National University of Singapore Libraries

On the second day of our Library visits, we focused on academic libraries.  Our first stop was the Central Library of the National University of Singapore.  On arrival, we were were warmly received by the Librarian, Ms Jill Quah, and her team of colleagues.  Prior to walking through the Library, we were given a presentation which highlighted some of their recent achievements and developments, including their various digital projects, same day home delivery of books (Imagine someone rings your door bell and it's not pizzas, but books from your Library!)  and Video On Demand via their library catalog, LINC.

Automation of their circulation system has been carried out in phases since 2000.  Their collections of over 1.1 million titles have been RFID labelled since 2000.  Users can now borrow books via automatic check-out units as well as from the manned circulation counters.  At the point of visit, they were pilot-testing their homegrown self return system.  This system is especially designed by one of their librarians so that only one book can pass through the return slot at one time.  It addresses the issue of users throwing in several books at the same time which will result in books not being properly discharged.  We were very much impressed by the innovative spirit of the Library.

The NUS Library comprises the Central Library and 5 other constituent libraries on the Kent Ridge campus.  After the Central Library, the group walked over to the C J Koh Law Library, just a stone's throw away.

The CJ Koh Law Library received a  major facelift recently and it officially reopened in February 2002.  We arrived in good time indeed!  It houses the biggest law collection in Asia-Pacific with 170,000 volumes and over 4,400 journal subscriptions.  It boasts a comprehensive collection of primary legal resources for Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and England.  Jurisdictions such as the United States, India, Canadian, Australia and New Zealand are also extensively acquired.  I was just as impressed when I spotted their section on Hong Kong and PRC laws.  The Library is bright and spacious and makes good use of natural light.  Apart from all the services and facilities you would expect to find in a modernized library, it also has an art gallery displaying oil paintings by Mr Koh Choon Joo.  If you want to know more about the Law Library or view the paintings online, please visit:  http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/llb/index.html

To put a perfect ending to our visit to NUS, we were treated to lunch at the NUS Graduate House.  Guess what we had for lunch?  It's everybody's favourite, the legendary Hainan chicken rice!
 

Reported by Catherine Kwok


 

Self return unit designed by NUS Library
 

Law Library

In front of Law Library

Lunch at NUS Graduate House