National Library Board Recognises Customer Role Models and Top Borrowers on Customer Appreciation Day

Release Date : 01 Sep 2010

Launch of 15th Year Anniversary Celebrations

Exclusive tour of 15 Rare Treasures at the National Library

Singapore, 1 September 2010 – The National Library Board (NLB) today launched the Customer Appreciation Day as part of its initiatives to thank customers for their strong support of NLB's National Library and network of Public Libraries. Held for the fifth time, the event also aims to recognise library users who have gone the extra mile to demonstrate good library etiquette.

Aside from recognising exemplary library users, top borrowers were also lauded for their support towards library services. These borrowers who come from all walks of lives were recognised for having loaned the most number of library materials in the past year. Besides celebrating our customers' support for the libraries' range of resources and services, the other objective for the Customer Appreciation Day this year is to commemorate NLB's 15th anniversary celebrations since its establishment as a statutory board in 1995.

The theme for the celebrations, Celebrating 15 years with You: Transforming Lives through Knowledge, showcases the impact that the libraries had on the lives of the community over the years. As part of the anniversary celebrations, a series of initiatives will be held from 1 September to 2 October 2010 to enable the public to learn more about the range of resources and services.

The public will also have the opportunity to participate in exclusive guided tours of the National Library's 15 Treasures from its Rare Materials Collection.  From 15 September till 2 October, they will have an up-close view of these treasures, which include artefacts that date back to the early nineteenth century, such as a letter written by Sir Stamford Raffles. These treasures which were selected for their significance in Singapore's social-cultural and publishing history, will include the earliest native account of Singapore as represented by the Hikayat Abdullah, and the earliest available copy of the Singapore Chronicle, the first newspaper in Singapore. Through these artefacts, the public will be able to learn more about Singapore's heritage and literary roots. For more information on the guided tours on these treasures, please visit golibrary.nlb.gov.sg

Another initiative is NLB's 15-Year Milestones Display where users are encouraged to answer 15 NLB-related questions indicated on a special display panel, which will be placed at all Public Libraries from 1 to 30 September. The display panel, which chronicles the key milestones in NLB's establishment till now, highlights the transformation of the libraries over the years through its innovative use of technology.

Visitors to the Public Libraries can also participate in a series of fun-filled activities from 1 to 30 September, which include storytelling sessions, craft workshops and many more. To further encourage wider participation, members of the public are invited to share 15 library services that have transformed their quest for knowledge through the List Your Top 15 Library Services Contest. Through the contest, which ends on 15 September, users are invited to highlight the 15 library services, which have made an impact on their lives.

For existing library members, in appreciation of their support, they can redeem an exclusive NLB anniversary gift when they borrow a total of 15 items in the month of September as part of a loan promotion. They have to present their loan receipts at any Public Library and be presented with the gifts while stocks last. For members of the public who are not library members, they can sign up as a new member from 1 September and receive a welcome kit from any Public Library. They can also register online via the Public Libraries website at www.pl.sg

For more information on the list of programmes and activities organised please visit www.nlb.gov.sg for more details.