LitMinds Blog and Interviews

We travelled nearly halfway around the world to get this next LitMinds interview (well actually... we made the virtual journey... you have to appreciate the effort!). 

From the start, LitMinds was conceived as a borderless community -- one that would allow readers, authors and indie bookstores across the globe to engage in a common dialogue.  So, we started looking in other English-language countries for a few LitMinded folks.

Our first stop: Singapore.  We thought you might be as interested as we were to explore the book life of a librarian working in Singapore.  And Ivan Chew, a.k.a. the "Rambling Librarian," was certainly the right guy to approach (with six blogs he's got quite a bit to say!) He also has a fairly unique job in that he is exploring the use of technology in "library services" -- pretty cutting edge!

Thanks to Ivan for taking the time to answer a few questions for us.  And now ladies & gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts for a quick hop over to the Eastern hemisphere... please enjoy!

1. In a post on your blog, Rambling Librarian, you explain how you became a librarian, "I did not consciously set out to be a Librarian when I applied for the job some eight years ago.  What I wanted to do was to work IN a library, not necessarily to be a Librarian.  Didn't know what being a librarian meant then. Now I think I do."  What does it mean to be a librarian?  What are the misconceptions that people might have about librarians and the work they do?

I tend to approach the "what does it mean to be a librarian" question philosophically. It's about being passionate in a business of creating good for society, by helping people in their lifelong learning journey. 

Librarianship, to me, is more than managing data, information, or books. It's also more than just connecting people to information.  It's about helping people get to where they want, in their learning.  To do that effectively, we have to be accessible and be able to engage our customers (I tend to use "customers" than users; I absolutely avoid the word "patrons").  "Learning" can be a conscious act or something that occurs as part of a process. For instance, you don't specifically want to "learn" through a book club, but you discover or find answers to things you didn't know through the process. And I believe librarians and libraries should be part of that process.

As for misconceptions, the top three would be:

1) You mean you need a Masters degree to be a qualified librarian?  (The point is some people underestimate the educational qualifications and standing of librarians.) 

2) You must get to read a lot of books (Well, sure, I try hard to make time to read. But being near books isn't the same as having the time to read).

3) A librarian's job must be really easy (See point 2. What people tend to see is just the surface of things. I feel the cause of this misconception is partly the fault of librarians, because we don't do enough to tell people what we do). 

I wrote a series of posts to address some frequently asked questions about becoming a librarian.

2.  As a librarian in Singapore, you probably encounter a significant amount of Singaporean literature and authors.  Can you share with us some recommendations of contemporary Singaporean authors and books?  Are there additional regional Asian works you recommend, which might be less familiar to those outside of Singapore?

In tackling this question, I've realised I know so little to answer it well! Will have to do something about that of course.  I'd hesitate to give specific recommendations in a general sense. As with any author in the world, they all write in different styles, tones, and on various subjects and genres. There are works written in Singapore's four official languages -- English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. A good place to start is the Book Council of Singapore.

Most Singaporeans will probably name "Catherine Lim" if you ask them who's a Singaporean writer they have read. I guess that's because other than being relatively prolific, her works have been adopted by schools as literature textbooks.  As for regional Asian works, I tend to read very little of them. My reading tastes are more towards works by authors from the US and UK.
 

3. You have worked in libraries since 1996 and currently direct library services for adults and young people.  What have you discovered to be some of the different interests and needs of adults and young people?  Many stories in the media seem to focus on the declining rates of reading amongst younger generations.  Do you find this to be the case?  Are there characteristics of younger generations that have caused them to use libraries in new and different ways?

Overall, I've found more similarities than differences.  Adults (my employer defines them as 20 years and above) and young people (13 to 19 year olds) read for the same reasons. Most readers borrow and read fiction, and I think it's because we all want to be entertained, inspired, moved, escape temporarily, etc. What's similar is that sort of reading fills an emotional need. 

Young people read to find their way in the world. So do adults.

Adults tend to read non-fiction for reasons related to work or self-improvement, while young people will take them up for school projects and assignments. Young people tend not to read for self-improvement, at least not consciously -- so that's one role for libraries and librarians. 

I'd say everyone's reading more and not less. Just that what they read aren't just books anymore. Also depends on how strictly we define "reading."  We've got increased literacy levels, more educated parents and children, more discretionary time, the Internet, wider availability of reading materials and sources (books or otherwise). The amount of reading that goes on cannot be declining. I believe many public libraries all over the world are facing an increase in loans and usage.

