the new National Library, we have a whole series ofexhibitions lined up in the months of August to Octoberthat run the gamut from genealogy to urban planning toeven national day parades. Run through this preview ofthe exhibitions and see which one catches your fancy.Starting in July, there is an exhibition called ShapingSingapore - Aspirations and Achievements that will attemptto deconstruct this beautiful city of ours and to explore theprocess of how it was shaped into the metropolis that it istoday. Developed by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA),this exhibition promises to also provide a glimpse into theopportunities for business, good life and fun that may arisein Singapore over the next 30 years.When : 22 July to 3 October 2005Venue : Level 7 & 8 PromenadeDon’t the shots shown here remind you ofsomething? Yes! A definite must-see for thosewho love to go for condominium launches!10

For the homely kind of people,the family always comes first butdo you actually know anythingabout your own family history?Well wonder no more as youproceed up a floor to see anexhibition that provides you witheverything you need to know toget started.Entitled Who Am I? The Joy ofDiscovering Your Family History - this exhibition has nothingto do with Jackie Chan. Instead you will get to learn aboutthe resources available, the modern scientific researchmethods and even a real-life case study into the processof tracing your own genealogy.The Shepherdson family will prove an inspiration asyou journey together with them into their 400-yearfamily history to the times of Captain Francis Light andSir Stamford Raffles. Learn about their research methodsin uncovering the past using traditional research sourcesas well as the use of scientificmethods such as DNA analysis.When : 2 - 31 August 2005Venue : Level 9, PromenadeWatch out for their collection of artefacts thatinclude books dating back to the 1700s as wellas an antique gramophone!Confucius said, “Family harmony is the foundation of apeaceful nation”, and if that is true, then the next exhibitionis a natural progression from the previous ones. Augustwill find the whole of Singapore in a festive mood as theywait to celebrate the nation’s birthday and what's NationalDay without the National Day Parade?Nation on Parade pays tribute to 40 years of the NationalDay Parade as well as nation building in Singapore. In thisexhibition, you will discover what goes into the making ofthe nation’s biggest birthday party and what it means to be“Singaporean”.When : 3 August to October 2005Venue : Level 11, PromenadeFor the patriots among us, this is like your greatestdream come true.Photographs have been described as paintings of the souland this travelling photo exhibition promises somethingfor everyone. Simply termed 160 years of the Straits Timesin Photos, the highlights will obviously include the firstStraits Times published in 1845 plus 160 of the mostmemorable pictures that have appeared in the paper, manycapturing the milestones of the nation's history, includingsignificant events.While these official photos are important touchstones, whatreally make this exhibition interesting are the candid andunexpected shots that show up the lighter side of life. Aftera while you will begin to wonder what happened to thepeople in these photos and the stories will begin.When : 10 - 31 August 2005Venue : Level 13 Promenade &Rare Book GalleryThe camera makes everyone a tourist in otherpeople’s reality, and eventually in one’s own.- Susan Sontag11

