A Librarian in a Garden Campus

USM Library in the 80s (CNB)

In retrospect, everything that happened in our past always seem to have been good, sometimes even great. Maybe that is why many memoirs get written - we get very selective in recalling our past, our memories of life lived then. The passing years tamper our version of the 'truth', and our perspective would be quite different from someone else's anyway. But for me, as far as being a professional librarian for nearly three decades at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (Pulau Pinang), I can say with all honesty that ... mostly, I enjoyed it.

For one thing, the Universiti Sains Malaysia is set in a beautiful campus on Minden Hill and it is a garden setting, (later) complete with a lake. There are plants and flowers all over the place and come 'Spring time', the flowering trees burst into colour. Although in the beginning many trees had been sacrificed to make way for new buildings, later it became the policy to not cut down trees or to replant if need be.

Unfortunately the flowering tree behind me, in front of the
Library, was cut down to make way for a gazebo (1994)

The back gate into USM (CNB)

So every morning for me, it was a seven minute-drive to the garden campus, to the USM Library to work amongst books, students and lecturers. The USM experience spanned 25 years from 1982-2007 and another earlier one in 1976, immediately after library school. The Chief Librarian Mr Lim Huck Tee had no qualms about reemploying me again after nearly six years. In fact that very encouraging first year for this rookie librarian somehow ensured she stayed in the profession as long as she did.

Was it challenging to work in an academic library? You bet! First there were books and journals, then there were computers. And then IT (Information Technology) came into the library and a while after that it was ICT (Information & Communications Technology) and KM (Knowledge Management). Librarians had to keep up, and our card catalogues became obsolete and were replaced by online systems. From guiding students (and lecturers) how to search for information from printed sources in the beginning, to how to 'mine' authentic information from the Internet. Our information literacy skills workshops had to cater to every student and lecturer, at the appropriate levels. But I really did enjoy our teaching/guiding role.

Flame of the Forest trees near the Language Centre (CNB)

In the last couple of years before retirement though, I was involved mainly in human resource management. Simply put, I had to deal with the library staff and their myriad programmes and problems. Not so enjoyable, but lucky for me, I had a nice big office with large glass windows that overlooked a beautiful huge tree and greenery. All part of the garden campus.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need - Cicero