The National Library of Singapore: creating a sense of community
| Date | 08 July 2014 |
| Published date | 08 July 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-11-2012-0148 |
| Pages | 658-675 |
| Author | Hui Lin,Brendan Luyt |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management |
The National Library of
Singapore: creating a sense
of community
Hui Lin and Brendan Luyt
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the National Library of Singapore in
the life of Singaporeans.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses historical research. McMillan and Chavis’ theory
of sense of community is adopted as the analytical framework to delineate the role of the National
Library of Singapore.
Findings – The paper finds that the National Library of Singapore plays an important role in
fostering a sense of community among Singaporeans. The transformation of the library to a truly
public institution in 1950s effectively enlarged its boundaries. Upon joining the community of the
library, local Singaporeans underwent a bidirectional process of influencing and being influenced.
The library made strenuous efforts to meet the needs of Singaporeans in myriad ways, resulting in
reinforcement of the sense of community among Singaporeans. A shared emotional connection in the
community was engendered as a result of the frequent contact and high-quality interaction.
Originality/value – While being influenced by various social and cultural frameworks under
which it operates, the library actively takes part in and influences the society. The study of the
library in the life of the users via the lens of sense of community provides a perspective to further
understand the potential and power of libraries and how libraries can positively contribute to the
society at large.
Keywords Libraries, Library users, Singapore, Communities, Library history
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The opening of the National Library building in 1960 was supposed to heral d a
new beginning for library services in the country as well as being a concrete sign of
approaching nation-hood. This was not to be. Instead criticism of the building was
immediately forthcoming: “a jumble of architectural sections” (Straits Times, 1960)
claimed one critic while another observed that the “building appears massive, clumsy and
heavy” (Singapore Free Press, 1960). Upon opening, the library was further criticized for
its lack of cleanliness and air conditioning (National Library Board, 1967; National
Library of Singapore, 1967). Fast-tracking 40 years who would have expected to see this
uninspiring building the focus of a vocal campaign to save it from destruction? But
when the government decided that it needed to build a highway and scheduled the old
library for demolition (Straits Times, 1999d), the normally quiet citizens of the city-state
protested. Many Singaporeans wrote to the local newspapers, pleading with the
government to reconsider the decision. One local architect, Tay Kheng Soon, changed his
view from demolition to preservation of the building and provided an alternative design
after he became aware of the strong feeling the building had for many Singaporeans
(Straits Times, 2000a). Ho Weng Hin and Tan Kar Lin wrote to the local newspaper,
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
Received 13 November 2012
Revised 15 June 2013
Accepted 17 June 2013
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 70 No. 4, 2014
pp. 658-675
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/J D-11-2012-0148
658
JDOC
70,4
suggesting an above-ground tunnel to release the traffic tension at the area, because they
believed that:
[y] fondness for a place has greater ramifications of feeling deeply for our personal, social
and consequently, our national identity [y]. Singaporeans have come to accept and even
treasure the National Library’s existence. The building has matured with generations of
Singaporeans. It has assimilated into its physical surroundings and has become a place which
holds precious memories (Straits Times, 1999a).
But officially at least, the attitude toward the library crystalized toward the view of its
earlier architectural critics. The Preservation of Monuments Board declared it a building
not possessing great architectural merit, an argument used by the government to justify
the demolition of the building in 2000 (Straits Times, 1999c, 2000b).
If the National Library building was not considered beautiful according to aesthetic
criteria, what was its charm that won the hearts and minds of so many Singaporeans?
How can we understand this seemly puzzling phenomenon? An examination via the
lens of community building can provide a tentative answer.
So far there has been little research on the library’s role in a community.
The research that has been done shows that some libraries fail to serve the needs of the
communities while others succeed in serving their communiti es by playing diverse
roles. Situating public library services in the context of major social issues, John
Vincent (2009) reviewed the development of public library services for black an d
minority ethnic communities for the period of forty years from 1969 to 2009 in the UK
and pointed out the failure of public libraries to serve diverse communities. Accentuating
the distinctive feature of multiculturalism in South Africa, A. Rodrigues (2006) conducted
research on the public libraries in South Africa, pointed out that there was lack of
recognition of the role of the public libraries played in serving diverse multicultural
communities, and offered some suggestions for improvement. Through a study of four
public libraries in the US Midwest from 1876 to 1956, Wayne A. Wiegand (2011) showed
that they facilitated social harmony in local communities by providing a place where
people could learn acceptable behavior and read for life. Working within the intersection
between LIS and urban geography, Pyati and Kamal (2012) conducted a study on
community libraries in Bangalore’s poor neighborhood to show how libraries, as
community space, could play a role in helping the marginalized communities.
In their review of the historical development of the concept of space and place,
Gloria J. Leckie and John E. Buschman highlighted the relevance of the scholarly
discussion of space and place to library research (Leckie and Buschman, 2007).
They advocated that understanding the library as a place can be achieved by applying
various theoretical frameworks espoused by scholars from diverse disciplines (Leckie and
Buschman, 2007). In scholarly discussions (especially in the social sciences), veryoft enthe
notion of space and place is closely related to community (Leckie and Buschman, 2007).
Linking the conceptions of space/place with community, Leckie and Buschman suggested
that the idea that “a community can form around a place, can create a place and/or
have strong ties to a place” (p. 13) was useful in a discussion of libraries (Leckie and
Buschman, 2007).
Dissatisfied with previous studies on sense of community, David W. McMillan and
David M. Chavis, from the perspective of community psychology, proposed a definition
and theory of sense of community (McMillan and Chavis, 1986). Their theory is pertinent
to the library context as it helps to explain the relationship between the library and the
community it serves. So far, McMillan and Chavis’ theory has not aroused much interest
659
The National
Library of
Singapore
To continue reading
Request your trial