national librarySingaporeans are avid cinema goers. How else would youexplain that while the world is now turning to DVDs, movieattendances locally have been increasing by 4% annuallyfor the last five years, reaching a peak of 15.8 million in2004! That’s a lot of popcorn consumed! If you are one ofthe statistics - and you have to be - then this exhibition isfor you.Tracing the birth, growth and decline of the local film industrysince the 1900s to the renaissance of the scene in the last15 years, the Singapore Cinema in Retrospect exhibitionpays homage to the art of moving images. Understandinghow the industry’s development is closely intertwined withSingapore’s history and the various impetuses for the newCinema Experience is a must-do for all budding filmmakers.With all the coffee shop talk about raising transport costsand rumblings of a merger between SMRT and SBS stillrefusing to go away, perhaps Singaporeans have evidentlytaken the ease of land transport for granted. Worry notbecause help is on the way in the form of this exhibitioncalled History of Land Transportation in Singapore by theLand Transport Authority.If you were one of those who were fascinated by the vehiclesof the future that were portrayed in the film Minority Report,then this is definitely your cup of tea. Curious to know whatland transport of the future is like or how the stations androad interchanges will look like in the next decade? Wellwonder no more!When : September to October 2005Venue : Level 9 PromenadeFor all the talk about establishing a thriving movieindustry in Singapore, how many actually knowthat we already had one in the late 1950s?When : 16 - 30 September 2005Venue : Level 10 PromenadeSee if you can spot the Bus Spotters at thisexhibition. Apparently there is even a club herefor those who love to take buses and track whereeach service actually goes!The library is known as the great social leveller where people of all creeds and status are treated alike. In the samevein, we are proud to also be supporting the average Singaporeans by giving them the chance to put up their ownpersonal exhibitions.The first will be My Journey, an exhibition by Lee Hui Lian who presents paintings of her personal journey throughfour years of local education and her love for art. This should be an inspiration to those Singaporeans who refuseto believe that both subjects are mutually exclusive.The other exhibition is Brief Encounters- A Singaporean View of the World.This exhibition is a result of a projectthat provides an opportunity to firsttimersto create something. TheseSingaporeans express their own hopes,fears and motivations of the worldaround them and showcase their desireand wishes expressed through thesimple analogy of Travel.Finally the Library extends its hands not just to individuals but also to communities and one of the initial collaborativeefforts is with ASAS’ 50 - the Angkatan Sasterawan 50 - or more commonly known as the Malay Writers Association.The resulting exhibition, On Malay Writers Association, will trace their development and growth in the last 55 years.My Journey will be held from 18 - 20 July followed by On Malay Writers Association from 23 July to 12 Augustbefore ending off with Brief Encounters from 15 - 26 August.All will be held at Basement 1 within the Central Lending Library.All in all, that's six different exhibitions and three smaller showcases that you can look forward to as you rumblearound the new National Library. Explore one or more or all if you so wish - this buffet of visuals and artefacts aimto fill your senses and pique your sensibilities as you stray from one floor to another.12

The Singaporean Identity:Is it a Futile Chase?By Wan Wee Pin, Assistant Manager, InventFor a young country like Singapore, we have always beengrappling with our own identity and position in the worldand until today, we don't seem to be anywhere nearer tofinding an answer.There have been corporate attempts to define who weare to the world for both cultural and economic reasons -through common icons like the orchids, or the Merlionor even the Singapore Girl - but all they have succeededin doing is to build a stereotype of ourselves that we don'teven recognise.Identity is not about creation; it isabout evolution. It has to growfrom ground up, a shared vision ofbelonging and commonality thatemerges from within. Since prehistorictimes, the binding of tribes togetherhas been dependent on the ability to“communicate” with each other. Theword “communication” comes fromthe Latin root “cum” which means“with” or “together with” and “unio”,the Latin for “union” from which ourEnglish word directly comes. Hence,communication refers to “union with”or “union together with”.This creates an immediate challenge for a multi-racialsociety like Singapore’s. With four main languages andcountless other dialects and variations, it has not beeneasy finding a happy medium. The problem had beencompounded by the challenges that the Chinese languagehas posed to the Chinese community. Their struggles havebeen well documented and some would even argue hadimpacted the shaping of the Singaporean identity.More than just language, many would also point toGenealogy as playing an equally key role. The establishmentof family and family roots is what constitutes identity fora lot of people, especially in the Asian context. Howeverwe are no closer to the Holy Grail with many of us havingancestors who migrated from China, India and many othercountries. How well do you know your own family history?Yet the mixture of cultures and histories within a fixedconfine has their own benefits. Undeniably the diversityhas provided a large palette for the mixing and matchingof ideas and influences. This has given rise to the latestphenomenon known commonly as Fusion. Fusion iscombining two vastly different things to create somethingthat is refreshing and new. Are we then able to harness ourinherent qualities within a melting pot to achieve newbreakthroughs?Since time immemorial, humans have often relied on thecollection of items and keepsakes as totems of their ownpast and identities. In fact, the advent of photographs hasalmost conditioned the way we choose to remember whathappened to us in the past. Just like flakes of our skin reveala lot about who we are, archaeologists rely on artefactsto piece together our past like a jigsaw puzzle. A Turkishproverb proclaims, “It matters less to a person where theyare born than where they can live.“There are those who believe that History as a subjectis Hegelian in nature; it follows a specific path that ispredetermined by the purposeful movement of Spirit overtime. Spirit is no more than a factual occurrence that thesame things will happen again and again. As students, welearn that History travels in circles; throughout our past,humans commit the same mistakes again and again as ifthe lessons learned were no more than a passing memory.This brings about the saying that, “The more things change,the more they stay the same.”However there are others who treat History as morethan a retrospective study; it is a mystery, it allows forinterpretation and different understanding. It does not claimto dismantle the cogs and wheels of humanity so that wecan see how it works and master it intellectually.History can thus be viewed differently and this occurrencecan and will shape the evolution of our own historicalnarratives in the future.Maybe the question to a collective Singaporean identityis not so elusive and difficult after all; maybe the simpleanswer may just be that Singapore is our home, it is wherewe live and where our home is, our hearts belong.13

