Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Will the SG Blogosphere see our very own Library Superpatron Blogger?

Learnt from my colleague's blog about this library customer in the USA, Edward Vielmetti, who's been called Library Superpatron for his committment in improving his library service (see this post, this, and this one).

Clearly, Edward's not a crank who submits those "Obey- me- the- taxpayer- or- else -I- write- to- Straits- Times- Forum" edicts disguised as suggestions, without thought to feasibility or library staff welfare and efficient allocation of resources... *ahem* (sorry, got carried away).

Days ago, the NLB launched the "I Love My Library" campaign:
National Library Board launched "I Love my Library" campaign on 5 January 2006 to step up its efforts to tackle the rising issue of poor library etiquette that has marred some library users’ experience. "I Love my Library" campaign aims to reach out to library users to take ownership of the library -- that everyone has to play his part in being civic conscious and to practise good library etiquette so as to benefit fully from the library materials and services.

In addition, well-known local cartoonist Chee Chew has specially designed a series of illustrations on everyday experiences that occur in the libraries. These tongue-in-cheek illustrations aim to bring across 10 basic library etiquette to the users in simple pictorial form that is easily understood by the layman, and are displayed at the libraries -- posters, bookmarks and booklets, decals in the toilets and along escalators.
Source: www.nlb.gov.sg Newsflash (last accessed 10 Jan 06)
(Also see this short post by another colleague of mine).

I feel campaigns like the above are necessary reminders to library customers who might not be aware of the rules and guidelines. It also serves to tell those customers who obey rules and etiquette that their library cares too.

Incidentally, campaign-weary Singaporeans tend to say, "Ah, just another Gahmen Campaign". I'm not ashamed to support campaigns if they are meaningful. Besides, this one ain't from the Gahmen but from the library. There's a difference.
:)

Now I was wondering if it's possible to get SG Bloggers to try a “I love my library” meme, or maybe start a “I Love My Library” aggregator blog. Imagine if we’d 10 to 20 Edward Vielmettis...

How about a special section in Tomorrow.sg just to feature "I Love My Library" posts. And for balanced reporting, a "I Want To Complain About My Library" "How I think My Library Can Do Better" section.

Cynics may say, "But the NLB might not do anything". I say, "Try, and then see how the NLB reacts."

So, any of the hundreds (thousands?) of SG Bloggers care to be a local version of Superpatron?


[Views expressed in this blog are my own. They do not reflect the position of my employer, nor will it earn me brownie-points with my bosses or the good folks at Tomorrow.sg]

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