This is the second of a two-part article about Singapore’s libraries. You can read the first part of this story here.
Jean Tan, Chief Innovation Officer at the Singapore Library Board, is both a librarian and a creative director.
Mr Tan has played a pivotal role in coordinating major historical events such as the Singapore Bicentenary Project, the SG50 Capstone Exhibition, Our Future and the Singapore Memory Project, while at the same time leading Singapore’s libraries to an innovative and I have continued to stay positive.
GovInsider spoke to Mr Tan to find out more about his role as Singapore Libraries’ Chief Innovation Officer and the role libraries play in preserving Singapore’s national memory.
1. Please tell us a little about your role as Chief Innovation Officer. What does fostering innovation in libraries look like?
I have been at NLB for a long time and have seen firsthand how innovation has changed us and our place in the world. After all, I witnessed and participated in his 1998 implementation of the world’s first electronic library management system using radio frequency identification (RFID) for borrowing and returning materials.
Now, returning as Chief Innovation Officer is a full circle experience for me. I see myself as playing three roles: sensemaker, agent provocateur, and facilitator.
sense maker. Together with my team, the Innovation Office, and all of his NLB colleagues, we are looking inside libraries and archives, but especially to the outside world, and asking ourselves where things are heading. H The way content is produced and distributed is evolving along with the consumption patterns of users. How users consume content and how their patterns and habits are evolving.
Agent provocateur. We then ask ourselves tough questions, which sometimes get to the heart of our actions. Are you thinking only about books and magazines? Is it just for reading?
Facilitator. My team and I then work with her NLB team to plan potential service changes through what we call strategic workouts. There are ways to overcome the madness in a frenzied session, but you don’t know where you’ll end up until the end. I think that’s what makes it interesting.
2. You have extensive experience in national heritage and memory projects. How has that influenced your role and approach to innovation at Singapore Libraries?
When I stepped out of the world of libraries and archives to manage national projects such as Singapore’s centenary celebrations and SG50’s Our Future, I continued to be trained as a content organizer, but with more We elevated the content to the level of choreography to evoke emotion. It’s an experience that allows users to learn a little more about not only themselves, but their community, and ultimately, the nation.
Returning to NLB, I am always thinking about how content can be experienced, both in its modalities and channels, and how it can be experienced for myself and others. One thing I am certain of is that it is no longer enough for libraries and archives to simply provide seamless transactions.
3. Why do libraries need chief innovation officers today?
Since our founding in 1995, innovation has been in NLB’s DNA. This ushered in a major infrastructure transformation for libraries. Users have changed, and so have the content and the entire learning environment. I don’t know if NLB needs a chief innovation officer, but I do believe that innovation is needed just to keep up with these changes and the ever-changing needs of our users.
In addition to driving the development of innovative services that resonate with our users, I find myself mobilizing the team within NLB, connecting with friends and partners outside of NLB, and building a highly valuable library and archive. I think of myself as a cheerleader who provides things. Still in a great location to serve.
Four. What role will libraries play in the next chapter of Singapore’s story?
The National Library and National Archives of Singapore are important memory institutions that continue to house and collect important parts of the nation’s heritage.
The next chapter of Singapore’s story can be guided by our past stories and experiences, and our role as keepers, connectors and storytellers of those stories can be its driving force.
Singaporeans and those interested in Singapore can benefit from preserving and creating stories about Singapore, and in a sense, what makes us Singapore and how Singaporean identity is shaped. You can discover how it continues to evolve.
This journey of discovery is facilitated not only through NLB’s vast collection of content, but also through virtual and physical experiences of Singapore’s past and present. Ultimately, it’s about curating and choreographing content in a way that connects with Singaporeans and helps Singaporeans connect with each other.
What are NLB’s desired goals for the next chapter of the Singapore story? Singapore story.