national libraryThe Chinese Language andthe Singaporean Identity(Talk in Chinese)Personal tutor to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew,Dr Chua Chee Lay will introduce the influence andimpact relationships that the Chinese language hashad on Singaporeans and how it has perhaps playeda part in shaping the Singaporean identity.When : Friday 5 August 2005Time : 7.00pm - 9.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility RoomsWho am I? The Joy ofDiscovering Your FamilyHistoryJourney into the past with the Shepherdsonsand learn how they uncovered their family’spast and subsequent evolution into a fusion ofvarious nationalities and races. You can alsopick up tips on how to research and document yourfamily history using traditional research sourcesas well as scientific methods such as DNA analysis.Date : Saturday 6 August 2005Time : 3.00pm - 5.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility RoomsSingapore's Identity - AHealthy Tension of OppositesJoin Brian Richards as he talksabout how Singapore can defineher identity and participate in thegreater world as well as discussthe opportunities for Singaporeto become the capital of Asia withunique intellectual property in arts,culture, lifestyle, engineeringand sciences.Date : Saturday 13 August 2005Time : 3.00pm - 5.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility RoomsNew Insights into SingaporeHistory - Perspectives ofEmerging ScholarsJoin established scholars from the NUS HistoryDepartment and their younger counterparts as theyengage each other in discovering how this history canbe viewed differently and how these views, and theacademic pursuits that these scholars are currentlyembarking on, will shape the evolution of Singapore’shistorical narrative over the next two decades.Date : Tuesday & Wednesday16 - 17 August 2005Time : 9.00am - 5.00pm dailyVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility Rooms14

Lost Cities & ForgottenPast: The Archaeology ofDown Town SingaporeUncover the fertile archaeological past ofthe civic districts in this talk as Lim ChenSian explores the ancient settlement ofTemasek/Singapura and looks at the colonialperiod and contemporary Singapore.Date : Friday 19 August 2005Time : 7.00pm - 9.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination& Possibility RoomsIn addition, there are alsoprogrammes organised at the publiclibraries under the Istoria banner.There are three highlighted here.Check them out at a library near you!Getaran@Bedok: Heritage Trail by Zubir Abdullahand Sri WarisanBook Launch of “Anime by Wang Li Yang”Date : Sunday 28 August 2005Time : 3.00pm - 4.00pmVenue : Jurong Regional LibraryThe publication of this manga book crafted and illustratedby the late Wang Li Yang in his final days showcases atruly laudable effort and proves that creativity is alivein Singapore.Date : Saturday 13 August 2005Time : 2.30pm - 4.30pmVenue : Bedok Community LibrarySpeakers : Zubir Abdullah & Sri WarisanZubir Abdullah and Sri Warisan will take you on a heritagetrail through songs and stories on places such asTelok Blangah.Fusion MusicDate : Saturday 20 August 2005Time : 6.00pm onwardsVenue : Ang Mo Kio Community LibraryJoin in for a night of audio treats, as various music schoolscome together to present an enchanting evening offusion music.15

