ASK!

ASK! about Everything and Anything

It isn’t everyday that we receive compliments in our inbox. So, we were surprised when Mr Richard Borsuk, a user of our ASK! service dropped us this note of thanks.

“Dear NLB Helpdesk:
I can’t find the original email that might show who at NLB gave excellent help, but I can sum up the background quickly:

I wrote to NLB in early October asking if it had LIFE magazine issues going back to 1951, as I was trying to find a particular article in Dec. 1951. I’m attaching here an NLB email I can put my hand on, which acknowledges my request. Within a day or two, I received a 2nd email — that the one I can’t locate — saying that NLB doesn’t have LIFE issues that far back, but the staffer very helpfully suggested I try contacting a library in Atlanta, Georgia, and provided a link.

I contacted the Atlanta library, and today received a scan of the LIFE article I was looking for. I’m very pleased and impressed with the service from NLB and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.

I’d be grateful if the person who wrote me suggesting to try Atlanta could see this email.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Richard Borsuk”

The Public Librarian who handled Mr Borsuk’s query was Mr Chong Thong Yang. Out of curiosity, we asked him how he approached the question.

Read on to find out how Thong Yong solved the query!

Read more »

ASK! about Teens

A student asked if the library could set up special corners for students to do their projects. Recalling my own students’ days, I know this is a genuine need. Good news is, there are special designated cosy corners for teens, specifically at Bishan Community and Jurong Regional Libraries. Students can also explore the option of booking room facilities in some libraries for a nominal fee.

About Teens Library @Jurong Regional Library
Level 4: This floor is dedicated to the Teens Library known as “Verging All Teens (V.A.T.). The V.A.T. is a library created for teens by teens, to inspire teens. It houses a special comics collection with different genres of comics available in the market. Other facilities include a stage for open-mic gigs and performances to showcase young talents to their peers, and other teens’ programmes. The oasis is an area for sipping drinks from the vending machines.

Alternatively, find out more about Bishan Community Library, Level 4 – Young People’s Collection or other libraries at
NLB Home > Visit Us > All Libraries

Booking of Faclities
Some libraries have lecture halls, meeting rooms and project rooms. Activities and programmes organised by the NLB are held in these rooms/areas. These facilities can be rented for a nominal fee.

Example: Screening, Project, Practice and Discussion Rooms
* Rental of rooms are open to persons aged 12 and above.
* Rooms can only be booked up to 1 week in advance.
* Bookings are to be made at the Customer Service Counter with a valid form of identification such as an NRIC, Student card, Membership card, SAF11-B, NTUC-Link card, Work Permit or Employment Pass.

For complete listing of Conditions for Hire and facilities available at all libraries, please click here.

Answered by Ms GOH Yee Ling, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about History

‘April Fool’s Day’, also called ‘All Fools’ Day’, in most countries is the first day of April. It received its name from the custom of playing practical jokes on this day—for example, telling friends that their shoelaces are untied or sending them on so-called fools’ errands.

Although the day has been observed for centuries, there are different explanations for its origin. It resembles festivals such as the Hilaria of ancient Rome, held on March 25, and the Holi celebration in India, which ends on March 31.

The modern custom may have originated in France when the Gregorian calendar, which moved New Year’s Day from March 25 to January 1, was adopted in 1582. Those who continued to celebrate the end of New Year Week on April 1 were referred to as fools. The timing of the day also may be related to the vernal equinox (March 21), a time when people are said to be fooled by sudden changes in the weather.

There are variations between countries in the celebration of April Fools’ Day, but all have in common an excuse to make someone play the fool.

Extracted from:
“April Fools’ Day.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 25 Oct. 2007

To access Encyclopædia Britannica Online, please refer to our guide.

Answered by Ms TAY Hwee Chen, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Dear Students,

*************************************************
The results for the National contest and the winners for the book vouchers are out now!!! Please scroll below to see if you’re the winners. Congrats and well done!!!
*************************************************

Thank you for taking part in the Prove It competition organised by the National Library Board. This is a nationwide competition open to all Secondary Schools in Singapore. We hope you will find this experience a fulfilling and enriching one to take back with you, especially in aiding you in your school project work and assignments.

