NLB media release: "Serangoon Public Library Offers New Experience for Gamers and Shoppers"

Today's the official opening of Serangoon Public Library.

The library is at "Level 4R" (rooftop) of the NEX mall.

I'll put up pictures in the next post.

First, here's the the National Library Board press release:

Release Date : 11 Mar 2011

First public library in Singapore to focus on gaming as a learning pedagogy

Singapore, 11 March 2011 – Residents staying in the North East region of Singapore will now be able to enjoy convenient access to learning resources with the opening of the new Serangoon Public Library (SRPL) today. The first public library in Singapore to have a dedicated area for gaming, SRPL aims to promote learning and a reading culture by tapping on the educational effects of games. The games featured in this area will demonstrate significant educational content or learning value. Apart from housing interactive game stations, SRPL also offers an extensive collection of game-related titles to enhance the learning and discovery process for novice and seasoned gamers alike. SRPL has also partnered with gaming entities such as the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association and DigiPen Institute of Technology, to organise programmes and workshops related to gaming.

Pick and Go
Located at retail mall nex and the heart of a major transportation node, the library offers a wide selection of quick and easy reads such as comics, graphic novels and magazines which will be prominently displayed to make it easy for users to pick up a book on the go.

Ms Yeoh Chee Yan, Chairman, National Library Board (NLB), and Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education said: “The Serangoon Public Library is the result of a close collaboration with the community. In planning this new library, we worked closely with users, residents and various community groups, seeking views and suggestions to create a social learning space that promotes learning and reading. NLB will continue to enhance our service offerings to remain relevant, accessible and convenient to our users.”

With a floor area of 1,635 square metres, SRPL has a startup collection of approximately 150,000 items, which include books, magazines and audio-visual materials in the four official languages. These include 70,000 volumes of fiction and non-fiction books for children and 80,000 volumes for adults and young people. The library will also carry over 400 local and international magazine titles and a selection of local newspapers in the four official languages.

Thematic Community Programmes
To celebrate the opening of SRPL, an exhibition titled “Serangoon: A place like no other” will be on display at the library. This exhibition showcases the heritage of the Serangoon area, as well as winning entries of the recently held “People, Places & Recollections” photo contest, where the community was invited to share photographs on the Serangoon area. SRPL has also partnered the National Heritage Board (NHB) to feature two exhibitions on “Food” and “Spice” targeted at children and young people, to create awareness and educate on the heritage of Singapore's street food and spice trade. Please refer to Annex 1 for more information on the exhibitions.

The library has also teamed up with community and grassroots organisations to organise thematic programmes that engage both the young and old through interactive learning. Library users can look forward to programmes on heritage and green living as well as perennial favourites such as storytelling sessions for children. Please refer to Annex 2 for the list of programmes. For more information on upcoming programmes at SRPL, the public may visit NLB's Go Library website at http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg/.



Annex 1

List of exhibitions at Serangoon Public Library

1. “Serangoon: A Place Like No Other” Exhibition

Where is Ang Sali and what does the term mean? Who is Singapore's “bee hoon king”? Once covered with fruit orchards, rubber plantations and villages, Serangoon today is perhaps most famed for its culinary finds. But good food is not the only thing that defines this place. Pockets of the past, diverse cultures and a strong kampung spirit - these are just some of what one may discover while strolling along Serangoon's streets. Ready to explore one of the most colourful areas in Singapore? Kickstart your journey at this exhibition tracing Serangoon's transformation over the last two centuries!

2. “Spice Frontier: Changing Boundaries, Evolving Uses” Exhibition

Even before the British established Singapore as a trading post in 1819, there were already a small number of gambier plantations on the island. Subsequently, spice cultivation expanded as the British actively encouraged the planting of nutmeg while the Chinese independently grew gambier and pepper. This exhibition documents the rise and fall of gambier and nutmeg cultivation in Singapore during the heady days of the spice trade, and the various uses of spices in our everyday life. Discover Singapore's “spicy” past in this exhibition which aims to provide a historical overview of spice cultivation in Singapore.

3. NHB Heritage Food Gallery

Singapore food originated from street food sold by hawkers who thronged the harbour front and building sites in the late 1800s. From neighbouring countries, dishes were adopted and adapted to suit the palates from different culture. This gallery showcases the various popular hawker food that is part of Singapore's food heritage.


