Librarian Spotlight: Magdeline Ng

Navigating the exciting path to librarianship

I've been at NUS Libraries for around eight years now, but I didn't join with a background in library sciences. I actually did a PhD in chemistry, with a background in biology and medicinal chemistry research! I’ve always had a passion for education, but didn’t want to limit myself to just teaching a single subject. That led me to search for a role with a multidisciplinary angle and set me on the journey to librarianship.

With my PhD background, librarianship and academia seemed a natural fit. However, not having a formal background in library and information science, I depended heavily on my colleagues and mentors in the library to facilitate my learning. Through that, I realised that being a librarian goes beyond formal training and certification – there’s a lot to learn on the job too!

Wearing many hats in a complex role

I’ve often thought about opening up a hat shop – because I wear so many hats at work!

I started as a librarian, initially focusing on the science community. Later, my role expanded to encompass different scientific disciplines, and eventually evolved into a multidisciplinary scope that spanned departments across the campus. I'm presently the cluster head for digital strategy and innovation, where I guide the development of technology-centred educational initiatives. This entails developing immersive and experiential learning encounters for students, as well as partnering educators interested in incorporating experiential and immersive learning into teaching and research.

I'm also an educator. I teach courses on campus centred around learning strategies. I work with students to discuss and reflect on learning techniques, and lead them to formulate their own learning strategies.

Another hat I wear now is that of a researcher because as science librarians, we do a lot of research in library and information science. That's where my interest lies as well because a lot of the research that we do now is not just centred around chemistry but also librarianship.

Beyond the library, we work very closely with NUS’ Office of the Deputy President (Research and Technology) on scholarly communication matters, especially in the area of research data management. We also advance initiatives within the University, through partnerships and collaborations with other faculties and schools. We recently worked very closely with the School of Medicine in the recent development of a common healthcare curriculum. This was done in partnership with faculty members from several departments across medicine, public health, dentistry, and pharmacy.

Empowering the learning journey

There’s so much that I find rewarding about my role, but what I find most satisfying is being able to nurture the individual student's learning journey. I enjoy it because it's precisely in the setting of education as an institution – co-creating and partnering with students. Peer-to-peer learning also feeds into this, and I see how librarianship, my educator track, and even research tie in together to help me actualise this.

The role of the modern library

Many libraries are rethinking and reimagining what a library truly does. Being part of the NUS Libraries management team, we have to rethink the academic library in today’s educational landscape. To me, I see libraries as dynamic hubs where librarians transcend the traditional role of being custodians of knowledge and material, into creators of experiences and discovery for our community and beyond.

One big area of emphasis now is in creating memorable learning experiences for every student, staff member and stakeholder that comes through our doors, through digital and physical media. That shift away from solely being just a custodian is something that we're trying to communicate and share more with our campus community – to let them know we’re more than just custodians of dusty books

Advice for your fellow information professionals

I’m really inspired by my colleagues – they never stop learning! That's one of the most important traits I picked up when learning on the job. It's important to stay ahead of the curve and keep current with our professional areas of expertise. I think librarians and information specialists in the community must understand the call to librarianship comes with a mandate for self-improvement. There's a saying – If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards. Therefore, we should not stand still, especially in this rapidly changing world.

I feel librarians and information specialists require a lot of deep knowledge and experience from various fields. When I interview potential hires, it’s candidates with unique skill sets beyond the traditional librarian skill sets, who stand out to me. A library has many evolving needs, so I'm looking for people with diverse experiences who can help us address new challenges and solve today’s complex problems.

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