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Libraries, Learning and Language

The beginning and development of a multilingual public library system in Singapore in promoting literacy to its multiracial student and adult population, 1823-1995:. Libraries, Learning and Language. The Hong Kong Library Association 50 th Anniversary Conference,

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Libraries, Learning and Language

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  1. The beginning and development of a multilingual public library system in Singapore in promoting literacy to its multiracial student and adult population, 1823-1995: Libraries, Learning and Language The Hong Kong Library Association 50th Anniversary Conference, 4 – 5 November 2008 Lim Peng Han Department of Information Science, Loughborough University Graduate Student Forum

  2. Immigrant Population by Race Sources: Official census reports

  3. Raffles’ Education Policy of 1819 and 1823 Incorporating a Multilingual Library and Museum Raffles’ minutes in 1819: “To collect the scattered literature…of the country…and to publish and circulate…with such other works, to be useful or instructive to the people.” Raffles’ minutes in 1823: • To purchase printing presses with English, Malay and Siamese fonts. • To set up a library and museum.

  4. Evolution of the Raffles Library Under Colonial Rule (1819-1945) • Under the East India Company Phase 1: School Library (1823-1844) Phase 2: Proprietary Library (1844-1874) B. Under the Colonial Office in London Phase 3: Government Library (1874-1941) Raffles Junior Library (1923-1941) C. Under the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945) Phase 4: Tsuzoku Tosyokan [Popular Library]

  5. Evolution of the Raffles Library:Postwar Period (1946-1995) D. Post Second World War Period Phase 5: Government Library (1946-1958) Phase 6: National Library and Multilingual Public Library System (1958-1995)

  6. Phase 1 School Library (1823-1844) [Under the East India Company: 1819-1866] Location of school library Singapore Institution Free School (1823 – 1980s)

  7. Phase 2 Proprietary Library (1844-1874) [Under the East India Company: 1819-1866] • Library kept at the Singapore Institution. • 32 European shareholders each contributing $30. • Monthly subscription of $2.50. • “Singapore Library Museum” was established in 1849 to illustrate the “General History and Archaeology of Singapore and the Eastern Archipelago”. • In September 1862 the Singapore Library was removed from Raffles Institution to the Town Hall.

  8. Phase 3 Government Library (1874-1941) [Singapore under the Colonial Office in London] Location of school library Location of Raffles Library from 1876 to 1887 Singapore Institution Free School (1823 – 1980s)

  9. Phase 3 Government Library (1874-1941)[Singapore under the Colonial Office: 1867-1941] • 1876-1887 : Located at the Singapore Institution Free School • 1887-1941: Moved to (new building of the Raffles Library and Museum) Raffles Library and Museum Source: National Archives of Singapore

  10. Phase 3 (Government Library 1874-1941)British Colonial Enclave Sources: Annual Reports of the Raffles Museum and Library, 1921 and 1931

  11. Phase 3 (Government Library 1874-1941)British Colonial Enclave Sources: Annual Reports of the Raffles Museum and Library, 1921 and 1931; Official census reports in 1921 and 1931

  12. Phase 3 (Government Library 1874-1941)Raffles Junior Library (1923-1941) Sources: Annual Report of the Raffles Museum and Library, 1925-1938 (selected years).

  13. Phase 3 (Government Library 1874-1941)Raffles Junior Library (1923-1941) Sources: Annual Report of the Raffles Museum and Library 1931 and official census report in 1931..

  14. Phase 4 Tsuzoku Tosyokan [Popular Library] [Under the Japanese Military Administration: 1942-1945] • The Botanical Gardens and the Raffles Museum were renamed Syonan Botanical Gardens and Syonan Museum under the Department of Education. • The “Popular Library” was opened 1 February 1943 in the former St Andrew’s School for the Japanese community. St. Andrew’s School Source: National Archives of Singapore Source: Syonan Times, 27 Jun 1943, p. 4., Syonan Times, 15 Sep, 1943, p. 4.