national libraryZheng He in Singapore?by Jacqueline FisherThe year 2005 marks the 600th anniversary of the legendaryMing dynasty Admiral Zheng He’s first of seven voyagesto South East Asia, and Singaporeis getting into a party-mode,throwing a lavish birthdaybash which includes aVillage, a musical andeven commemorativecoins and stamps.NLB is also setting sail on the tide of the Admiral’sanniversary with the Zheng He and Maritime Asia exhibitionand a series of programmes presented at the NationalLibaray throughout September and October 2005.Somewhere along the way, he lost more than his childhood,being made a eunuch.Despite this unfortunate loss, Zheng He grew up to becomea close confidant of the Emperor Yong Le. To demonstrateChina’s might abroad, the trusty Zheng He was given thetitle "Admiral of the Seven Seas" and he embraced thisappointment by embarking on his now famous seriesof voyages.Of course, befitting such a sweeping saga, there's also apoignant ending.The exhibition will feature ancientpublications, maps, photographs andartefacts but the real highlight is areplica of the ship (or baochuan) thathe used. This is like the MillenniumFalcon of its era and is definitelyworth checking out!With the exhibition lastingfrom 13 August 2005 to10 February next year,you will have no excuseto miss it.So Exactly Who isthis Birthday Boy?Admiral Zheng hada life story ripefor a big budgetbiopic. Bornto a poor ChineseMuslim family1371, he wastaken captive atjust age 10 bythe Mongolsto Nanjing.After a lifetime of seven-sea gallivanting, big-time Chinapromoting and the collection of all kinds of loot, ZhengHe died, supposedly in India whilst on his last voyage.With him went China’s maritime ambitions. The politicalclimate had changed as succeeding emperors forbadeoverseas travel and stopped all building of oceangoingjunks. Within a hundred years the greatest navy the worldhad ever known willed itself into extinction. The period ofChina’s greatest outward expansion was followed by theperiod of its greatest isolation.Roll credits. The only thing that seemed lacking was alove interest.Link to Singapore?Did you know that the Admiral himself has neverset foot on this island?Zheng He is purported to have used the legendary DragonTooth Gate rock structure as a navigational marker as hesailed by. This rock formation used to be located in thesea off Labrador park but was rather thoughtlessly blownup by the British in the 1880s.16

Zheng He’s legacy is often discussed but his voyagesdid not lead to a huge boost in trade, nor did he coloniseany lands for China. It seems he was no more thanthe helmsman of the Emperor’s travelling advertisingcampaign. The irony is that for 30 years, half the worldwas in China’s grasp but it all came to nothing. The ZhengHe phenomenon can thus be seen as a paradox.Closer inspection suggests that there are plenty more ofthese contradictions to be found in the related subjectsand topics. This forms the main theme for this series ofprogrammes, which also aims to differentiate itself fromthe gamut of planned celebrations by using the Zheng Hephenomenon as a jump-off point to explore related fields.Talking Zheng -What is the Zheng HePhenomenon?Join a panel of speakersincluding Dr Geoff Wade,Singapore HeritageSociety's Dr Kevin Tan andZheng He enthusiast ChungChee Kit as they examineZheng He as a socio-culturalpoliticalphenomenonand take a closer look atthe 600th anniversarycelebrations from “outside the box”.The panel will discuss the reasons behind this phenomenonand will consider the sudden surge of interest in thisman, and debate if the phenomenon has a broad-basedfollowing, or is purely driven by sectorial interests liketourism, historical interests or just media hype.Cartography WorkshopHave you ever wondered why in spite of advancedtechnologies and modern methods of map making, borderdisputes still exist and gross errors of judgment still occurin wartime? And how some of these accidents actually ledto the discovery of great lands and adventures?Join Associate Professor David Higgit of the NUSGeography Department as he explores the history ofcartography, its innovations and how it is linked to thesubject of exploration. He will introduce participantsto simple map interpretation and demonstrate the useof Geographical Information Systems (GIS) & GlobalPositioning Systems (GPS). He will also consider thedifferent types of maps and their uses. Registrationis required.Date : Wednesday 14 September 2005Time : 7.00pm - 9.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility RoomsDate : Saturday 10 September 2005Time : 3.00pm - 5.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility RoomsZheng He and the Formation of SoutheastAsian Architecture and the CityDr Johannes Widodo will delve into the legacy of ZhengHe as manifested in material culture throughout theSoutheast Asian coastal cities, especially in the fusion ofChinese and Islamic elements in urban patterns (such asthe “Datuk-kong” phenomena), hybrid mosques andtemples, fusion architecture, and racially mixed settlements.This presentation is aimed at promoting the spirit ofpeaceful co-existence among different racial and religiousgroups, and the celebration of cultural diversity, cherishedby the multi-cultural communities in Southeast Asia sinceits early formation until now - things that we seriouslyneed at the present.Date : Saturday 24 September 2005Time : 3.00pm - 5.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility RoomsZheng He’s Voyagesand the Malay CommunityVery few Malays would know of the close ties that AdmiralZheng He had with the Malay Community. Zheng He himselfwas a Muslim who made a great contribution to the spreadof Islam 600 years ago. Fewer would have known thatthere were actually experts and Islamic scholars amongsthis crew. Join Mr Jaffar Kassim as he talks about the manycontributions and impact that Zheng He had on the Malaycommunity at this talk.Date : Wednesday 28 September 2005Time : 7.45pm - 8.45pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination & Possibility Rooms17

