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Having spent several years in library operations, Novum Organum team manager Tan Siew Keng has a keen eye for detail and rich professional experience, and is one of the rare library cataloguers in Singapore. Few people have any idea what this job entails, and even fewer still are up to the task of its challenges. Most readers browse the library catalogue in search of a book that strikes their fancy, but not many realise that all the bibliographic information has been carefully put together word by word by a cataloguer and uploaded to the library system. Coupled with the printing of this information assisted by other library personnel, the workload is immense. Each book requires over forty pieces of data, and even an experienced cataloguer completes fewer than 100 books a day. To date, Novum Organum has supplied over 270,000 Chinese books to the National Library, more than half of the books required cataloguing services, which constitutes an immense towering of information and data. Synergy in Sponsorships Many of the books supplied to the National Library by Novum Organum are Chinese children’s books. Given its excellent reputation and in-depth knowledge of children’s books, it was invited to become the partnering institution of Chou Sing Chu Foundation’s (CSCF) library sponsorship programmes from 2017. The first sponsorship initiative supported the children’s book collection of Tampines Regional Library. CSCF sponsored some 56,000 children’s books over a period of six years, with the 32,000 in the first batch and 4,800 books being renewed in the next five years. Novum Organum worked with CSCF to overcome several challenges and succeeded in completing this massive task on time. Subsequently, CSCF turned its attention to primary school libraries, launching the School Library Sponsorship Programme, donating around 1,000 books to selected primary schools each year. 50 primary schools have benefitted from the programme to date, with over 40,000 books donated, all of which were supplied by Novum Organum. To realise this plan, Novum Organum visited the majority of the primary school libraries with CSCF to understand the school’s current situation and needs, and drew up plans meticulously tailored to each school, all the while helping to improve the management at the school library with its experience in cataloguing. This was Novum Organum’s first direct interaction with the readers, a rare first-hand experience for the company, resulting in an even better understanding of the needs of young readers. It takes a village to educate a child. Novum Organum has been quietly contributing to the promotion of reading and Chinese education through providing quality Chinese books to the national libraries in the past 10 years. With steadfast dedication, Novum Organum will continue to ensure that the reading and education needs of Singapore’s next generation are met. (Translated by Daryl Li ) Evonne Lan 颜依雯 (Senior Executive 高级执行员) I love this job. Whenever I finish handing a large amount of recommendation information over to the library and subsequently receive a book order, I feel an immense sense of accomplishment. This job is full of challenges, and I hope to do better and better at it. 我非常喜欢这份工作。每当完成很多推荐资料给 图书馆之后，收到订单会很有成就感。这份工作 其实充满了挑战性，希望自己会越做越好。 Tan Siew Keng 陈秀卿 (Manager 经理) I don’t find my work tedious because of my interest in it. Working at Novum Organum, my colleagues and I have a harmonious relationship, and our team spirit is strong. I will continue to ensure that I do my job well! 我不会觉得工作枯燥，因为我有兴趣。在诺文工作开 心，同事们关系和谐，也有团队精神，将来更是要坚 持做好本份。 136 popularnews - 15