  15. Phase 4Seibudo Syoten,32 Raffles Place[Under the Japanese Military Administration: 1942-1945] • The first Nippon Bookstore open on 16 September 1942. • Japanese story books to novels and books dealing with military matters were on sale. • A wide variety of English language books are also on sale. Kelly & Walsh Bookshop Source: Syonan Times, 17 Sep 1942 Source: National Archives of Singapore

  16. Postwar Reconstruction There are those who had lost four years of school life and were anxious to make good the lost as quickly as possible. There were also all those pupils who would have been admitted to primary classes during the four years. Frisby, 1946, p. 139. Ten-year Education Plan – 1947-1956 Free primary education through the following languages – Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English. Parents have a choice to send their children to an English school or a vernacular school. Phase 5Government Library (1946-1958)

  17. Phase 5Government Library (1946-1958) Sources: Annual Report of the Raffles Museum and Library, 1950 and 1954.

  18. Phase 5Government Library (1946-1958)[Beginning of a multilingual public library system in 1953] Conditions of $375,000 offer from Lee Kong Chian • No charges were to be made for the loan of books. • Books in the vernacular languages commonly spoken in Singapore as well as English and other European languages should be provided. Donor Lee Kong Chian Source: National Archives of Singapore

  19. Phase 5Government Library (1946-1958) • A Director, L.M. Harrod, was appointed in early 1954. • In 1955 the Raffles Museum and Library was under the Ministry of Education. • The Raffles Library was separated from the Museum the same year. L. M. Harrod (Director) and Chew Swee Kee (Minister for Education) Source: National Archives of Singapore

  20. Phase 6National Library and Multilingual Public Library System (1958-95) Raffles National Library Ordinance (No. 31 of 1957) • It is a national and public library system as recommended by Unesco. • Free Library. • Provision of mobile library services. • New library to replace the old Raffles Library. National Library Building (1960-2004) Source: National Archives of Singapore.

  21. Phase 6National Library and Multilingual Public Library System (1958-95) “in Singapore you cannot create a truly National Library unless you take into consideration the fact that it has to cater to four language groups. You are in fact expected to operate a multi-lingual library…in the past the National Library was…primarily… an English library…only a minority of those…go to the National Library.” Mr Rajaratnam, Minister for Culture Source: National Archives of Singapore

  22. Phase 6National Library and Multilingual Public Library System (1958-95)[Percentage of Print Collection by Language Medium] Sources: National Library Annual Report, 1963 and 1970-1994.

  23. From School Library in 1823 to Multilingual Public Library System in 1958 Sources: Education Department 1932; Ministry of Education, 1958, 1971, 1981; Raffles Museum and Library, 1932, Raffles Library 1958; National Library 1971 and 1981..

  24. Conclusion • Although Raffles wanted his proposed Institution to be a multilingual library in 1823, it was not until 1970 that the library evolved into a multilingual public library system. • From 1823 to 1941 (118 years) it was a small almost exclusive British colonial enclave. • During the Japanese occupation (1942-45), it was opened in 1943 with a Japanese print collection. • In continued to be a Government Library from 1946 to 1958. • Although the Library began to acquire books in Asian languages in 1956 it was not until 1970 that there was sufficient collectionto make it into a multilingual public library system.

  25. Conclusion • When the Raffles Library began to add Malay/Indonesian, Chinese and Tamil books into its collection, the staff had to learn and manage cataloguing of Malay/Indonesian, Chinese and Tamil, especially the use of Chinese and Tamil scripts. • The staff acquired in depth knowledge in the acquisition of Malay/Indonesian books, Chinese books and Tamil books. • The National Library had to grapple with the setting up of a multilingual in spite of the persistent shortage of professional and para-professional staff since there was no library school until 1993. • Since achieving independence in 1965 Singapore was a developing country and financial and manpower resources for National Library was limited.

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