By Randy Soh (13S03O)
The library is a central component of every school, without which there would be no place for quiet and comfortable study, no place for the borrowing of books, and no place for research. Thus, it is important to upkeep the conditions of the library to ensure that every student is able to utilize it to its full potential. That is the role of a librarian. If Raffles Institution were a human body, then the Shaw Foundation Library is the brain where all the knowledge and information is stored, then librarians will form the skull – protectors of the brain.
Librarians are tasked to promote good library etiquette. Furthermore, they champion the use of the library’s bank of knowledge and services. Librarians assist library staff in the day-to-day upkeep of the library, which include shelving, wrapping books and paperwork. Not only that, librarians will get a chance to assist the teachers with PW research workshops, creating research slides and giving presentations to the students.
What one gets out of most from the library society is the experience, even though one’s efforts will not go unnoticed either. All duty hours will be counted as CIP hours (a total of 100 for two years). Aside from that, the library society also organizes CIP events related to books or the library for its members. According to Lim Tet Yuan (13S06N), “We did a Reading Assistance Program this year and it was certainly a gratifying experience teaching these primary school children to read. What I gained were not only the skills and patience necessary to guide these children, but also the need to contribute to society and cultivate our heart of service.”
Librarians are not the stereotypical nerds commonly portrayed in the media. Those in Library Society certainly have fun too. Every year, there will be an end-of -year camp and a learning journey to libraries in others schools such as the School Of The Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts! “We were exposed to the different technologies utilized by libraries nowadays and how it might be applied to our own school library to improve our own lives. That’s cool,” said Lim Jia Qi (13S06N).
The Library Society welcomes all with a passion to serve the library; normally around 10 librarians will be inducted into the small, cozy and tightly knit community. Meetings are held weekly on Wednesdays, from 2-3pm in the special library workroom. This is an exclusive home in the library just for the librarians, with amenities such as sofas, television, and computers. Librarians can use this place to hang out after school, and many choose to watch movies or have just talk. The Library Society is no doubt the perfect platform for one to serve and gain a cozy community of friends at the same time.
