Overview
The National Library Board (NLB), together with the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), and the Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), have collaborated for the first time to launch a website titled the Singapore Biographical Database (SBDB) of Chinese Personalities.
Available from 1 February 2019, SBDB (sbdb.nus.edu.sg) is a digital humanities website that maps out the relationships between 200 Chinese men and women who made significant contributions to Singapore from the 19th to 21st century. 200 personalities were selected for the launch, in conjunction with 200 years of the founding of modern Singapore. These include Eu Tong Sen, Chew Joo Chiat and Lim Bo Seng. SBDB allows users to experience the content in an interactive manner through its data visualiser tool.
Rediscovering shared social histories
By presenting close to 800 ties that bind these 200 Chinese personalities, NLB seeks to inspire Singaporeans to connect their own ancestors to the web of individuals who contributed to the growth and development of Singapore. In rediscovering shared social histories, NLB hopes future generations will learn from their forefathers’ tenacity in responding to new circumstances and challenges.
In line with NLB’s aim to encourage awareness and appreciation of Singapore’s history, SBDB has digitised historical content that can be used to further research on Singapore’s social history. Members of the public and researchers can share knowledge by filling in information gaps for lesser-known Chinese personalities, contributing to a more comprehensive database for academics and heritage enthusiasts alike.
Please refer to a selection of Chinese personalities in Annex A and screenshots of the website in Annex B.
_____About National Library Board
The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 26 public libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. NLB also forges strategic partnerships that encourage awareness, appreciation and greater discovery of Singapore’s history through its rich collections on Singapore and the region.
NLB achieves excellence through innovation, focusing on citizen engagement and co-creation, resource and digital innovation. This creates learning opportunities, greater access to library resources, services and archival collections, as well as a continual development of innovative library spaces. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).
For more information, please visit www.nlb.gov.sg, Facebook and YouTube.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr Ernest Lee
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Tel: 9010 9719 / 6390 3327
Email: ernest.lee@hkstrategies.com
Ms Elyssa Chua
National Library Board
Tel: 6718 3302 / 9118 1602
Email: elyssa_chua@nlb.gov.sg