Like the books under their care, where covers do little to reflect the wonderful worlds of words spun between them, many a librarian would tell you that the joy in his or her job is not plainly visible to others. As promoters of knowledge, purveyors of imagination and preservers of the ever-enduring art of literature, the motivation behind a person in the library profession is not so much for want of limelight, but more for personal passion and deep-seated appreciation of intellectual enlightenment. However, credit should be given where it is due, and for the first time, national librarianship was conferred a dose of commendation of the highest order on 9 May.

 

In spectacular fashion, over 200 librarians and information professionals from local educational institutions, government agencies and corporate organisations, as well as members of the Library Association of Singapore (LAS) and the senior management of the National Library Board (NLB, congregated at the Istana, where President and Mrs S R Nathan hosted a reception in recognition of the profession’s significant contributions to the nation.

 

 

 

Underscoring this honourable acknowledgement, three stalwart librarians, namely Ms Lau Siew Kheng, Ms Manijeh Namazie and Mr R Ramachandran, were each presented with the LAS Professional Service Award for their life-long service to the specialty industry.

 

“It’s an exhilarating feeling to be appreciated for our services rendered. I never expected any recognition out of my years of work, but I’m happy for this because I think it will help elevate the profession’s profile and image. This is something that can inspire future generations to think differently towards the profession,” said Mr Ramachandran, who still continues to serve in his retirement years as the Executive Director of the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS).

As crucial tenets of learning as well as channels for personal and professional growth, libraries have undergone many phases of improvement that have been realised through the efforts of librarian professionals. A notable example of this is the transition of library services into the digital age. This is a development that award recipient, Ms Lau, who led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Library into computerisation, is particularly familiar with. “It’s amazing to look back and see how far library services have come since the days of manual systems,” said the librarian specialist with the Digital Resources and Services division of NLB. “Not only can we deliver so much more efficiently now, embracing technology has also opened up so many possibilities in terms of new and novel services. It would be interesting to see what is in store for libraries in the future.”

 

After 34 years of service since 1956 and having lived through most of the library service’s years of development, the event was a moving career epilogue for Ms Namazie, a former Deputy Librarian at the National University of Singapore. “I am truly honoured by this commendation. But to me, I feel I have already been duly rewarded with the friends I’ve made and the enjoyment I’ve derived from my years of work,” said the retiree, who celebrates her 78^th birthday this year.

Ms Namazie’s words succinctly summed up the professional delights often found, felt and shared by the librarian community. Indeed, librarianship in Singapore has had a long, rich and illustrious journey, with every generation charting its own unique milestones and achievements that have led up to its current prominence. As new blood continues to join the ranks, leading the profession into exciting new chapters, all librarians past, present and future can reflect on this very special commendation and be proud of the important role they play in society.