Annex 2

List of programmes at Serangoon Public Library in March 2011

1. Digital Game Design Workshop by DigiPen
Sunday, 13 March, 1.00 - 3.30 pm

Find out what it takes to create a video game that may just give you a headstart in the video games industry. At this hands-on session conducted by trainers from DigiPen, the world's premier game development institute, you will learn more about the creative and engineering aspects of game design, plus a chance to create your own electronic games using DigiPen's ProjectFUN game development kit.

2. Cyberwellness Workshop by Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association
Sunday, 13 March, 4.00 – 6.00 pm

Learn how to protect yourself online from experts from the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association. Apart from finding out more about Internet and gaming addiction, netiquette, cyber bullying, intellectual property issues and achieving a balanced lifestyle, you will also get a chance to participate in a range of workshop activities.

3. Learning through Gameplay: Para Life Gaming Session
Wednesday, 16 March, 1.30 – 3.30 pm

Test your understanding of cell biology in Para Life, an exciting PC game that pits players against one another in challenging tasks.

4. Crazy and Fun in Wonderland by Ministry of Games
Thursday, 17 March, 2.00 - 2.30pm

Play games inspired by Alice's Wonderland! Everyone gets to wear a silly hat to this party! You'll roll over with laughter during games like the Tea Party Showdown, or become a funky March Hare Hopper and hop your way to great prizes! All play materials, including the hat, will be provided.

There's nothing but fun and excitement in wonderland! This programme is open to children aged 6–10.

Please register via our e-Kiosks available at all libraries, or at http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg.

5. Gaming @ Serangoon Public Library
Friday, 18 March, 2.00 – 4.00 pm

Never thought you could play games in the library? Now you can! Join us in our gaming session where you can have fun and sharpen your minds with selected video games on the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. Plus, you will also get a chance to learn more about Singapore and world history with our range of heritage and historical board games.

6. Memories of Upper Serangoon by Mr Bernard Chiang, Braddell Heights Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC)

Saturday, 19 March, 5.00 – 6.00 pm

Talk a walk down memory lane as Mr Bernard Chiang, a long-time resident of Serangoon, Vice Chairman of the Braddell Heights Citizens' CCC and the Chairman of Braddell Heights Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC), shares his memories of the Upper Serangoon area and how it has changed over the years. You will also get to see a number of photos of the area from his personal collection. This talk is jointly organised with Braddell Heights grassroots organisations.

Please register via our e-Kiosks available at all libraries, or at http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg (please click on “Heritage” and look for the programme title.

7. The Upper Serangoon Story by Serangoon Grassroots Organisation (GRO)
Sunday, 20 March, 11.00 am – 2.00 pm, Programme Zone, Serangoon Public Library

Jointly organised with Braddell Heights Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle and grassroots organisations, this trail will bring you on a journey to the various places of worship around the Upper Serangoon area. Step back in time as you visit the sites of the former Lim Tua Tow Market, Upper Serangoon Community Club, Paya Lebar Police Station, Simon Road Market and much more.

Please wear comfortable attire and walking shoes for this trail. Do remember to bring your umbrella and some drinks. Feel free to bring your cameras and start clicking!

Please register via our e-Kiosks available at all libraries, or at http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg (please click on “Heritage” and look for the programme title.

About the guide
Mr Charles Soh is a freelance guide registered with the Singapore Tourism Board.

8. Learning through Gameplay: Praxis Board Game Workshop by EduWealth
Sunday, 20 March, 2.00 - 4.00 pm

Plan your way to financial success by learning about the basics of financial management through the Praxis board game developed by Eduwealth. At this interactive board game session, you will learn the importance of financial planning, including insurance, savings and retirement plans - even at a young age. It's never too early to plan for retirement and consider the need for insurance protection. The game will also cover the importance of good credit management and prudence in inflationary times.

Next: Pictures and first-hand perspective.

iPhone app: 3 Degrees of Wikipedia (social game)

[This was initially posted at an experimental group blog, "Gamers Blog", which we've decided to close.]

Found this post at CreativeApplications.Net. About an iPhone app that's essentially a "connect-the-dots" game out of Wikipedia entries.

Here's the social learning/ gaming element: You can play a 'game' created by others, and also create a game yourself. Players can then rate the game level of difficulty/ usefulness.

Watch this self-explanatory video:

3 Degrees of Wikipedia Demo from 3 Wiki on Vimeo.

Basically as a player, you try to make the connection between three Wikipedia articles. E.g. "What's the connection between "iPhone" and "China"?" The answer, as shown in the video, is a Wikipedia entry on "Compass".

I thought the app was quite cool.