At the end of this competition, you will be able to
1) recognise a variety of reference tools, print and online resources
2) enhance your search skills, info-seeking skills and evaluation of information
3) augment your information literacy skills
4) acknowledge that the Library as a trusted and reliable source of information
5) understand the importance of checking & verifying your answers

So, grab a pen, and take note of these Important Dates:

Final Briefing @Woodlands Regional Library Auditorium
26 Oct (Fri) – 9 am to 11 am

Regional Contest at 3 Regional Libraries at Woodlands, Jurong, Tampines
29 Oct (Mon) – 8 am to 1130 am

National Contest @Woodlands Regional Library
05 Nov (Mon) – 8 am to 11.30 am

Prizes…Prizes…Prizes… Everyone loves prizes. Below are what you, as either a participant or winner, will get:

Prizes for Regional Contest

All schools will receive Certificates of Participation. The top 3 winners will receive:
First Prize: $200 + NLB Plaque
Second Prize:$100 + NLB Plaque
Third Prize: $50 + NLB plaque

Winners for Regional Contest:

(Western Region)
1st : Geylang Methodist School Team 1
Yasheilla Dorasingam
Silviana Gumarsih
Tan Zhi Qian

2nd : Geylang Methodist School Team 2
Sim Eileen
Phang Jia Min
Loh Ying Ru

3rd : Teck Whye Secondary School Team 2
Kimberley Joanne Chua Shumin
Muhammad Nifail B Zainal
Esther Yen Yin Lee

(Northern Region)
1st : Raffles Institution
Yoong Ren Yan
Wong Yong Sheng
Huang Wen Jie

2nd : Ang Mo Kio Sec Team 1
Alexis Lion
Aw Xuan Ting
Foo Hui Lin

3rd : Chij St Nicholas Girls’ School Team 2
Chia Pui San
Lin Renyue
VAnessa Chong Bao Yue

(Eastern Region)
1st : Victoria School Team 2
Mohamad Ashmawi Mohamad Jailani
Yogi Pratama Khosugi
Jee Wen Jie

2nd : St. Patrick’s School Team 2
Cheng Shao Meng
Amir Azhar Bin Jaini
Rainey Mak Weng Kang

3rd : Coral Secondary School Team 2
Eunice Choy Hui Xian
Joshua Wong Hon Yung
ng Wei Qi

Prizes for National Contest

The top 3 winners will receive:
First Prize: $500 + NLB Trophy
Second Prize:$300 + NLB Trophy
Third Prize: $200 + NLB Trophy

Winners for National Contest:

1st : Raffles Institution
Yoong Ren Yan
Wong Yong Sheng
Huang Wen Jie

2nd : Chij St Nicholas Girls’ School Team 2
Chia Pui San
Lin Renyue
VAnessa Chong Bao Yue

3rd : Victoria School Team 2
Mohamad Ashmawi Mohamad Jailani
Yogi Pratama Khosugi
Jee Wen Jie

National Winners are to attend a dinner reception at the new National Library Building (near Bugis MRT) on 9 Nov 2007 Friday at 6pm. The Chief Executive of NLB will be presenting the prizes to the winners.

There will also be a post-contest activity whereby ten $10 Popular bookstore will be given to the students. For more details, please take a look here. Hurry hurry, time waits for no man (err, or woman as well) – Dateline for this submission is 5 Nov 2007.
Download file

How to win these Popular bookstore vouchers:
Simply share your thoughts, learning experiences from the Prove-It! Contest and tell us in your own words, how information skills can be useful to people in work, school and life.
Email your writings to ask@nlb.gov.sg before 5 Nov 2007 with your particulars (i.e. your name, NRIC, contact no) and the subject heading “ProveIt! feature writing” to win!!!

