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CNA
7 days ago
- General
- CNA
Did not 'feel right': Yale-NUS students say they were asked to destroy DVDs
SINGAPORE: Yale-NUS students who worked as student associates at the college library said they were asked to render DVDs unusable by library staff in April - about a month before the final cohort graduated. Two of them who spoke to CNA on condition of anonymity said they had not known beforehand that they were to scratch DVDs until they were assigned to do so during their respective shifts. Both recalled using penknives to scratch the discs. One of them, Janet (not her real name), said a librarian had instructed her to make four cuts on the discs so they could no longer be read. The student, who is from the last cohort, estimated scratching about 80 to 100 discs or around two full shelves of DVDs. She said that most were films in various languages, including several notable titles from the Criterion Collection - an American home-video distribution company that gathers the "greatest films" from around the world and publishes them in various editions at the highest technical quality. While she said she simply did what she was told, she felt "really sad" and that it did not "feel right" to destroy DVDs that were still in good condition. She told CNA that she had not questioned why the DVDs had to be scratched but did ask the library staff if she could excuse herself from helping out. "I (didn't) feel comfortable doing so. But the library staff (member) told me to help her still as they were running short of time," Janet said. Yale-NUS College, which is scheduled to close this year, had been preparing for renovations ahead of the relocation of the National University of Singapore (NUS) law faculty and its library to its premises. Another student associate, Ben, who is also from the graduating batch, said that he was told the discs had to be scratched "for security reasons". He too made cuts on two rows of DVDs on a library trolley, though he could not give an exact number. The destroyed DVDs were later thrown into a big trash bag along with their cases, Ben added. Asked how he felt during the process, he said: "(I) thought it was odd but plausible given that the school library had some DVDs that were not intended for mass distribution or at least restricted in Singapore. "But (I) also wondered if we had that many DVDs that were restricted." Responding to CNA's queries, Associate Professor Natalie Pang, University Librarian of NUS, said the rehoming of audiovisual collections involves different considerations compared to books. "Audiovisual materials are governed by licensing and copyright regulations, which restrict redistribution. We have integrated the DVDs we need into our collection. The DVDs which we were unable to rehome were those which could not be redistributed," she said. The university did not say how many DVDs were destroyed. "PHYSICAL STILL MATTERS" This latest revelation comes shortly after it came to light that 500 library books were recycled due to what NUS described as an "operational lapse". About 9,000 books had initially been earmarked for disposal. Circulated images of books being packed into rubbish bags and loaded onto a recycling truck sparked an outcry from alumni and students. Around 8,500 books were eventually salvaged after library staff learnt of students' interest in them. The titles have since been put up for book giveaways. Associate Professor Andrew Hui, who had previously expressed to CNA his disappointment in the handling of the library books, said the destruction of DVDs left him "stunned and heartbroken". The literature professor, who is also a founding faculty member, first found out about the matter last Friday afternoon, after quotes and screengrabs of DVDs were circulated on a Yale-NUS Telegram group. "I've never encountered such a literal act of destruction carried out in peacetime, at a university no less. It was a quiet, almost mundane directive that resulted in a small but real loss to cultural memory," said Assoc Prof Hui. He added: "The manner of their disposal felt unnecessarily punitive - especially involving student labour. The act of scratching felt symbolic: not just deletion, but cultural desecration." He recalled curating a list of films during the early days of Yale-NUS College when the library was being built from scratch, and making an "impassioned case" together with a colleague to acquire the entire Criterion Collection. The head of literature studies added that streaming platforms were unstable, with titles frequently disappearing and algorithms favouring popular content over what is essential. On the other hand, physical DVDs represented curated, lasting access to works of global significance, he said. He described them as tactile and archival, adding that they often come with scholarly materials, commentaries and interviews. "For students, they offer a way to encounter the canon of world cinema as something preserved, not fleeting," said Assoc Prof Hui.