national libraryPelayaran Zheng He danMasyarakat MelayuLaksamana Zheng He dilahirkan padazaman Dinasti Ming yang mempunyaitalian amat rapat dengan kaum Melayu.Zheng He sendiri adalah seorangMuslim yang telah membuat banyaksumbangan terhadap perkembanganIslam 600 tahun dahulu. Tidak ramaiorang Melayu yang mengetahuiperkara ini. Lebih kurang yangtahu bahawa terdapat pakar dancendekiawan Islam di kalangan anakkapalnya. Bersama Encik Jaffar Kassimdi ceramah ini dan dapatkan maklumattentang sumbangan-sumbangan yangbanyak diberi oleh Zheng He, sertakesan atau efek yang ditinggalkanolehnya ke atas masyarakat Melayu.Bila : Rabu 28 September 2005Tarikh : 7.45pm - 8.45pmTempat : Tingkat 5, Imaginasi &KemungkinanWho are the Peranakans?According to local Malaccan folklore,the Peranakans were descendants ofa Chinese princess Hang Li Poh andher entourage. As an unforeseenoutcome of Zheng He’s imperialistventuring, a group with a very strongand distinct identity - and one that isneither completely Chinese nor Malay- was born.Peter Wee, a local Peranakan will adoptan investigative enquiry approach toexplore how various aspects of theculture have evolved and consider:Where did the Peranakans come from?Who is or is not a Peranakan? Whatare the differences between thedescendants of later settlers from theSouthern coast of China and thePeranakans? And with the increase ininter-marriage, are there any realPeranakans left?Date : Wednesday 12 October 2005Time : 7.00pm - 9.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination &Possibility RoomsWhat Does it Mean to be anExplorer in Singapore?The process of exploration itself is fullof paradoxes. An expeditionary failuremay even mark the beginning of one'ssuccess, as illustrated in the case ofDavid Lim, who became a successfulmotivational speaker. Why do nationalexpeditions include foreigners (e.g. SirEdmund Hillary who was a Kiwi in aBritish expedition when he was thefirst man to scale Mount Everest)? Whathappens when there is nothing left toexplore or climb?In this panel discussion, local explorersincluding Stefen Chow from the NUSMountaineers who recently returnedfrom Everest, Wilfred Tok who hasclimbed the highest peak in theAmericas, Anaconda, and Dr Chan YewWing, who has led and coordinatednumerous expeditions to remote areas,will discuss these paradoxes andalso consider the economics andsponsorship of exploring - whathappens if a sponsored expeditionfails?This session will be chaired by PaulSng, former broadcast journalist with93.8Live!Date : Saturday 22 October 2005Time : 3.00pm - 5.00pmVenue : Level 5, Imagination &Possibility Rooms18

