Monday, August 01, 2005

LKCRL rare materials collection

On Level 13, you'll find the Rare Materials Collection. Access is limited even to staff. I could only access the room housing the glass shelves but not to the other rare materials. The glass shelves themselves are locked.
rare materials1

The restriction is necessary to protect the materials, as normal handling would speed up the rate of deterioration (not to mention wear and tear). For details on access, ask the reference librarians or write in to the National Library via this link.

"The Hikayat Abdullah 1849, autobiography of Malaccan Malay scholar, teacher & writer, Munshi Abdullah (1795-1854), is among the many precious items in the Rare Materials Collection."


Some samples of what's in the glass shelves:
rare materials2rare materials3
(click to see larger images)

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5 comments:

  1. cool. i was just going to ask u about how to get access. thanx man!

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  2. btw, aren't there plans to digitize/scan in all the rare stuff?

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  3. wow thanks for sharing whats in the "rare material" (restricted acacess) level because erm... *paiseh* we were joking about what restricted material might be kept in that elusive level heh :)

    took lots of pictures of the lib when we visited the other day though we know its not erm... allowed. heh couldn't resist

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  4. Hi Tinkertailor, I understand that digitisation efforts is ongoing. Sorry but I don't have details on when they would be available.

    Hey Monkey - personally, I feel that NLB should set aside one day for photos to be taken freely. I mean, it's a nice building afterall. Just my opinions anyway :)

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  5. indeed, not only the library very nice but also the view from the library is spectacular...

    but i guess i can understand the fear that photographers would just go in to use the building as a platform for phototaking. sort of an abuse of the library i suppose.

    makes me think of when my family was at the esplanade library during NDP preview and when the fireworks came out, suddenly the silently reading patrons suddenly whipped out cameras out of thin air and started flashing. the poor librarian was helpless. it was so bizarre. everybody was just staking out there waiting for the fireworks.

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