Lien Ying Chow Library, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Bee Ang and Rashna in the exhibition space

Today I visited the Lien Ying Chow Library. It's very different from Newcastle, partly because most of the students are younger, so one of their main concerns is attracting students into the library and encouraging them to read around their subject. The education system in Singapore doesn't seem to prepare students for the kind of independent learning that we are accustomed to in the UK. Students rely on their notes and on specific text books and don't have a habit of critical reading or questioning. Usually they buy the key textbook and work to that. They are therefore much less likely to visit the library for extra academic texts. This means the library rarely needs to obtain many multiple copies and this is one area which they have needed to address (very succesfully) for the NUIS students, who are expected to read more widely.