Bookworm Bonanza:The 2005Singapore Writers’ FestivalBy Jacqueline FisherIt's back. The biannual bookworm bliss-out that is theSingapore Writers’ Festival returns from 26 August to4 September 2005. But the text obsessed will have to tear their eyes fromthe page of their latest read, lest they miss out on a plethora of events featuring bothlocal and international scribes. And fittingly, since it is libraries that ensure a writer'sprinted baby will always have a roof over its head, or at the very least, a shelf for itspages, NLB is supporting the fest and extending its hospitality to not only the booksbut also to many of the writers, who will speak right here at the National Library.Whilst the eye-glazing total of 95 assorted talks, workshops and book readings mayrisk sending all but the intrepid book lover back to the safe embrace of their latestfiction find, never fear for I have bravely read ahead, with highlighter poised andcan confidently recommend these festival offerings:Voices from the Global CityBilled as an exploration of literary voices from the margins of society- those which usually can’t be heard above the turgid drone ofconformity - this series of talks mainly focuses on the experiencesof ethnic minorities within seemingly cosmopolitan societies. Oneoutstanding exception to this is author Jasmina Tesanovic whosebook, The Diary of a Political Idiot: Normal Life in Belgrade, detailsthe minutae of living day by day in totally familiar surroundingswhilst circumstances spin out of control, as recorded by the authorduring the bombing of her home town by NATO forces in 1999.Tesanovic's intimate chronicle is eerily effective in providing analternative take on what for many is a faceless historical event whichhappened somewhere in Eastern Europe. And this is a rare chanceto hear first hand from the diarist, who is also a filmmaker and artist.Jasmina Tesanovic – Quotes“…a political idiot. Idiot, in ancient Greece, denoted a commonperson without access to knowledge and information –all women, by definition, and most men….”“ ”““….yesterday’s fear [becomes] today’s habit….….I think that publicity is the main guardian angel of clean politics….”…the weather, it is beautiful, we all enjoy and fear it: the better the weather,the heavier the bombings, but the better the weather, probably more precise bombings.I wish I only knew do we need good or bad weather to stay alive?…”19

national librarySeparated at Birth? Maybe not….but who can deny these uncanny similarities …?Norman SpinradJuliet Marillier• Born in New York• Lives in Paris• Recently sang with a bandcalled Heldon at a funeral• Was once the President of the WorldSci-Fi Council• Is offering the rights to his next book for$1 to anyone who will publish it properly• In his book The Druid King, he madethe transition to historical fiction• Born in New Zealand• Lives in Perth• Grew up surrounded by Celtic musicand was a professional singer• Has been called the High Priestessof Fantasy• Offers space on her website for herfans to publish their short stories• Her Sevenwater Trilogy featuresdruids as the central charactersScience Fiction and Fantasy WritingAlthough it still contains lingering vestiges of its less thanglorious past as the domain of Dungeons and Dragonsadoring dweebs, science fiction and fantasy have gainedmuch in the “hip and edgy” stakes in the wake of a slewof sci-fi and fantasy movie blockbusters with War of theWorlds and Tom Cruise, The Chronicles of Narnia and lotsof hobbits as its latest poster boys. In their literary form,these genres are also far from tired, as the 10 sci-fi eventsin the writers’ festival will attest.The National Library presents two of these featuring scifi/fantasyluminaries, New Zealand’s Juliet Marillier andNorman Spinrad from the USA, who will discuss andread from their work. And even if neither cyborgs normythological beasties are page turners for you, the factthat these events will be held in the Library’s futuristic,glass walled viewing pod perched on top of the new buildingand offering panoramic city views, might be enough tobeam you up to this stationary starship enterprise.Get that Book Away from Me...Is your idea of a good read mulling over the song titledisplayed at the bottom corner of your favourite MTV? Thenwhy not consider Generation Txt, a series of events delvinginto the multitudinous forms of text being born from musicand fashion, from every imaginable hi-tech gadget (callingall of you who’ve succumbed to the call of the iPod) and ofcourse via the flourescent flash of colour from a graffitist'sspray can. However, instead of risking arrest and a bad punabout our ‘fine’ city, you can be a perfectly legal deviantat the Library's Event Plaza on 27 August and revel in theunderground literary art of spoken word artists (legit-speakfor rappers) from the USA, accompanied by local graffiticrews giving the new National Library’s walls an aerosolmakeover (well, at least the walls' plywood cladding).20

