Manned by only four librarians, the 13th floor of the National Library is a mystery

We had the chance to find out what's hidden up there.

Tsiuwen Yeo | Sponsored | March 30, 2018, 08:23 PM

It’s 3 pm on a Friday, and I’m on my way to the 13th floor of the National Library.

On most days, nobody stops on the 13th floor because it’s a restricted area.

Beyond the “Authorised Personnel Only” signage, blinds are drawn behind the glass doors -- shielding a mysterious collection of books, journals, manuscripts, maps and other ephemera from curious eyes.

I was told that the oldest materials dated all the way back to the 15th century.

This is the National Library’s Rare Materials Collection, where pieces of Singapore’s history are meticulously collected and preserved.

“Rare” librarians

Jessie, one of four “Rare” librarians on the 13th floor, has spent six months preparing for a display at the Rare Gallery.

She has a master’s degree in Chinese Literature, but the display she puts together explores travel in Singapore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Having looked through about 300 rare titles (from 1870s to 1930s) to piece together a narrative, this display features old maps, travel catalogues, guidebooks and even menus from ships that carried travellers from Europe to Singapore in the 1930s.

All these come together to paint a picture of an era where travel meant spending weeks on trains and ships, and how Singapore used to look like to the outside (mainly Western) world.

Materials in the Rare Materials Collection were inherited from the Raffles Library, sourced by the librarians, or donated by members of the public.

Naturally, a certain level of expertise is required to be a librarian at the National Library.

Research and content development, not book-shelving, form the main bulk of a librarian’s work

Yes. In fact, all four “Rare” librarians are master’s degree holders.

“Many people ask why I need a master’s degree just to shelve books,” Jessie says in a bemused manner.

That’s after I asked the question of all questions to direct to a librarian: “So what do ‘rare’ librarians do?”

Other than sourcing for materials, Jessie explains that she also acquires the materials, meets with potential donors, writes research articles, provides enquiry services to the public and gives public talks -- the list goes on.

The main bulk of a librarian’s duty is to conduct research and develop content. A massive amount of research.

This becomes apparent as she walks me through the display, deftly answering every unusual question I throw at her.

A travel booklet published by US agency Raymond & Whitcomb Company in 1926.

“How much is US$6650 today?”

“Well, I looked up the price of a pound of sirloin steak in the US in 1926 -- it was US$0.42.”

A map detailing railway connections through Malaya to Siam.

“How long did it take to travel by railway from Singapore to Thailand?”

“It took about 60 hours from Singapore to present-day Bangkok.”

John Little Department Store and its tea rooms were popular tourist attractions.

“Why was a department store so popular when it was a place the Europeans could also visit back home?”

“The tea rooms in John Little were a popular place for tourists to people-watch and have a small taste of local life. Exotic yet familiar.”

A pocketbook published by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) in 1898, and a map showing the connecting routes operated by P&O around the world and various ports of call, including Singapore, along each route.

“Did passengers have tour guides in every country?”

“I didn’t read about tour guides in the pocketbook, but there were interpreters assigned at major ports and train stations by big travel agencies such as Thomas Cook & Son.”

 “Did the menu on board change according to the country they were heading towards?”

“No, local food was not served.”

Mind you, we were talking about cruise ships that sailed in the early 1900s.

 A librarian’s purpose: expansion of knowledge

“Why prepare a display about travel in early Singapore when your specialisation is Chinese Literature?” I ask gingerly, cautious of posing another exasperating question that librarians deal with daily.

The look on Jessie’s face tells me it’s a safe question.

She answers that the National Library encourages librarians to broaden their knowledge so that they can provide research support on different topics, attend to public enquiries and also create displays like this.

Public exhibitions that display the National Library’s rich collections are also held regularly; and while the Rare Materials Collection is rarely (haha) open to the public, selected titles can be viewed at BookSG or via microfilms at level 11 of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

After close to two hours of exploring lots of information and questions inside the Rare Gallery, I’m shown the way out.

A quick reminder of the size of the gallery, versus the amount of time we spent in it.

The same glass doors that I tried to peer through when I arrived were locked behind me.  And for good reason -- the floor houses Singapore’s precious historical collection.

The rare materials of Singapore that are in the safe hands of well-versed experts, whose jobs are not only to expand the knowledge of Singapore’s history but also to spread that to Singaporeans.

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This is but one department of the National Library, which also comprises the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

Find out more about librarians here or join their signature programmes such as “A Librarian’s World”.

This is a sponsored post brought to you by the National Library, Singapore. The writer was truly impressed by the vast amount of information and expertise she encountered.