On Wednesday 19 August, I was invited as a guest lecturer to give a talk to a group of Masters Students taking the Masters in Library Studies at UiTM Campus Puncak Perdana, Shah Alam. Prof Dr Szarina in particular wanted me to talk on Information Entrepreneurship, a subject very new to our local library and information scene. I was at first reluctant to take up the offer because I had to dig up my files and I did not know where to retrieve them. Well, she persuaded me nevertheless, and of course deep in my heart, I felt it an obligation that I must do it. I believe knowledge must be imparted and must be shared, especially amongst young people who are enthusiastic to learn and thirsty for knowledge.
As I walked into the lecture room, I could see the smiles on the fresh young faces and I know I must make my talk interesting. Of course, I have already prepared my slide presentation, so it was an easy task for me running through the presentation. I broke the monotony by asking what is it that made them want to take up librarianship as a degree. They answered me well but I was not convinced with some of the answers, like they knew better how to look for information and references, compared to their friends who were not taught the skills to source for information.
I hope my talk has inspired them to internalise all the information, knowledge and experiences that they undergo while studying for their Masters and try to translate them for application in their future jobs and their workplaces upon their return.
I did exactly that whenever I went overseas to deliver a paper at any Conference or upon return from any Familiarization Visit sent by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board(MPOB). I would always be looking out for new and interesting features that I would be able to adopt and adapt at my workplace upon my return. I told the students also that as librarians and knowledge workers, we should "menghayati" what it is that we can develop into an anchor product and/or service out of the resources that we handle everyday at our workplace. For MPOB, it is the R&D findings which actually are the corporate assets, the Intellectual Property(IP) that I had capitalised on and processed them into a database, PALMOILIS, which is now being subscribed by members of the palm oil industry. I told them that we should listen to our readers, our customers, what actually they want from our information service.
When I retired from government service at the end of 2005, I have left behind a 'legacy' (if I may use the term), a one-stop reference and information centre on oil palm /palm oil, providing a good physical environment for my dedicated staff to work in, an all-encompassing science and technology centre on the R&D achievements of the commodity, and a tourist attraction for the general public to know more about Malaysia's Golden Crop. See it for yourself at http://palmoilis.mpob.gov.my/Vtour/index.htm
