The Importance of Fiction to the Raffles Library, Singapore, During the Long Nineteenth-Century

Abstract

One of the main controversies in the world of librarianship in the latter half of the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth century was the role of fi ction in the public libraries of North America and United Kingdom. To what extent was this concern translated to other parts of the English-speaking world? This article explores, from the available evidence, the attitudes towards fi ction held by offi cials of the Raffl es Library, Singapore. It suggests the library tended to be very liberal in its views. To understand why this was the case, the article argues, involves an understanding of the notion, commonly held at the time, of human degeneration from prolonged exposure to tropical environments, and the colonialist reaction to this predicament.

The social role of the Raffles Library, Singapore, in the inter‐war years

“…The same can be said of libraries in the rest of the world, certainly of those in Singapore, among which the largest was the Raffles Library. Prior to the First World War Raffles Library played roles as a reference library for scholars working in the region and as an institution where European officials, businessmen and their families could engage in recreational reading (Luyt, 2008, 2009). A changed economic and social environment after the war made new demands.…”