From Idea to Exhibit: A Curator’s Musings
By: Public Libraries Singapore
Tags: Books, Libraries, Reading, Exhibition, Singapore

Tell us a bit about the exhibition. What’s in store for visitors?

The Libraries Transforming: Our Journey from Past to Future exhibition, which opened in April, was put together in conjunction with a significant milestone: Queenstown Public Library’s (QUPL) 51st anniversary. QUPL was the first full-time branch library that opened in 1970, and we wanted to take the opportunity to look at the broader picture of how the public library service in Singapore has transformed since then.

The National Library and Public Libraries were, and still are, a large part of the lives of many Singaporeans. Many grew up borrowing books from the libraries and spending their leisure hours there. However, not many people are familiar with the fascinating journey that our libraries went on to get to where they are today. Many stories can be found within our libraries, but we think it’s time to tell the libraries’ story.

A general view of the exhibition

Could you share what the curatorial process was like? What were the steps involved and how did you go about selecting what to feature and display?

It took the team a year to put the exhibition together. We started by looking at the milestones in NLB’s corporate history, going as far back as 1845, when the very first public library was opened in Singapore! We identified 33 significant events that marked defining moments for the library in Singapore—such as the completion of the first National Library building in 1960, the computerisation of library services in 1987, the adoption of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in 1998, and the launch of the Libraries of the Future master plan in 2015, to name a few.

We wanted to focus on the impact these events had to make the milestones relatable to visitors. One example would be how book borrowing has changed over the decades, from the use of physical library cards and the long queues at the counters, to instantaneous borrowing with the NLB Mobile app today. Younger visitors may be fascinated by how library visitors in the past used to search for books by thumbing through the card catalogue (paper cards containing details of books housed in a cabinet of drawers), before library catalogues were digital and accessible online. We’ve put on display one of these catalogue cabinets from QUPL. Incidentally, QUPL was also the library where the computerisation system was first piloted.

Borrowing and returning books through the Browne Issue System before computerisation in the late 1980s

Searching for a book using the card catalogue at Queenstown Branch Library in 1972

Why were certain mediums, like interactive displays, chosen over others?

We wanted to make the exhibition interactive through multimedia displays from the outset. While the stories about library services in Singapore are fascinating, it wouldn’t be very engaging to present them simply as panels of text. We wanted to turn the stories into interactive exhibits with multimedia content like photographs and other audio-visual materials that visitors can explore on their own.

We were also mindful that our visitors would include families with children, which was why we designed the exhibits to include interactive elements. There are stations where visitors are encouraged to scan dummy books to activate videos, open drawers for additional content, turn text panels, and so on. For example, the card catalogue cabinet I mentioned previously was turned into an interactive exhibit where visitors can discover people’s fond memories of QUPL by pulling open its drawers.

The “Borrowing Books: Then & Now” exhibit, where visitors can scan a book to discover how the borrowing process has changed over the decades.

The “The Library Story” exhibit, a multimedia interactive timeline featuring 33 milestones in NLB’s history.

The old card catalogue cabinet on display, where visitors can pull open drawers to discover fond memories of QUPL.

Processing such a large amount of information must have taken a lot of effort. Were there any challenges that you faced along the way?

The research process — going through NLB’s long history to select milestone events — seemed daunting at first. However, my capable researcher and librarian, Chow Yaw Huah, did an excellent job identifying the relevant information in a very comprehensive manner, providing the team with a solid foundation of content to work with.

Although I have curated content on library services and operations in the past, not having experienced these events firsthand posed some challenges and limitations. Fortunately, I was able to tap on the memories of more senior colleagues and ex-NLB staff who had “been through the era”. They were able to share their intimate knowledge, which no doubt enriched the exhibition.

Having the right archival photographic or audio-visual materials was also crucial. I was able to access NLB’s resources and archives thanks to many colleagues from various departments who gave their full support for the project.

Old borrowing cards of the National Library

What would you say was the most satisfying part of putting together the exhibition?

Curating an exhibition is very much like giving birth to a baby (not that I have any experience in that)! Seeing ideas gradually taking shape and finally coming to fruition in the actual exhibition is a very rewarding experience. It makes you feel that all the blood, sweat and tears poured into it was worthwhile. Of course, the joy is doubled when visitors show appreciation for the exhibition.

What is one takeaway that you’d like for visitors to have?

The public library service in Singapore has come a long way from its infancy since the 1960s. However, the challenge remains: How should libraries continue to serve our society today and in the future? How do we continue to create a positive impact in the lives of Singaporeans? Hopefully, the library’s journey in the past as featured in the exhibition can provide some inspiration.

Thank you very much, Sang Hong, for sharing what it’s like to curate an exhibition as special as this one!