And I instantly thought about it as a library application (OK, librarians have to get rid of their hang-ups about Wikipedia though! LOL)

If framed properly in the context of library gaming, the app could be about information literacy, information-seeking (to some extent), information and knowledge discovery, and social learning.

But what might be more challenging is for the hyperlinks links to be stripped out from the Wikipedia. 'Cos after a while, the player may end up just looking for hyperlinks in the text, rather than think about the question/ contextual connection.

Past weeks in libraryland: Egypt and New Zealand

The citizen uprising in Egypt, which would have some significance to librarians because that's where the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is located (non-librarians might be more familiar with the ancient Library of Alexandria).

What's hearterning was that citizens stepped up to defend the library against vandals and looters.

EGYPT
News of the protests in Egypt started unfolding in late Jan.

On 3 Feb, a message was posted to the IFLA-L list, where it carried a message by Dr. Serageldin (Director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina) to let librarians know the Library of Alexandria was safe:

To our friends around the world: The Events in Egypt

The world has witnessed an unprecedented popular action in the streets of Egypt. Led by Egypt’s youth, with their justified demands for more freedom, more democracy, lower prices for necessities and more employment opportunities. These youths demanded immediate and far-reaching changes. This was met by violent conflicts with the police, who were routed. The army was called in and was welcomed by the demonstrators, but initially their presence was more symbolic than active.

Events deteriorated as lawless bands of thugs, and maybe agents provocateurs, appeared and looting began. The young people organized themselves into groups that directed traffic, protected neighborhoods and guarded public buildings of value such as the Egyptian Museum and the Library of Alexandria. They are collaborating with the army. This makeshift arrangement is in place until full public order returns.

The library is safe thanks to Egypt’s youth, whether they be the staff of the Library or the representatives of the demonstrators, who are joining us in guarding the building from potential vandals and looters. I am there daily within the bounds of the curfew hours. However, the Library will be closed to the public for the next few days until the curfew is lifted and events unfold towards an end to the lawlessness and a move towards the resolution of the political issues that triggered the demonstrations.

More coverage from the Guardian.co.uk, "Alexandria youth 'protecting library from looters'" (1 Feb 2011):

The director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has announced that his building, built in commemoration of the famous ancient library destroyed in antiquity, is being kept safe by Egypt's young people during the current unrest sweeping the country.

... "The young people organised themselves into groups that directed traffic, protected neighborhoods and guarded public buildings of value such as the Egyptian Museum and the Library of Alexandria," he states. "They are collaborating with the army. This makeshift arrangement is in place until full public order returns."

(also see this chronological report from Guardian.co.uk)

NEW ZEALAND
This week on 22 Feb, over in New Zealand, news of the Christchurch Earthquake caught the world's attention.

I first learned about it from a Facebook friend's status update, where he posted a link to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation news page. I was quite stunned by the video footage.

The New Zealand Library Association's (LIANZA) blog posted updates of news about their library colleagues affected in the quake.

The update on 23 Feb, 12pm:

At this stage I think we need to accept that with limited phone and power facilities, those on the ground in Christchurch are focusing on their immediate needs and those of their family and neighbours. The practicality of this is that people will be conserving battery power on their phones and computer for emergency use and I don’t think we can expect to get any detailed reports for some time.

As of 24 Feb, the LIANZA blog post reports that "all library staff in the Christchurch area were safe, although many are contending with personal property damage. There is no information about many of the libraries which are still closed."

I'm not a religious person. But I'll say a prayer for librarians and people in Christchurch.

REMIX now ccFree - by Lawrence Lessig

Old news: Discovered this in my blog draft (dated 5th Jan 2009!). Was alerted, by Kevin's tweet, to by Lawrence Lessig.

It's available at Archive.org(luckily!) under a CC-BY-NC-ND license.

Incidentally, the book used to be downloadable from Bloomsbury Academic page under a CC-BY-NC license but it's a broken link now. See why we need a library? :)

I didn't have time to read the book then, and there's a few other books on my read list right now. Meantime, I gathered this much from the following blogs/ online posts (there are mixed reactions, basically):

From Mr Tunes (Dec 2008):

In my opinion, if Lessig cut a bit of repetitive text about the Open Source software industry out of the book, and maybe shaved off about fifty to one hundred pages or so of other fluff content, I think he has a real winner on his hands.