Winners for the ten $10 book vouchers:

Huang Wenjie, 15, Raffles Institution
Lim Kuan Fei, 14, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School
Cheng Shao Meng, 16, St Patrick’s School
Yogi Pratama Khos, 15, Victoria School
Mohamad Ashmawi Mohamad Jailani, 15, Victoria School
Vera Gan, 15, St Margaret’s Secondary School
Lum Gar Wai, 14, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School
Chan Xin Li, 14, Dunman Secondary School
Munirah Bte Bujang, 14, Sengkang Secondary School
Ang Lay Tin, 14, Sengkang Secondary School

Yes, here comes the dreaded rules. Please spend some time in going through the regulations so as to ensure that you won’t be “red-carded”.

1) Must answer the questions in sequence 1 to 10.
2) Please ensure that the students behave appropriately & do not run about in the libraries. Point Deduction
3) Teams are not allowed to share answers. Instant disqualification
4) Teams are not allowed to bring their laptops. Use only the libraries’ multimedia stations. Instant disqualification
5) Citing fake sources or library tools. Instant disqualification
6) Teams are not allowed to hide books to ‘disadvantaged’ other teams. Instant disqualification
7) Teams engaged in unsportsmanlike behaviour (e.g. sabotage). Instant disqualification

For information on the contest game mechanics and other details, please refer to the Contest briefing slides.
Download file

To start getting you into the hang of things, here are some sample pre-contest questions for you to try out. We have also included possible resources in print or electronic formats, which can be used to answer the questions. Happy searching…

Q: What is the area of Rwanda in sq km in 2004?
Ans (hint):

Q: How many official languages does South Africa have in 2004?
Ans (hint):

Q: What is the meaning of Egregious?
Ans (hint): Merriam Dictionary online (e-database)

Q: How many HDB flats were built in the year 2005?
Ans (hint):

Q: When did Lee Hsien Loong become the Prime Minister of Singapore?
Ans (hint): World Who’s Who (e-database)

Q: A synthetic diamond Is made from _____________________
Ans (hint): Encyclopedia Britannica online

Q: What was Mahatma Gandhi’s full name?
Ans (hint):

Q: Who won the nobel peace prize for the year 2001
Ans (hint): http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/2001.html

Q: Who is the secretary general of the United Nations
Ans (hint): http://www.un.org/sg/

Here’s a sample answer form which you will be receiving on the actual contest days. Please skim through it so that you know what and how are you going to input your answers.
Download file

To assist each and every one of you in searching for the resources in the Library, we have put together a “Fact Finders” guide specially for this competition. Please feel free to refer to it.
Download file

Last but not least, we wish all of you good luck…and may the force be with you all…

By The Prove-It Library Committee

Found the sample questions in this contest interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Fiction

Enjoy reading Meg Cabot’s ‘The Mediator’ series?
Below are some recommendations that you might want to check out!

The Nine Lives of Chloe King series by Celia Thomson
Bk 1: The Fallen
Call No.: Y THO
When she falls from a tower and lives, Chloe’s scary adventure changes her perspective on the world as she comes to discover special gifts she possesses as a descendant of an ancient warrior clan with feline powers.

Midnighters series by Scott Westerfield
Bk 1: The Secret Hour
Call No.: Y WES
Upon moving to Bixby, Oklahoma, fifteen-year-old Jessica Day learns that she is one of a group of people who have special abilities that help them fight ancient creatures living in an hour hidden at midnight; creatures that seem determined to destroy Jess.

Queen Betsy series by MaryJanice Davidson
Bk 1: Undead and Unwed
Call No.: DAV -[RO]
After being killed in a car accident, fashion savvy Betsy Taylor becomes one of the undead and, with the help of her newfound friends, the lure of designer shoes, and a sexy vampire, must destroy a dark enemy and fulfill her destiny as the prophesied vampire queen.

Got Fangs?: Confessions of a vampire’s girlfriend by Katie Maxwell
Call No.: Y MAX
Francesca can read minds by touch, but when she joins a psychic fair in Hungary, she falls in love with Benedikt, a vampire, who must come to her aid after she starts investigating a series of thefts among the other employees of the fair.