CNA
26-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Recycle or give away? How some libraries deal with unwanted books
SINGAPORE: As part of managing libraries, there is a system to review the books to ensure they remain relevant and in good condition. Unwanted books may be redistributed or recycled depending on several factors, according to Singapore's National Library Board (NLB). The issue of recycling books became a talking point recently after hundreds of books from the Yale-NUS College library were sent to a recycling plant before they were offered to students, sparking an uproar among students and alumni. The college, which is scheduled to close this year, apologised for an "operational lapse" in dealing with the books, saying it was unaware of students' interest in having the books. Two professors told CNA that they were not informed of any opportunity to claim the 9,000 excess books – duplicates or titles with low usage rates – that had been earmarked for disposal. NLB, which manages 28 libraries across Singapore, said it regularly reviews its collections, with various ways of dealing with unwanted books. "Generally, books that have faced wear and tear over the years, such as those with missing pages or have been extensively damaged, will be removed for recycling," NLB said in response to CNA's queries. "Books that are due to be removed such as older titles or those that can be replaced with newer editions, but may still be in relatively good condition, are redistributed to our patrons and community partners." Nanyang Technological University (NTU) similarly told CNA that outdated or older editions of books, as well as those that are damaged beyond repair, are sent for recycling. "Books of low usage are moved to storage but remain available to users upon request," said NTU. The university also noted the rise of digital learning as part of its review of its collection. "In line with evolving digital learning needs, NTU acquires electronic books by default for its libraries. This has helped the university manage the size of its libraries' print collection," it added. Such practices are in line with guidelines set out by the American Library Association (ALA), a non-profit organisation that promotes the development and improvement of libraries. The process of removing books from a collection is known as "weeding" and is critical to every library, it noted. "Weeding and collection maintenance are based on the availability of newer, updated resources or the circulation statistics and use of materials," ALA stated on its website. Books that are withdrawn can be donated to community partners for book sales, it added. If they are not sold, they can be disposed of at the discretion of the community partners. BOOK GIVEAWAYS NLB said over the years, it has donated pre-loved books to 130 local community partners and international institutions. These include schools, community clubs, residents' committees, ageing centres and reading corners at some organisations. It also organises an annual Big Book Giveaway event, where the public can take home pre-loved books for free. "We will have our 10th edition later this year, and about 60,000 books are expected to be given away then," NLB said. In the case of the Yale-NUS books, students and faculty had questioned why they were not informed of any opportunities to claim the books. "The issue here, for me, isn't that I didn't get a chance to pick up some free books as a faculty member, or that students missed out on that chance too," added Philosophy professor Andrew Bailey "It is that books are precious, and that it is a misuse of scarce resources to shred them." Associate Professor Natalie Pang, university librarian of NUS, said that while the library regularly rehomes books, the scale of the operation this time was "much larger" than in past relocation exercises, which typically involved only a few hundred titles. She added that the university will now implement a new standard operating procedure across all its libraries. The new protocol will require more comprehensive outreach to both faculty members and students before books are removed. Two book adoption fairs will be held - one from May 28 to Jun 9 and the other on Jun 14. The first is open to Yale-NUS alumni and families. The second will be open to members of the public. For any remaining titles that are still not rehomed after these events, NUS will partner with secondhand platforms such as Thryft to find new homes for the books.
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Yale-NUS College Library books pulped: 'Operational lapse', not Fahrenheit 451
'Who wants yesterday's papers, who wants yesterday's girls,' sang the Rolling Stones, the grand old men of rock, back in the Swinging Sixties when they were in their twenties. Newspapers always had a sell-by date. And so do books. That's not news to Singaporeans who will remember National Library Board fire sales of old books. Yours truly remembers standing in a long queue in a cavernous hall and picking up a couple of dog-eared bestsellers for a song. Now they are gathering dust somewhere on these premises, which have been their second home ever since they were turned out of the library. Wheel out the old, bring in the new—that seems to be the library's policy. And that's fine by us book lovers on a budget, always eager for fresh material. Libraries dumping books, flogging them in fire sales, we can understand. But libraries pulping books? Destroying them? Isn't that like a scribe or a monk—the original guardians of manuscripts in medieval Europe—turning into Attila the Hun? What makes the act all the more odious is that the books were laid to waste by a university — an institution meant to preserve them. Granted that Yale-NUS College will be shutting down this year, but did its library books have to be pulped? Couldn't they be given away? Did they have to be destroyed? Some of the college alumni were upset that a recycling company was called in to dispose of the books instead of these being offered to former students. The university librarian told the media that 'excess books' were offered only to the faculty and not to the students. Why not? The reports didn't say. 'Operational lapse' The librarian apologised for the 'operational lapse'. Yes, that was the phrase used—the destruction of books reduced to an operational lapse. However, book lovers will be happy to know that not all the books were destroyed. According to the librarian, the majority of the books were 'rehomed' in other National University of Singapore (NUS) libraries. About 8,500 still remain, and these will be on offer at two book fairs — one for the alumni and one for the public. Students who saw the recycling company employees loading books onto a truck on May 20 tried to stop them, but couldn't. In the subsequent brouhaha, according to news reports, NUS tried to stop the recycling. But, by then, it was too late. Were the books shredded or incinerated, torn to pieces or burnt? That the reports did not say. Fahrenheit 451 Paper is easily torn, pages ripped off a book or a notebook, but it takes intense heat to burn them—Fahrenheit 451, to recall the title of Ray Bradbury's famous novel about book-burning. Bradbury depicts an authoritarian world where books are burnt to stamp out free thinking, and book lovers memorise books to preserve them. Montag, the hero, learns the Book of Ecclesiastes by heart and meets others who have similarly memorised Jonathan Swift, Charles Darwin, Schopenhauer, Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha. 'We're book-burners, too,' says one of them. 'We read the books and burnt them, afraid they'd be found.' 'Best to keep it in the old heads, where no one can see it or suspect it,' he explains. The value placed on books in the novel reflects the author's own personality. 'I have been a library person all of my life,' Bradbury wrote in his foreword to the novel Now contrast that with the 'recycling' of an NUS college library's books — an action not without precedent. 'Books which are not taken up are then sent for recycling, in line with common library practices,' said the university librarian. A pity.