I would recommend this book to any musician, filmmaker, or other artists, as well as to anyone who is interested in copyright law. But for the average person this book might be a little much. 7/10

From The Independent (Nov 2008):

Thankfully (and I'm writing as a rights-holding musician here), Lessig isn't anti-copyright. He only wants it to apply sensibly – particularly in this dynamic new environment, where the circulation of culture is operating at light-speed. Some of his broad solutions are pretty familiar to artists. He wants to take the principle of the "performers royalty" for radio – invisible to the audience who listens for free, but which all stations pay – and extend it to internet service providers as a whole.

Remix brilliantly puts a name to those businesses trying to bridge the gap between the commercial (Amazon) and sharing (Wikipedia) aspects of the web: the "hybrid" enterprise. Their looser, less paranoid approach to copyright allows fans to explore their enthusiasms. Lessig cites many studies – Warner's U-turn around fan usage of Harry Potter is a prime example – to show the commercial benefits this brings.

I don't quite go along with his general enthusiasm for "remixing" as an art form. Musicians who explore harmony, melody and rhythm might ask: is it more important to play and compose a new soul riff, for new times, than just rest on the auratic power of a James Brown sample? But Lessig is surely right that digital culture requires governance that is more subtle and ecological, judging a balance of forces between commerce and community, than precise and draconian. The Democrats could do a lot worse than give the formidable Lessig some work in this area.

From Businessweek (Oct 2008):

It's nice to see Lessig trying to move beyond the mere critique of the system that he offered in previous works. He first stepped down this path a few years ago by helping to found the Creative Commons, a copyright-licensing system that has since become a powerful alternative to America's traditional copyright regime. And for those who have never read Lessig, the new book is a good primer on the shifting debates over copyright in the Digital Age. But Remix is Lessig's weakest effort to date, a derivative essay that rehashes a lot of his older work. Like Martin Scorsese doing another mobster flick, Lessig seems uninspired, groping for a fresh take on familiar themes. Most annoying, he devotes only the last 35 pages of the book to his reform plan, and some of those ideas are not even that new.

From The Complete Review:

Remix is a very approachable read, Lessing laying out the legal and economic issues in most basic style, heavy on the real-life examples. The simplification can get a bit annoying -- though it's good enough as a starting point for discussion -- and the anecdotes tiresome, and Lessig's parenthetical asides, while amusing, make it all seem a bit glib, but the basic point is an important one, and if this makes the books more accessible to a greater number of readers and gets them to think about (or pressure their government representatives !) to reform copyright it's worth it.

Have you read the book yourself?

Singapore International Foundation (SIF) Mobile Library Project in Hanoi, Vietnam

Was alerted to this Singapore International Foundation project, over at the Librarians-In-Singapore list.

The SIF is seeking between 3 to 5 volunteers, at least 18 years-old, for a mobile library project in Hanoi, Vietnam. The six-day project will be from 23 to 28 March 2011.

The mobile library project is in partnership with the Hanoi Public Library. Volunteers will perform storytelling, teach basic computer skills and organise educational activities for children aged between six to 15 years old.

All volunteers are required to pay their way -- about S$1,500 per volunteer, inclusive of airfare, accommodation, travel insurance and local transport. But excludes meals.



From the SIF website (last accessed 13 Feb 2011):

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Type of SIV: Direct Service Project
Project partner: Hanoi Public Library
Duration: Six days
Assignment period: 23-28 March 2011

Description of Assignment
The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) will launch its first mobile library project in Hanoi in partnership with Hanoi Public Library.

This mobile library will be equipped with books, computers with access to broadband Internet and multimedia facilities such as educational videos, which will be operated by the Hanoi Public Library.

The library will visit different villages in Hanoi province on a rotational basis.

Apart from providing free usage of library resources, Internet and multimedia facilities, library staff and volunteers will conduct activities such as book readings, storytelling sessions and will provide coaching on the use of Internet and multimedia information tools.

The selected villages were chosen based on the number of households that earn less than S$42 per month and do not have access to Internet, multimedia and library facilities. Working in partnership with local village cultural centres, the mobile library will help local communities develop educational activities and promote a culture of reading and self?learning via the Internet and multimedia facilities. In every village, the library will be parked in the compound of the village cultural centre.

Requirements
We are looking for a group 3?5 volunteers to attend the official launch of the mobile library and volunteer at the project in Hanoi. Over six days, volunteers will perform storytelling, teach basic computer skills and organise educational activities for children aged between six to 15 years old.

All volunteers are required to finance their own volunteer trips. The estimated cost for a five-day trip is approximately S$1,500 per volunteer. This includes airfare, accommodation, travel insurance and local transport, and excludes meals.

