The Penang Librarians' Group

Once upon a time in the early 1990's, there was a number of librarians in Pulau Pinang who came together to form an informal group, the Penang Librarians Group. It was decided that an informal group would not be too tied down to any association rules/regulations/constitutions. So it was that this group was made up of members from the various libraries of the University (Sains Malaysia), the public libraries, the special libraries, the college & school libraries, etc (end of thinking capacity!)

It was an interesting group - we met to welcome new librarians to PP, to bid farewell to anyone leaving, to celebrate occasions as and when we could.

A Farewell do for Penelope before she left for Sabah

Best of all we arranged visits to each other's libraries and also to other libraries out of PP.
The visit to the Maktab Rendah Sains MARA in Balik Pulau was also combined with a visit to a nutmeg factory in the area. How cool was that? In turn we visited a few other libraries in the island and Seberang (Mainland PP).

Fresh nutmegs (below) & mace (above)
at a Balik Pulau factory (CNB 199..)

Then we spread our wings (or rather we spent some money on a chartered bus) and ventured further to the North - to Kedah and Perlis, to visit libraries ++ (i.e. plus sites of interest and plus sites of history). So it was that in Sintok, Kedah, we visited the very newly built Universiti Utara Malaysia Library.

The PLG at UUM, Sintok (1991)

With the UUM Serials Librarian in front of the Library (1991)

A Librarian's nightmare - books on the floor. The shelves were
unfortunately delayed in coming to the new Library (CNB 1991)

In Alor Star it was the Kedah Public Library, and later the very historic Bujang Valley. Did we go to Bukit Kayu Hitam? I do not have any photos but we probably did, because it sure is a 'place of interest'. Shopping is an interest, right? And people have been shopping since waaay back, so there is also a bit of history there!

Posing with the State Librarian at the Kedah Public Library

"The Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approx. 224 sq km. Situated near Merbok, Kedah, between Gunung Jerai in the North and Muda River in the south, it is the richest archaelogical site in Malaysia."

A Bujang Valley candi complex

With HAR at the same site

In Perlis, it was the Public Library in Kangar. Oh dear, if this sounds like a boring library report, sorry.... But I did warn you about writing of events past as I glean through my old diaries before throwing them out. (I'm dejunking, remember?)

With Perlis Public Librarian & Foyziah, USM

The Children's section of the Perlis Public Library

7.17pm