CNA
21-05-2025
- General
- CNA
NUS apologises for 'operational lapse' in dealing with books from university library
SINGAPORE: The National University Singapore (NUS) on Wednesday (May 21) apologised for an "operational lapse" in dealing with books from Yale-NUS College, which is shutting this year. Hundreds of books from the Yale-NUS College library were reportedly sent for disposal or recycling on Tuesday, triggering an outcry from its alumni and students. Photos and videos showed books packed into trash bags and loaded onto a truck from a recycling company. Responding to CNA's queries on Wednesday, Associate Professor Natalie Pang, University Library of NUS, said that in maintaining the library collection, excess books are "routinely rehomed" in other libraries or given away to faculty members, and sometimes to students. "Books which are not taken up are then sent for recycling, in line with common library practices," she added. In the case of the books from the Yale-NUS College Library, the majority of the books were moved to other NUS libraries, Assoc Prof Pang said, adding that the excess books were offered only to faculty members, and not students. "We understand later that many students were interested in having these books and we would have usually acceded to their requests," she said. "We did not do so on this occasion and we apologise for the operational lapse." Assoc Prof Pang said that given the "strong interest" from students, the university is now organising a giveaway on campus. "Going forward, we are reviewing our process and will take proactive steps to distribute excess books to the NUS community and the wider public so that they can benefit as many people as possible," she said. NUS did not say what happened to the books that were seen being loaded onto a recycling truck. An employee from the recycling company Green Orange Enviro told CNA on Wednesday that the books had been recycled. He said NUS reached out to the company at around 3pm on Tuesday to stop the recycling, but it was already too late. According to a Yale-NUS student, he saw around five students gathering around a truck from Green Orange Enviro at about noon on Tuesday. Around 50 bags were packed on the truck with around 10 to 20 books, said Mr Lee, who asked to be identified by his last name only. Two employees from the recycling firm were present alongside two NUS staff members and were engaged in a heated discussion with students who had gathered, the 24-year-old student told CNA. "They were arguing with the other students who were there, basically saying, 'You can't touch these books. These books are slated for disposal, you cannot keep these books. They're not to be donated, they're to be disposed of.' An NUS librarian later arrived and told the students the university had 'no choice' but to dispose of the books because they were given a short runway by the NUS law faculty and NUS campus infrastructure staff to clear the library books. Yale-NUS College is set to shut this year, with its last cohort of students graduating in May 2025. NUS' law faculty, which is currently located at the university's campus in Bukit Timah, will move into the college's premises later this year. STUDENT AND ALUMNI RESPONSE After videos and photos of the books began circulating, members of the Yale-NUS community rallied to think about how to salvage them, said Yale-NUS alumnus Chloe Ang. Students at the scene attempted to take a few of the bags while others who witnessed the situation online started contacting the relevant companies, NUS personnel and media outlets, she told CNA on Tuesday. 'Gradually, more facts rolled in, which were provided with clarification by the staff working at the Yale-NUS Library.' According to an earlier LinkedIn post by Ms Ang, the books being disposed of were mostly duplicates to make space for the incoming Law Library. They ranged from brand-new books to out-of-print books and those written by faculty members. The library staff said the books couldn't be donated due to RFID tags or transferred to other NUS libraries, she wrote. 'Crucially, the librarians were given insufficient notice to 'dispose of the books adequately'. This resulted in the incredible amounts of wastage we witnessed today,' she added.