Last PageCelebrate all aspects of life in Singapore with local literature from the Library’s collection.Singapore PoetsSingapore EndingsAll Rights Reserved, Hwa ChongELDDS, 2005But,: A Collaborative Writing AnthologyEdited by one of Singapore’s most well-knownwriter and poet Cyril Wong, this anthologycontains poetry and prose written by studentsfrom Hwa Chong Junior College, VictoriaJunior College and Raffles Junior College.Wong, Cyril (ed.). But,: A Collaborative WritingAnthology. Singapore: Hwa Chong ELDDS: VJC Writer'sCircle, c2005.All Rights Reserved, SNP Reference,2005Money, Death and You; All You Needto Know About the Transfer of AssetsThrough Wills, Trusts...This is a layman’s guide that provides practicaladvice for putting together a plan fortransferring and preserving wealth for thenext generation through various means.Ong, Shirley. Money, Death and You; All You Needto Know About the Transfer of Assets Through Wills,Trusts... Singapore: SNP Reference, 2005.Singapore StoriesSingapore ShockersAll Rights Reserved, NationalHeritage Board, 2005Attack of the Swordfish and OtherSingapore TalesSingapore may be slammed as a place, whichhas forgotten its past, but this book illustratesthat the ol' Lion City has her fair share ofintriguing local legends from days of yore.Lim, Charlotte. Attack of the Swordfish and OtherSingapore Tales. Singapore: National Heritage Board,2005All Rights Reserved, World Scientific,2005Real or Not?: Health Scams and BeautyFallacies ExposedComplete with a catchy Singlish title, thisquirky book delves into dodgy salons andfunky treatment centres to expose suspecthealth and beauty fads, including bizarrebreast enlargement methods, baldness curesand slimming therapies.Ho, Andy. Real or Not?: Health Scams and BeautyFallacies Exposed. Singapore: World Scientific, 2005.21

national libraryFeedback FormWe value any feedback you may have about this preview issue. Please use this form to giveus your comments and suggestions.1. How would you rate the preview issue based on the following factors. (Please circle the most applicable option)How important are the factors to you?How do you rate the preview issue?Description Extremely Very Fairly Not Veryimportant important Important important important Excellent good Good Fair PoorPresentation 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1Content 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1Design/Layout 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1Writing style 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 12. Did you find any articles particularly interesting or useful? Why?3. What topics would you like to see covered in future issues?4. What recommendations would you suggest for improving future issues?5. Would you recommend this news journal to others?Yes No Maybe6. Your particularsName : Mr/Ms/MdmAddress :Telephone : (H) (O) (HP)Email :Occupation :Age group : 12 -19 yrs 20 - 29 yrs 30 - 39 yrs 40 - 49 yrs 50 yrs & aboveThank you for your feedback.Please return the completed form to the Publishing & Research Services, National Library, 100 Victoria Street,#07-02, Singapore 188064 or by fax to 6333 7990 or drop it into the Feedback Box at the Reference Counters of theLee Kong Chian Reference Library.22

Re-opening ofThe National Libraryat Victoria StreetFor library enquiries, please call:T +65 6332 3255Operating hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 9pmFor reference enquiries, please visit:W www.nlb.gov.sgFor loan status and renewal, please call:24-hour Library Automated ServiceT +65 6774 7178All rights reserved. National Library Board 2005National Library Board100 Victoria Street #14-01Singapore 188064