NL 77-62 Vol 1
Mobile Libraries
Mobile library services was started to cater to people living in rural areas and densely populated housing estates. The library van would stop for 2 hours on a fixed day each week at selected points. A factsheet on the Mobile Library can be found in pg 281 and FAQs in Pg 149
This file contains correspondence with various partners for permission for mobile libraries to be parked in their premises/land e.g. Post Offices, Land Office (for various patches of open land), City Council, Singapore Improvement Trust, the Traffic Police and various property owners for permission to park in certain spots. Also arrangements for tapping of electricity from street lights with the City Electrical Engineer and how it would be charged. The mobile library was targeted at adults and children with books in all local languages. Community Centre staff were trained in discharging books, pasting labels and book cards on books, arranging books by Dewey Accession numbers.
A pilot kicked off in July 1964 with the Nee Soon, Tanjong Pagar and West Coast Community Centres. Letters and membership forms were sent to schools in the vicinity of the CCs. Response to the service was extremely positive, with some schools requesting for the mobile library to stop at their premises, more books requested, as well as membership application forms. In 1967 The New Zealand government made a gift of $84,500 for books in the mobile library services and provided a director, Ms Priscilla Taylor under the Colombo Plan. A press release was issued in acknowledgement of the largesse (pg 186)
Details about manpower in the Library Extension Section - roles and responsibilities - are included (pg 232), as the mobile library service was successful and required more manpower to staff it. This was only granted the following year.
Letter from the MP for Jalan Kayu asking if books destined for pulping (due to damage) could be donated to his constituency's CC's. D/NL responded saying that the condition of books sent for destruction is beyond redemption - and that books are usually rebound and repaired and kept in general circulation for as long as possible.
A mobile library crisis is described in pg 205 - the van being stuck due to floods in the Bukit Timah (Newton) area and had to be pushed by schoolboys to 'dry land'.
This file contains correspondence with various partners for permission for mobile libraries to be parked in their premises/land e.g. Post Offices, Land Office (for various patches of open land), City Council, Singapore Improvement Trust, the Traffic Police and various property owners for permission to park in certain spots. Also arrangements for tapping of electricity from street lights with the City Electrical Engineer and how it would be charged. The mobile library was targeted at adults and children with books in all local languages. Community Centre staff were trained in discharging books, pasting labels and book cards on books, arranging books by Dewey Accession numbers.
A pilot kicked off in July 1964 with the Nee Soon, Tanjong Pagar and West Coast Community Centres. Letters and membership forms were sent to schools in the vicinity of the CCs. Response to the service was extremely positive, with some schools requesting for the mobile library to stop at their premises, more books requested, as well as membership application forms. In 1967 The New Zealand government made a gift of $84,500 for books in the mobile library services and provided a director, Ms Priscilla Taylor under the Colombo Plan. A press release was issued in acknowledgement of the largesse (pg 186)
Details about manpower in the Library Extension Section - roles and responsibilities - are included (pg 232), as the mobile library service was successful and required more manpower to staff it. This was only granted the following year.
Letter from the MP for Jalan Kayu asking if books destined for pulping (due to damage) could be donated to his constituency's CC's. D/NL responded saying that the condition of books sent for destruction is beyond redemption - and that books are usually rebound and repaired and kept in general circulation for as long as possible.
A mobile library crisis is described in pg 205 - the van being stuck due to floods in the Bukit Timah (Newton) area and had to be pushed by schoolboys to 'dry land'.
Sept 1959 - Oct 1969
AP201
You may read, cite, and quote from this file. Copies may be made for personal reference.
Mobile Library
