Raneetha Rajaratnam
Deputy Director
National Library of Singapore
SINGAPORE

With 21 years of extensive experience in public library operations and services, I am confident of contributing fresh ideas, and leading projects as a standing committee member in the Public Libraries Section.

Recognised for my innovative ideas, ability to motivate teams and enthusiasm for the field of librarianship, I have been the Assistant Manager in 2 regional libraries, setup a department to run an extensive national school reading programme, introduced awards to recognise best reading practices in educational institutions, and created an online reading portal to encourage a three-pronged approach to reading in the 21st century – (i) engagement; (ii) co-creation; (iii) cultivating the reading habit. Currently, as the Deputy Director for Content and Services, I lead the team that is responsible for public library services to children and teens, and this includes nationwide initiatives for underserved communities. One my most significant achievement in the past year was formulating and rolling out a forward-looking 5-year services masterplan for all public libraries in Singapore.

I believe in seeking opportunities to influence change. In my early days as a Senior Librarian, passionate about the professional development of staff, I created a series of literature courses and conducted training for all public librarians. When asked if I could get all public library staff energised and excited about reading, I designed a game show like literature competition for staff to showcase their literary knowledge. My keenness to look into staff professional development led to a recommendation for me to develop a skills enhancement framework for public librarians and para-professional library officers. This pilot initiative is currently being implemented in stages for all staff.

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