A certain slant of light by Laura Whitcomb
Call No.: Y WHI
After benignly haunting a series of people for 130 years, Helen meets a teenage boy who can see her and together they unlock the mysteries of their pasts

Summaries are obtained from Novelist.

Answered by Ms Jillian Lim, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Kids ASK! about Environment

[ASK! Editor speaks]

Many kids at the libraries ask us about global warming. And as I was compiling a post on this, I incidentally came across the Elsy’s Stay at Home Mom Blog by Elsy Masters, where she wrote an entry entitled My World, My Home, My Family. She noted that the awareness of global warming is starting to increase, yet we seem not to be doing enough to save the Earth. From her perspective as a stay-at-home mum, she shared about what her family does to play a part in conserving the environment and ended with a heartwarming wish that our future generations will get to see the wonders and beauty that nature has for us.

So if you fretting about how to instill the importance of saving our environment to the young ones, I hope you derive some inspiration from the post!

Now, let’s see what are some of the books and websites that our librarians have to recommend to the children:

BOOKS

Global warming alert! by Dr. Richard Cheel
Publisher : New York : Crabtree Pub. Company, c2007
Call No. : J English 363.738 CHE

The greenhouse effect : warming the planet by Darlene R. Stille
Publisher : Minneapolis, Minn. : Compass Point Books, c2007
Call No. : J English 363.738 STI

An inconvenient truth : the crisis of global warming by Al Gore [adapted for young readers by Jane O'Connor]
Publisher : New York. : Viking : Rodale, c2007
Call No. : Y English 363.73874 GOR

Global warming by Antony Lishak
Publisher : London : Franklin Watts, 2006
Call No. : J English 363.738 LIS

WEBSITES

The EPA Climate Change Kids Site on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov/climatechange/kids/)

GlobalWarming.org (http://www.globalwarming.org/)

Global Warming Facts & Our Future on Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences (www.koshlandsciencemuseum.org/exhibitgcc/index.jsp)

All websites are last accessed on 22 Oct 2007. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Book and website recommendations by Ms Lim Shang Nee, Librarian, Children’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Science & Technology

It was perfect timing that I chanced upon this question answered by my colleague Lynn, as I had just finished reading ‘A wrinkle in time’ by Madeleine L’Engle. Read here for a summary of ‘A wrinkle in time’. Anyway, in ‘A wrinkle in time’, the fifth dimension is called a tesseract. L’engle described the fifth dimension as ‘add(ing) (the fifth dimension) to the other four dimensions and you can travel through space without having to go the long way round. In other words, to put in into Euclid, or old fashioned plane geometry, a straight line is not the shortest distance between two points.’

But that, of course is fiction. What about the real world?

Is there a fifth dimension?

So far, the only known dimensions higher than three are the fourth dimension and fifth dimension.

When we speak of three dimensions, we are referring to the dimensions of length, breadth and height. The fourth dimension is said to be at right angles to these three. The directions in the three known dimensions are called up/down (altitude), north/south (longitude), and east/west (latitude). When speaking of the fourth dimension, an additional pair of terms is needed. Attested terms include ana/kata (sometimes called spassitude), vinn/vout (used by Rudy Rucker), and upsilon/delta.

Einstein claimed that the fourth dimension was time. Much like we can move in a three-dimensional world, we also move through time (forwards and backwards).
These four dimensions present a world with three space dimensions and one time dimension.

Sources:
1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Fourth_dimension

2. The nth dimension – http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/
01330/newphysics/ndimensions.htm

The “fifth dimension” is used mainly in the physics and maths field. In physics, the fifth dimension is hypothetical dimension which would exist at a right angle to the fourth dimension. In the maths field, the fifth dimension is applied mostly in the topic of geometry. For more information, you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_dimension

Read on to find out more…

Read more »

Kids ASK! about Anything & Everything

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, cheese consists “primarily of the curd, the semisolid substance formed when milk curdles, or coagulates. Curdling occurs naturally if milk is not used promptly: it sours, forming an acid curd, which releases whey, a watery fluid containing the soluble constituents; and it leaves semisolid curd, or fresh cheese. In some areas, cheese is still made simply by allowing milk to curdle naturally, or by mixing milk with juices or extracts that reduce it to curds and whey.”

