Since my wee lad years,quite often I used The Dewan Hang Tuah public library in my home town.I remember having to fork out $6.00 fine for late return of a book I borrowed.It was adventure of Sinbad,if I'm not mistaken.
It was a big sum for a 13 years old lad.Some how I managed.
The Dewan Hang Tuah state library employed 2 full time librarian.
I couldn't recall their name,but one a Chinese serve as the librarian and coordinates the in and out activities of patrons and an Indian man acts as a clerk.
One must be aware it was an era where Charted Librarianship Programme was unheard of in my little sleepy hollow town,Malacca.
Library service was done manually,micro chips was much later introduced in the library around 1975.
Most search was done via cataloge card stock at one corner of the library.
Tempang,the Chinaman,as he was known to us was the librarian whom not only enforces the law to patron to keep quite but he ensure no nonsense in his library,such as eating chewing gum,which we would cheekly stick it underneath the reading table out of mischievous act.Anybody caught,redhanded a sistem of fine of 10 cents and subsequently 3 times panelty will be remove from librarian membership.
Such was the dracanion law introduce wee back then.
Netherless,we digest,we quest and meet new social friends of our age group.
And later,we march to Cafe 101 or Snowwhite for a cokefloat,if only the federal minor scholarship was credited in time.
It was a era of no browsing the google and whack-tech gizmo.
Library etiquette was instill in us, since we were lad.
As far as I could remember,no torn pages on most books I borrowed from the library. Some of it is really out of date and published circa 1940.
Netherless we enjoyed the book or rather the trip of the library becaused I am certain 99.9% of homes then, do not have a library at home.
One would be lucky to find daily newspaper,either Utusan,Berita or if its a English specking home there would be NST.At home it was Utusan Melayu in JAWI which arwah Tok Wak bought daily and the only source of news back then.
Nevetheless,I diguest the news in Jawi.
I left home town, quest for adventure.
During my student days in London,the library vist and usage is a must and frequent.
It was at the polytech library which open my neive eyes the quest of KNOWLEDGE grew.
The condusive enviroment,the new ways of library research plus the content in the library facinates me.
I would escape the cold and hide myself at one corner,not nessary studying but jes to brows the Guardian,Daily Telegraf,The Times or even the New York Post to escape the cold.
Library research was still at it infancy.Still uses the micro-negetive slide.Cataloging was still in card-boxes but....
The library ethiques are maintain.Thats is,Quite Pleased'!
The Maryleborne Library along the Maryleborne Rd., where Karl Marx wrote his bible the 'DAS KAPITAL'
was my hide away when serious studying needed,particularly during exam fever.
The chairs and tables where Karl Marx sat were mark and noted by the Library administrative and I am sure it is still there.
The Maryleborne Library is where I borrowed most of the old Blues collection,ie.the rare copies of Muddy Waters,TJ Hooker,Slim Walter,etc LP's and retape it for my personnel collection which I still have it till this day and were stack away in my attic.
Its capacity daily are mostly 3/4 full,but one couldn't hear a word of wishper if one in there.In other words is Silence Pleased, You are In the Library
I venture out at the spacious and classic library of University of London at Goutch Street off Totteham Court Rd.
Its tables arrangement with a study light on each table,facinates me and it is cozy.It was here I wanted so much to brows our Salutus Saltin by Hamzah Fansuri.
I couldn't find it but the trip was memoriable one cause it expands my horizan of what a University library should be like.
It was still the no goggle search era but the library ethic shows what scholar are made of.'
They are made of Libraries where they frequent.
Many more libraries I venture to,University of Bologne,Italy,University of Soubourn in Paris,University of Leiden,Holland etc etc.
Entering any one of it one of them, one would feel the scholalistic air a breath.
The etiquette maintain 'QUITE PLEASED YOUR ARE IN A LIBRARY'
I am a frequent user of both our national university library.
Both are law libraries.A faculty of Law name after him and the other a library.
Both libraries derives from a same source ,highly scholar and both libraries are name after him for his contribution in society and the development of Malaysian Legal System particularlly the development of Shariah laws.
The name of the late Tan Sri Ahmad Ibrahim stands tall in the league of nations.
For years I have observed law student of the university concerned.
Lame atitude towards library usage.
Or was is the table arrangement of 4 chairs in one table ,I'm not too sure.which caused the problem.When 4 young sod meets what other topic of the day would they discuss.I'm not too sure.
I am not disputing those children are bright enough to be in a Law library but I notice and at time it gets to my nerve the amount of chatting and distraction in the LAW library.
Yes,they are bright enough to study law,(I assume they are law students)but scholistic approach needed to be introduce to those kids.
Rules are to be observe,etiquette are to be uphold while in a library as so that one could feel one are in a scholistic institution.
Unrelated discussion could be done outside the corum.
Case book are not to be torn.
Library nuisence must be stop.
After all they are our future guidence of the law.
They are supposed to guide us.
If small trivial matter could not be implant in their thick skull,thus the public money spend is a waste.
Altitude in the Library must be observe and uphold.
Need it be, the Librarian must be like my childhood librarian,Si Tempang,
when he a approches to our table, limping,it means,someone is in trouble.........!!!!
4 years ago
