Mdm Deputy Speaker, $156 million has been allocated to our libraries to expand the nation’s learning capacity through a network of libraries and information resource centres.
Recently, I made some online search via the library E-Resources database for articles in Chinese newspapers like Lianhe Zaobao. I encountered some problems during the search and my understanding from the library was that the Factiva limits online search by library members to only a few sources.
According to the library, the reason given for this limitation was due to licensing constraints face by the database service provider. As such, not all features of Factiva are available for home online access.
I would like to know what are the constraints pertaining to the licensing issue? Can we expect the issue to be resolved soon?
Next, the library seems to over service its members who fail to return borrowed books and paid penalties. It was reported that the library will spend some $250,000 to send letters to these members, providing the details of individual borrowers’ accounts, titles of borrowed items, amount of unpaid library fines and fees etc. What about the administrative costs that’s incurred as a result of providing these details?
The Finance Minister in his budget speech has said that “We should continue to avoid waste in government spending, and make sure we derive value in every use of taxpayers’ dollars.” I wonder why there is a need to spend $250.000 of tax payers’ money to notify those members who borrow material from the library and fail to return that they will be barred from using library services – would Not just barring these members till they settle all penalty be sufficient?
Mdm, the situation of library members borrowing material and failing to return them does not speak well of Singapore as a society. I would like to know how many library members are in arrears of penalty and owed materials to the libraries. I would also like to know whether the library has plans to better manage the problem.
(Note: this speech was delivered in Parliament on 6 Feb 2009.)