The volunteers must be:
* At least 18 years old and above
* Medically fit for overseas travel involving manual work
* Adaptable and willing to serve in a challenging physical environment
* Able to manage socio-cultural diversity
* Open to sharing and learning
* A team player with good interpersonal skills

Support provided
The SIF will:
* be the liaison between the overseas community and the volunteers
* guide the volunteer team leader in coordinating with volunteers to meet all administrative and logistic needs
* conduct a pre-departure briefing to ensure a safe and enriching volunteering experience
* assign an SIF staff on the actual volunteer trip

LINK

BTW, here's a news release of a 2009 related library project, in partnership with the SIF, the Public Libraries Singapore, and SIA Cargo.

Read in Jan 2011

Start of 2011 and I read:

• Mostly graphic novels for this month. Borrowed a few of Tagore's works, after hearing Adrian talk about him.
• If you like  Bill Willingham's Fables series, you might like Mike Carey & Peter Gross's "Inside Man".
• Another graphic novel that's worth reading is "Lost Squad" by Chris Kirby. If you like WWII-Zombie-Indian Jones type of setting.
• The "Story structure architect: A writer’s guide to building dramatic situations & compelling characters" by Victoria Lynn Schmidt is a great reference guide, if you're thinking of writing a novel or short story. Or if you're a film student.
• And if you like modern contemporary poetry, check out "Between Water & Song". A poetic title, don't you think?

[RoughNotes | NLBsearchplus]


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The Crown and Other Stories
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Rambling with Silver: 30 Jan/ 29 Jan 2011

[Explanation: An archive for my own personal reference and reflection, of memorable bits from my Skype conversation with David Silver, Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of San Francisco. Feel free to join the conversation.]

Previous ramble - 30 Sept/ 1 Oct 2010

David's Dream Exhibit:

• In the library; Circle/ panels; 360-degree view
• Displaying foods by seasons; "Fill in the exhibit as we go along the seasons"; Showcase seasonal recipes; Feature cookbooks, poetry books (winter, spring etc.)
• "get viewers mindful of seasons"
• What about Singapore, which has no seasons? David suggests holiday food traditions, which tends to be seasonal (true!)
• Information could be based both librarians and patrons own research
• "nowadays we don't care about the seasons: chickens are available year-round in the grocery stores"
• "imagine a huge world map; figure out where our food come from".
• Perhaps extend the idea to a cross-country chat (among teens?)

Future of libraries

• "Libraries are beholden to books", and notion of literacy is significantly "print-based literacy"
• David observes that (in the US) librarians used to complain that users come in to use computers only and leave without borrowing. Now some librarians are glad libraries have computers, so that people are visiting libraries.
• We talked about fearing the Internet in the 90s, and whether there are similarities with the fears of digitisation and rise of eBooks today.
• David suggests a possible research area about "librarians' fears from 1994 - 2010"; suggests this could go back to the '80s with the onset of computer databases.
• Possible source of research: editorials of library journals of last 15 years; library magazines; forecast articles; "fears"; initial reactions to microfiche
• Suggested reading: Joseph Corn's "Imagining Tomorrow"; popular stories/ narratives on what the future is going to look like.

The September Project (TSP)

• Problems of being bogged down with immediate needs of posting updates (not hard to do in itself but the volume overwhelms)
• Suggestion that TSP could develop the following framework: 
• David & Sarah (funding, figurehead roles, interview students)
• Gleeson Library (learning & training partner)
• Student Volunteers (content work)

• Value to the library - a way to position the library as a focal point; to engage students in a global volunteer activity
• Value to students - learn a skill (blogging, google maps), apply the learning, learn about libraries both nationally and globally; count as academic work
• Once this "operational" foundation is established, then there's more time to work on innovative aspects to TSP

BTW, check out Librarians and Social Change, a research project by Teresa Garcia, with a case study on TSP.

Engagement: More than just Feedback (Part 1)

This FastCoDesign.com article led me to explore the Give A Minute website:

Give a Minute is a new kind of public dialogue. It only takes a minute to think about improving your city, but your ideas can make a world of difference. "Give a Minute" is an opportunity for you to think out loud; address old problems with fresh thinking; and to enter into dialogue with change-making community leaders. Soon, you’ll also be able to link up with others who have similar ideas and work on making your city an even better place.

Very cool site, in terms of design and presentation. The submissions appear as Post-It notes. To view them, you use the Zoom-in feature (at the top left of the website). The individual notes can be shared via Facebook.



