Visit to NUS Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library & NUS Business School

Today I joined the LAS Programmes and Social Committee to visit the Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library and Mochtar Riady Building, a flagship building of the NUS Business School.

About Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library

The Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library (HSSML) is a Special Library within the National University of Singapore Libraries.

It started its operation in 1987 and was named in memory of the late Mr Hon Sui Sen (1916-1983), former Minister for Finance of Singapore (1970-1983).

The Library collects and maintains a rich collection of management, business and finance books, journals, audiovisual materials and digital resources. It serves primarily students and faculty members from School of Business. It completed a face lift renovation last semester, i.e., March 2011.

Highlights of the day:

Date: 12 Dec 2011 (Monday)
Time: 3.00pm to 5.20pm
Meeting point: Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library (HSSML) Information Desk

Program
3.00 – 3.30pm: Registration and Networking Tea
3:30 – 4.30pm: Overview of Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library and Library Tour
4:30 – 5.00pm: Tour of the NUS Business School (Mochtar Riady Building)

Registration
Registration is on a first-come-first served basis and limited to LAS members only.
The group size is limited to 20. I am glad to be one of them and met many friends and counterparts from various libraries.

Location map of NUS HSSML
http://libportal.nus.edu.sg/frontend/ms/hon-sui-sen-memorial-library/about-hon-sui-sen-memorial-library/getting-to-hon-sui-sen-memorial-library

With the briefing from the NUS Librarians and the staff from Business School who guided us for this tour, I gained more insight into the changes Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library has since 1987. As I used to visit the library when my UK classmate was working there in the 90s. This visit refreshed my memory. Nevertheless, the new impression I now have of HSSML is very different from what I hold in my "databank of 1990s".

Some major changes are:

* Increase of reading and learning space: the seating capacity is now up to over 200, additional discussion rooms and student activities areas are created from staff office from basement to level 3. This is to meet the needs of students for project works/group discussion.

* Multiple "power points"are available on all reading tables to meed the computing needs of the students.

* Periodical and book shelves from Level 1 and 2 were removed and housed at the top level.

* Integrating "Info Common" room/area with commercial computer printing/photocopying service.

* Increase total floor space by converting the roof top garden and cooling plants area to "Quiet Rooms" etc.

* Use of "QR codes" for coding 20 tier-one current journals and allow the use of smart mobile phone to do scanning and auto login/searching via NUS Library OPAC LINC (Library INtegrated Catalogue). As the journal "title" is embedded in the QR codes, no typing is necessary and that makes searching easy. Users just take a photo of the QR code and with some finger tapping, they get to browse the OPAC records. If the OPAC records are linked to EBSCOhost, users may also browse the issues and get the articles directly in future.

Notes: one can create QR code at http://www.qrstuff.com/

NUS Business School (Mochtar Riady Building)

The Business School in NUS, built in 2009, is a fairly new building in NUS. It is just at the turn of a corner when we step out of the library. With the help of the staff from the business school who guided us from floor to floor, we have a chance to enter many seminar rooms, staff lounges and enjoy the views of the surrounding building in NUS through the glass wall of this new building.

The open and over 120 degree horizontal view the various lounges provide made many LAS member recalled their impression of the

The view is different, of course, yet the feel is rather similar. I think all the architects within the same decade may have the same approach in creating experience to the users of the building.

Some of the LAS members being "Green" and environmental friendly, do feel that the glass partitions in the building and the glass wall around it, can be rather costly for long term maintenance.

Most of the LAS members like the look and feel. Yet, most of us feel luck that we do not need to think about paying for the utilities.

I think the students in the Business School are the fortunate one as the building have areas that are accessible 24 hours and that will make them feel very much at home any time all year long.

Most of the LAS member was impressed to see the building and its spacial rooms for different uses. Yet having to cool the entire glass building over 12 hours is costly. If there is a energy saving way to bring down the cost, this type of design, which look attractive to the eyes, would become very popular in the future.

I do wish I can be student again to enjoy the excellent facilities and services provided by the Library and School management.

Visiting two sites and tour different floors in the building create opportunity to exercise our legs this afternoon. Our physical body are rather tire at the end of the visit at 5.20pm, yet, we are ontented and feel thankful!

Thanks to the Librarians in Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library and LAS Programmes and Social Committee who takes times to organize this visit. Thanks too for the library staff who prepare a a nice tea reception, with nice home-made mee siam, cookies and cakes etc before we start the tour!

A big "Cheers" to all!

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Source of information: email from lassec@las.org.sg, dated 22 Nov 2011.

Eligibility for Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points:
This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category - "Study visit to other libraries (local and overseas)"