Mobile library services were 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.
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. Also arrangements for tapping of electricity from street lights with the City Electrical Engineer. The mobile library was targeted at adults and children with books in all local languages. There was also training of Community Centre staff 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 applicatoin 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.
Details about manpower in the Library Extension Section are included 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.
jan 1970 - Dec 1973
AP201
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