I didn't try to submit a suggestion, so I'm not sure if there's any filtering or authentication (by IP address) on what appears on the page.



Like any feedback site, the suggestions are of varying "quality". What is "quality" is subjective but you can tell that some are better conceived than others. And some posts are self-promotional than genuine submission of ideas:



BUT IS IT REALLY CROWDSOURCING?
For all its coolness, the Give A Minute site functions more like a feedback portal rather than a real crowdsourcing site as suggested by the Co.Design article headline. Though in fairness, the Give A Minute site itself didn't suggest that it was crowdsourcing in any way.

I understand Crowdsourcing to be more than just "ideas from the crowd". There has to be some activity or actions from participants too. Merely soliciting ideas and views doesn't seem like crowdsourcing to me.


SINGAPORE'S CONTEXT
The Singapore government's equivalent of Give A Minute would be the REACH portal, and probably the eCitizen portal (i.e. the Feedback page, where submitters don't have to worry about which government agency to direct their views).

As both a library employee (we receive loads of suggestions) and also a private citizen who has submitted feedback to private companies and government-related organisations, I think ideas are cheap.

The devil is in the implementation.

I'm not demeaning the ideas from customers (or myself). It's good when the citizenry/ public is increasingly forthcoming with views and suggestions, for the opposite would be apathy.

Social media is increasingly the tool of choice for engaging the citizenry. But it's become so easy to give ideas and suggestions that the concept of engagement has to be more than that.

The article made me wonder how government agencies could adopt crowdsourcing as a means of engagement. Or more important, what would make it work?

I'll have to think about it.

Meantime, if you happen to stumble onto this post, feel free to leave your comments.

[Next: Part 2]

Writing as an individual, rather than "For the Institution"

It's the reminder remainder of my lunch time as I write this. Taking a break before the workshop resumes.

I'm conducting a "Writing for Social Media"* workshop today. Have been conducting this for maybe three years or so. About eight runs so far.

The course covers aspects of writing for the Internet and social media -- blogs, a little bit of Facebook/ Twitter, an overview of planning vodcasts and podcasts. There's some technical information and techniques (e.g. what does it mean to "write concisely", "in a personal tone", "passive Vs active voice", differences in writing instructional posts Vs feature articles).

Participants go through writing activities, group discussions and class critiques (I always warn them to leave their egos at the door -- but it's not as hard horrible as it sounds).


I also try to get the class to discuss and think about what it means to be "social", as opposed to only "writing".

The hardest bit, from my perspective as a trainer, is in explaining what it means to "write from the heart". Or rather, convince the participants why it's important to do do.

In explaining about "writing from the heart", I still quote Shel's book: write with "Passion" and "Authority".

Participants also shared that it's about giving readers a glimpse into our personal viewpoints or work. E.g. how did we plan for this programme? What did participants tell us?

And about our feelings, e.g. what's my personal thoughts after facilitating a book discussion session? What new insights did I learn?

Technical skills are easier to master. But the ability to evoke emotions from the reader -- that's an art in itself.

Also, what one reader feels is emotive writing may come across as bland to another.

And I think in a work setting, few jobs require the employee to write with emotions. Couple that with the culture of librarianship being more of "behind the scenes" rather than being "front and centre", it's harder to get a library institution to share it's institutional knowledge, through its people-assets.

* The workshop details are not posted at the NLB Academy site, but you can email them to enquire.

Read in 2010

If you're interested in what I read in 2010, here's the link.

Total of 93 items listed there. About 42 items (or 45%) were graphic novels. Which meant 51 items were books.

About 4 books a month. Almost all were items borrowed from the public libraries.

Was a bit surprised at that, 'cos I expected to have read even less books in 2010. Apparently I reversed my own decline in reading books and graphic novels. I definitely blogged a lot less in 2010 compared to 2009 (and even less than 2008). It all has to do with how I used my discretionary time.

I was able to keep up my reading because I commute to work on the MRT. I tend to have a book on hand when I travel by train.

Don't have an iPad or Kindle, so it's still largely books for me. A related point was made here.

My choice of graphic novels arose from a need to just chill and read something less heavy-going.

My rate of reading/ borrowing was maintained because I visit a public library almost every day, as part of my work.

Yet another reminder that for libraries, whose main products offered as still in physical formats, if we're out of reach, then we'll soon be out of touch.

Singaporeans working adults are just so pressed for time today, and offered so many other reading alternatives. It's no surprise that they won't use public libraries if we don't offer them something that they can't obtain elsewhere (or would find it too expensive to do so, on a regular basis).