Collaboration and aggregation for innovative and rich content services - the NLB experience

Abstract

Libraries and archives collect and provide access to resources of significant national, cultural and heritage values. While these efforts continue unabated, we cannot undertake this enormous task alone. We must collaborate, and over the years, libraries and archives have established extensive and close co-operative relationships.

The National Library Board of Singapore (NLB) manages the National Library, the National Archives and the Public Libraries in Singapore. When the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) joined the NLB family in November 2012, it brought with it a huge and highly valuable collection of primary and unique materials on Singapore’s history. OneSearch, the unified search service across the National Library, NAS and the public libraries launched in August 2014, clearly demonstrated the opportunities and benefits of the close collaborations amongst libraries and archives.

Libraries and archives, with their patrimonial roles, are in the unique position to collaborate with content owners on copyrighted content. The NewspaperSG and the MusicSG services are two examples of such powerful collaborations with the newspaper publishers and composer and lyricist association in Singapore that bring otherwise unavailable copyrighted content to the public. The eReads service aggregates all e-book titles from the various commercial providers NLB subscribed to and provides a one-stop portal to discover and find e-books of various genres using an intuitive and attractive user interface. At the national level, the Singapore Memory project brings the entire nation together to build a national memory bank.

A recent research by NLB of national libraries in 14 countries identified 3 key digital library trends: digitisation of collection and offering digital library services; digital preservation; and collaboration. Strategic collaborations (at local, regional and international levels) and aggregations, coupled with the innovative use of information technologies, enable NLB to better preserve its national collections while making valuable content accessible.