Digital Gems is a virtual library of rare historical materials on Southeast Asia. Every year, the library grows as more content are being added into its collection.

In 2020, we launched these 4 collections in Digital Gems

By digitizing these unique materials, knowledge of the past is made accessible to future generations.

In the same vein, we also partnered with National Library Board (NLB) to make these materials searchable on NLB’s search platform, thereby making our rare materials more accessible to the public.

A dialogue with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was held in collaboration with World Scientific Publishing. Moderated by Singapore Literature Prize-winning author, Peh Shing Huei, the session saw ESM Goh Chok Tong engaging the NUS community in a meaningful and thought-provoking exchange on his extraordinary journey from a kampong boy to Singapore’s Prime Minister, his views of Singapore, and beyond.

The dialogue also shed light on some of the pressing topics that are on the minds of our youths, and offered insights into how the younger generation can collectively shape their own future.

Herman Ronald Hochstadt, or hrh as he is more fondly known, is honoured with the NUS Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Award in 2015, and the Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2019. Hrh is a strong supporter of NUS Libraries. His late wife, Peggy Wai Chee Leong-Hochstadt, was the first Chief Librarian of NUS Libraries.

His memoir, titled "lives & times of hrh", is a highly personal, warm and witty account of his life, with a focus on his public service career. It gives a first-hand account of how he worked with Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr Lee Kuan Yew and other Pioneer Generation leaders in laying the foundations for the key institutions of independent Singapore.

The book was published by NUS Press, and jointly launched by NUS Press and NUS Libraries. Proceeds will go towards supporting financially needy students.

NUS Libraries, together with Resilience Collective, organised a unique human library event where human “books” shared true life stories on their mental health issues, and how they overcame challenges with determination and resilience. Participants were given the opportunity to interact with the “books” and better understand the experiences of these discriminated individuals in our community.

The event was held in conjunction with World Mental Health Day and World Suicide Prevention Day.

With nation-wide lockdown and social distancing measures in place, learning content had to be delivered online. Anticipating the move, we prepared in advance to convert all our in-person learning sessions into e-sessions before the mandate. This includes consultations, information literacy sessions and events.

To facilitate online and asynchronous hybrid learning, our librarians created more than 100 videos on a wide range of topics. Some of the videos were turned into Small Private Online Course (SPOC). In all, the number of views for all our videos on YouTube and Panapto is more than 48,000.

The shift not only challenged us to optimise our resources and to explore more creative ways to engage, it also allowed the library to reach out to a greater community. Our flagship event, Researcher Unbound, for instance, saw a 57% increase in attendance while our online research and subject guides saw an increase in views by almost 10% to 642,770 total views.

Medical educators made changes to their curriculum when students’ research conducted in clinical settings were no longer possible. Many students had to shift to systematic review projects instead.

Our librarians provided support by intensifying online consultations, conducting back-to-back sessions for these students. The systematic review online guide curated by our librarians provided further support to the students. It saw an increase by 42.9% to 17,295 views and became one of the most popular guides consulted among all our online subject guides.

Our first mystery game took place at TEL-Imaginarium in February. Conceived to bring the potential of immersive tech closer to the NUS community, students get to explore what TEL-Imaginarium has to offer using AR/VR elements. Armed with a gripping murder mystery plot, the game attracted an overwhelming 99 participants from 28 teams.

Inspired by the success, a new game was conducted via Zoom amidst a pandemic-stricken new term in October. This time it attracted even more players — 127 participants from 42 teams. Despite not meeting each other physically, players were able to socially connect with their friends over an exciting online game.

The pandemic provided an opportunity to bring the discussion of digital scholarship beyond our shores.

Working hand in hand with Digital Humanities Singapore, we introduced the Digital Scholarship in Southeast Asia Seminar Series to promote topical discussions on digital scholarship in the region and beyond.

In the first session, 4 speakers from diverse backgrounds and different institutions across Southeast Asia came together for a discussion on Digital Scholarship and Open Access in Southeast Asia.

The online seminar reached more than 2,400 online views within the first 2 weeks.

Covid-19 has sparked a greater urgency for research in understanding Infectious Diseases (ID).

In partnership with the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), the Singapore Infectious Diseases Research Landscape Mapping website was launched. The website provides an overview of the local ID research landscape from Jan 2015 to May 2019 with detailed links to the information needed by researchers, the industry, practitioners and the public.

By showcasing Singapore’s ID research to the public, the project aims to attract more funding for ID research and foster more impactful collaborations among clinician scientists, researchers, and industry partners.

The Central Library renovation started in June 2018. After 18 months of extensive work, Level 1 and 5 opened its doors in January 2020.

Level 1, previously home to part of the NUS Co-op, a plant room and library storage area, was repurposed into an exciting new space that serves different needs, be it for relaxation, hang out, learning or social interaction.

Level 5, which used to serve as the main study area, took on a more contemporary look with its open-space design that promotes better interactivity, in addition to more seats for studying and reading.