Visit to Asian Children's Literature Collection and Donor Gallery @ National Library Board

Our NIE/NTU ELL students taking the courses MEL918 Reading in a Multimodal Age and HL2042 Children’s Literature (led by A/P Loh Chin Ee and Dr Katherine Wakely-Mulroney respectively) participated in guided tours of exhibitions held at the National Library Board (NLB). These exhibitions comprised the Historical Asian Children’s Literature (HACL) Collection, which was recognised in 2022 by the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia-Pacific (MOWCAP) as an indelible part of our region’s culture and heritage, and the Donor Gallery, which showcases a sampling of rare publications and selected out-of-print children’s books gifted by donors. In addition, Ow Yeong Wai Kit (ELL PhD Candidate) presented a historical overview about learning poetry by heart for children, featuring insights from the archives at the National Library. By all accounts, the excursion offered our students fascinating glimpses into how children’s literature has evolved over time, as well as the sheer range and diversity of children’s books across Asia.