What To Say?

“Want to say, say-lah!” “What for scared!”

Said a wildly gesturing colleague who had recently returned to work after getting a bit of a snip, snip done down there where-the-sun-don’t-shine. TNL looked at her wondering if another blood vessel was about to burst right open.

TNL was brought up in a home where people don’t talk back. You grumbled. A lot. To all who wanted to hear. But to actually go out there and say, “Eh, why you say that about me, ah?” isn’t quite done. It wasn’t anything to do with being a well-mannered young lady or being dignified or what not. It was just being down-right chicken.

Yet playing over and over again in her head were things that she wanted very much to say to defend herself.

Just so happens, a comment was made in the virtual realm by a certain library. It stated that this certain library had received feedback that a NUS student preferred to visit their library because there were more resources available for loan compared to TNL’s beloved library which supposedly had items which were frequently loaned out…… TNL drew a deep breath and a resounding “Oi!!!” resonated into the far dark reaches of the universe.

Of course, these questions started playing over and over again in her head like a broken gramaphone record:

  1. What resources you can’t find? We’ve got books, latest editions, top universitys’ publications, e-books, e-journals, CDs, DVDs, theses that are electronically available, journal databases, statistical databases and more. 7 libraries chock-full of resources!
  2. Do you know where and how to find them or not? Start where it all should start – the library portal and how to search for information at libguides.nus.edu.sg.
  3. What books frequently loaned out? RBR books, is it? That is why we have the 2-hour loan period leh. But this one TNL can empathise. That is why her beloved library is always on the lookout for e-books. Can you imagine the copies upon copies of the same edition taking up precious shelf space?
  4. And the last thing that finally ended the whole broken gramaphone routine – why didn’t the student ASK us? ASK THE LIBRARIAN, lah. So many ways now – call, email, live chat, fax.

Sigh…. And another thing – what’s with the dissing, man?

It is in such times that TNL pauses and looks up to the bright, sunny sky.

You know, we live in a beautiful world. The sky is blue, the clouds are white and fluffy. Birds fly about. Occasionally, there is refreshing rain. The breeze is never too far away. The trees give shade.

Yes, indeed, what a beautiful world we live in. Yes, indeed.

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