CDNLAO Newsletter
No. 59, July 2007
1. Introduction
The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (LKCRL) is a major component of the National Library of Singapore. It was named in honour of the late philanthropist and founder of the Lee Foundation, Dr Lee Kong Chian. The Foundation made a generous contribution of S$60 million towards the building of the new National Library Building. The LKCRL occupies 7 floors of the 16-storey National Library building.
The LKCRL performs one of the key functions of the National Library in providing access to the nation’s heritage and reference collections. It houses resources and services to fulfill the ever-growing information, research and learning needs of Singaporeans, as well as researchers from other parts of the world.
This article gives an overview of the reference and information services provided at the Library and highlights innovative reference services developed.
2. Onsite and Remote Reference and Information Services
The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library offers onsite reference and advisory services for researchers, businessmen/women and the private individual with personal research interest. Our reference librarians will provide answers to queries, suggest search strategies and guide library users to relevant and useful resources. Researchers, both academic and/or business may also make appointments with our reference librarians with specialist subject knowledge for research assistance.
In addition to onsite reference enquiry services, the Library also operates a remote enquiry service called Reference Point. Users can make enquiries via email, post, fax or call Reference Point from the comfort of their homes. The SMS (Short Messaging Service) Reference Service is the latest addition to our multi-channel reference services. Users now have the option to pose their enquiries from virtually anywhere and on the move.
3. New Reference Services
3.1 SMS Reference Service
What was our reason for adopting SMS as a mode of operation for reference enquiry service at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library? One reason was the high penetration rate for cellular phone in Singapore. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore recorded a penetration rate of 98.4% in July 2006. There is also a growing worldwide trend towards greater accessibility and multi-channel reference enquiry service points. One such example is the increasing use of online chat. The use of online chat has moved from being a mere novelty into a mainstream service (Hirko, 2005). Trends such as these suggest that SMS could be an ideal way to reach out to a greater pool of potential users of our reference enquiry service. Adding to the advantages of portability of cellular phones and the ease of use of SMS, it became obvious to us that SMS would be an ideal mode for posting reference enquiries for those who may not have the luxury of visiting the library due to their tight schedules, and for people on the move.
There are, however, limitations in using SMS in reference enquiry service. Each SMS message is usually limited to 160 characters. If more than 160 characters are sent, the message will be broken up into 2 or more SMSes. This limits the amount of information delivered to users, and could limit the use of SMS to answering only simple enquiries. The project team explored ways to overcome the limitations posed by SMS as an avenue for reference enquiries, especially the text limitation of 160 characters per message.
We finally decided on a unique way of delivering replies to more complex enquiries. Lengthy reference answers are sent to the user’s cellular phone via an URL link. Upon opening up the URL link either through the cellular phone directly, or through a computer or PDA, the user would be able to view the reply easily. In this way reference answers can be accessed anytime, anywhere, as long as users have an internet-enabled device. The service has been further enhanced with the seamless delivery of recommended e-resources whenever possible. For databases where copyright has been cleared, the full text of the journal article may be read online, instead of just the citation. This speeds up delivery and provides convenience for the user.
Lengthy reference answers are sent to the user’s cellular phone via an URL link.
User opens up the URL link to view the full reference response.
An average of 10 –15 enquiries are received daily via the SMS channel, consisting of quick reference as well as more complex enquiries. Here are some examples of interesting enquiries received:
a) Where can I find good resources relating to setting up an eco business in Singapore?
b) What is the annual cargo tonnage handled by the Port of Singapore Authority?
c) What is the lowest temperature ever recorded in Pluto?
3.2 Network of Specialists (NOS)
Besides providing content within easy reach, the Library recently launched the Network of Specialists, a collaborative platform for experts and specialists to work together simultaneously to enhance the reference service. This platform allows staff to share their knowledge and learn from one another, thereby improving the quality of the reference service. The wiki-like collaborative platform enables staff at different locations to come together virtually to collaborate in real time to discuss and work on a single enquiry. Using their usual workplace email system, this network of specialists can enhance the quality of the reference answer. This service could be extended beyond the LKCRL in the future, to tap on the collective wisdom of librarians and subject experts anywhere in the world.
The table below gives an example of how an answer is enriched by a community of specialists contributing to an enquiry on NOS:
| Response by 1Librarian | Response with Inputs from community of specialists |
|---|---|
| Sample Enquiry: What are the addresses of Buddhist Temples or Monasteries belonging to the Mahayana Tradition in Singapore? | |
|
Recommended Solution: The Singapore Buddhist Federation is the umbrella body for Mahayana Buddhism in Singapore. This is their homepage: http://www.buddhist.org.sg/ Most information in the homepage is in Chinese. Examples of three major Buddhist temples for Mahayana Buddhism are:
|
Recommended Solution: The Buddhist community in Singapore does not have a complete list of Mahayana Buddhist organizations. Nevertheless, a list of almost all the 136 Buddhist organizations in Singapore can be found on this website. This website is used frequently by the local Buddhist community for events and courses:
Source: For You Most of the organizations in the list with Chinese names are Mahayana Buddhist organizations. We have also gotten in touch with the Buddhist Library in Singapore and the librarian will be sending us a book containing the print version of the list similar to the website listed above. We will get in touch with you again when we receive the book The Buddhist Library has also advised us that if you would like to visit a Chinese-speaking Mahayana temple, then any Chinese Buddhist temple is Mahayana. This includes Bright Hill Temple (at Sin Min Road), Shuang Lim Temple (at Toa Payoh) and the Venerable Ming Yi's temple in Paya Lebar. If you would like to visit an English-speaking Mahayanist temple, then perhaps a trip to the Tibetan temple in Pasir Ris would be helpful. |
3.3 Self-Service Enquiry Database
We are currently calling a tender to package reference answers into a self-service enquiry database for librarians and users to access and to re-use. Apart from reducing the time taken for both the librarians and users in identifying resources for similar enquiries, it will also enhance the usage of our rich resources.
4. Conclusion
Changing consumer lifestyles and technology innovations bring with it new possibilities for libraries. The LKCRL is continuously exploring new and innovative ways to improve our reference services to ensure that we stay relevant in meeting the information needs of our sophisticated users.
Submitted by:
Chow Wun Han (Ms)
Senior Manager, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library
Neo Tiong Seng
Reference Librarian, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library
National Library
National Library Board
Copyright (C)2007 National Library Board, Singapore
References
Hirko, B. (Fall 2005), “Mainstreaming chat”, Library Journal, p. 32.
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. (n.d.), Statistics on Telecom Services for 2006 (Jan - Jun), available at http://www.ida.gov.sg/home/index.aspx
