Junaimah Kassim
Assistant Library Officer
National Library Board (NLB)

Assistant Library Officer Junaimah Kassim believes in reinventing herself to keep up with constant change in the libraries.

At the Toa Payoh Public Library, she helps readers use self-service stations and shares book recommendations with library patrons. But the 58-year-old also does much more: she leads library tours, creates book displays and is adept at first aid.

Recently, she started running storytelling sessions for children and now has a keen interest in picture books.

She draws encouragement not only from the children who love her stories, but also from elderly users.

One elderly gentleman, she recalls, was “very reluctant” to use the book borrowing stations and eKiosks. “He would insist that the librarians manually check out his library materials for him. He preferred to rely on us for all his library needs.”

Together with her colleagues, Mdm Junaimah patiently taught him to use the various self-service facilities. Now, he is able to reserve books and browse the eCatalogue for his favourite reads “all by himself!” she says, with pride.

Mdm Junaimah has also been learning to use new technologies herself, so she can promote the wide range of eBooks and eMagazines on the NLB Mobile app. For her, self-improvement can be as simple as learning to use a smartphone to access services on the app.

The “essence of upgrading”, she says, is to improve and be better able to share knowledge with others, which in turn inspires them to learn too. That is what keeps her going, along with the smiles of library patrons who appreciate a job well done.

This story is part of a Public Service Week series called At the Heart of Transformation, celebrating public officers whose sense of purpose push them to always improve the way they work.

Read more in this series:

• Eugene Lau, Urban Redevelopment Authority
• Eric Pook, Ministry of Manpower