Regarding declining rates of reading amongst younger generations, this isn't a new phenomenon. Children are exposed to reading when their parents and schools bring them to libraries. The loan rates taper off as they get older, though they still borrow for school assignments. Then as they enter the workforce, they borrow even less, as they have less discretionary time. Loans may pick up when they become parents, as they borrow for their children.  So overall, loans for young adults tend to be relatively lower than other age groups. 

In my many years of experience, I've observed that young people still use libraries the same way.  At the top of the list, the library has remained a place where you hang out with your friends. And then it's a place where you get to read for free (either in a group or as a solitary activity).  Libraries that stay relevant to young people are those that offer more than books -- it's other factors like ambiance, variety of materials and formats, interaction spaces, etc.  I think these improvements, which are necessary, only help to bring in more young people, but they don't offer different ways in which the library can be used.

4. A particular interest of yours as a librarian has been in supporting services for people with disabilities.  Tell us a bit about your background in this area and what drew you to it. What are the important issues faced by people with disabilities when accessing library services?

In 2000, I enrolled in an Information Science Masters degree programme. I had to think of a research topic for my dissertation. Mostly I had to satisfy myself that my topic was something worth doing – some practical value and not just research for its own sake.

At that time I was working as a public service librarian. By chance, I was tasked to organise and conduct a user-education session for about six teens. They had Spina Bifida and relied on wheelchairs to get around. So it just clicked. I realised libraries and librarians in Singapore have done so little with user groups like this. After the necessary discussions with the organisation serving that group of teens, I embarked on the exploratory research and completed it in 2002. Along the way, I decided this area could be my professional focus in librarianship. It helped that I've also developed a personal interest in library disability services. It matched the reasons why I wanted to be a librarian.

Regarding issues faced by people with disabilities when accessing library services -- let's just say I can easily publish my five-year old dissertation today, and it'll still be relevant.

http://libres.curtin.edu.au/libres12n1/ChewHiggins.htm or http://genie.sir.arizona.edu/761/  

In simple terms, the main problem faced by people with disabilities in Singapore is transportation, i.e. getting from their homes to the library itself. Most, if not all, libraries in Singapore are pretty accessible inside. But to make the journey from home, to get a bus or taxi, then to make the way from curb to pavement to the library itself (and back home again), that's the difficulty.

While librarians here cannot improve our transportation system (which is efficient to the majority of people, but not people with disabilities), we can help in public education and advocacy. We can do (and I'm happy to say we are doing) more to work with organisations serving people with disabilities. This is what I’ve done with a group of like-minded colleagues and friends: http://sglead.wordpress.com/
 

5. You are actively exploring the use of technology in your work as a librarian.  You maintain six blogs and participate in two online groups (Librarians-in-Singapore and Seeds O'Light: Amateur Poetry Circle).  In March of this year, you started the Singapore Social Media Directory to learn how wikis work.  How have new technologies influenced library and information studies?  What do you think will change about libraries in the future as a result of emerging technologies?

Wow, to answer this properly requires a dissertation! LOL 

The influence and change is much more apparent now than 2 years ago.  Terms like "blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, social media" are now part of the librarian's vocabulary. Increasingly, it's part of the library landscape. E.g. Some librarians and libraries have started their own blogs, podcasts, or their "traditional" website has begun to offer RSS feeds.

My prediction about the "future of libraries and librarianship" has, in a way, been answered in my reply to your first question. I believe that librarians and libraries who stay relevant will be those who see their work as more than managing data or information or books.  Definitely more than merely connecting people to information. 

I'd argue that all libraries (even private ones, to some extent) are in a business of providing a social good. To do that effectively requires proactiveness and engagement with customers (not passively waiting for questions to be asked, or materials to be requested). The trend in social media seems to be pointing everyone in this direction, or so it seems to me.

6. As a librarian, what do you like about the LitMinds community?

I like anything (profit or non-profit) that has to do with books, reading, and learning! Enough said!  OK, perhaps that was too brief.  

Well for one, I like being able to share my own reading interests (I think almost everyone likes to share a bit of themselves). Two, I like the randomiser feature. I like to be able to see who's out there. Somehow, there's comfort in coming across someone who shares similar reading interests. Maybe in an increasingly chaotic world, it reassures me that "I'm not alone".

You can find the Rambling Librarian's LitMinds' profile here.