Source : cheese. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 20, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9022742

If you want to find out more information on the “Cheese”, you may refer to the following books :

Read more »

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

The Octopus is another one of those creatures in the animal kingdom that people cannot immediately place into those generic catagories like mammals, insects, birds. To be honest, the actual name of its group is not helpful either. I cannot even pronounce it without wincing.

The octopus, to set the records straight, is not a mammal. It is a cephalopod (octopod) mollusk of the order Octopoda (see what I mean about the name…). The true octopuses are members of the genus Octopus, a large group of widely distributed, shallow-water cephalopods.

Cephalopods, members of the class Cephalopoda, of the phylum Mollusca, are a small group of highly advanced and organized, exclusively marine animals.

The octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and chambered nautilus are familiar representatives.

Source:
Octopus. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 30, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9056739

If you want to find out more information on the octopus:

For Children:

The octopus by Miriam J. Gross
Publisher : New York, N.Y. : PowerKids Press, c2006
Call No. : J 594 GRO

Octopus by Lynn M. Stone
Publisher : Vero Beach, Fla. : Rourke Pub., c2006
Call No. : J 594 STO

It’s true! an octopus has deadly spit by Nicki Greenberg ; pictures by Nicki Greenberg
Publisher : Toronto, Ont. : Annick Press, 2007
Call No. : J 594 GRE

Cephalopods, a world guide : Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Arctic, Antarctic by Mark Norman
Publisher : Hackenheim, Germany : ConchBooks, c2003
Call No. : Reference 594.5 NOR

All websites are last accessed on 8 October 2007. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
All images used are extracted from http://www.amazon.com and http://www.bn.com.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally answered by Krist Chan, Librarian, Children’s Services
By Felicia Chan, Librarian, Children’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Family & Parenting

[ASK! Editor speaks]
While i was doing a search on blogs, i came across a blog from an old time good friend of mine – someone whom i am guilty of not catching up with for a very long time.

When you read her blog entries at her blogging site, you cannot help feeling how insightful they are. More importantly, i thought they reflect a deeper part of life and its meaning – one which would have been overlooked by most of us living in a hectic and fast-paced society.

In this particular entry dated in July 2007 , she noted how parents perceive their children’s stress as unnecessary and minor. She even have some good suggestions on how parents should help their kids cope with study stress.

Well, at the end of her entry, she mentioned that “…There are many books in the library that able to share some brilliant idea of how to help the child with study stress. It will be good to search for them and read them…”

Jean, you still are a regular Library-goer after all these years… Yes you are right, there are some good resources on this subject which can be found in the Library for loan. I have listed a few of them as below:

Title: Kids under pressure : how to raise a stress-free and happy child
Author: Sullivan, Karen.
Publisher: London : Piatkus, 2002.
Call Num: English 155.418 SUL

Title: Raising stable kids in an unstable world : a physician’s guide to dealing with childhood stress
Author: Marks, David R.
Publisher: Deerfield Beach, FL : Health Communications, Inc., c2002.
Call Num: English 155.418 MAR

Title: KidStress : what it is, how it feels, how to help
Author: Witkin, Georgia.
Publisher: New York : Viking, 1999.
Call Num: English 155.418 WIT

If you are a premium member of the National Library Board, you will be able to borrow the below AV materials as well:

Title: Helping your children cope with study stress [videorecording]
Publisher: Singapore : Ministry of Community Development, Public Education and Sports Branch, 1998.
Physical Description: 1 videocassette (13 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.
Call Num: AV English 155.418 HEL

Title: How to help your children cope with stress [videorecording]
Author: Ang, Thiam Hong.
Publisher: Singapore : Ang Thiam Hong, 2002.
Physical Description: 1 videodisc (69 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Call Num: SING English 155.418 ANG

You can also search NLB’s online catalogue for more related materials.

And Jean, good work for your blogs and keep it up alright…

By Mr Justin Tan, Librarian (Adult and Young People’s Services)

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.