BiblioAsia Oct–Dec 2013

Director’s Column

Communal Feeding in Post-war Singapore
The colonial government’s communal feeding programme was a novel response to chronic food shortages and malnutrition in the aftermath of the Japanese Occupation, and laid the foundation for the basis of social welfare schemes in Singapore.(PDF)

Hawkers: From Public Nuisance to National Icons
From bane of the government to boon of tourism, hawkers in Singapore have come a long way from the time they were viewed by government officials as progenitors of disorder and disease.(PDF)

“Mrs Beeton” in Malaya: Women, Cookbooks and the Makings of the Housewife
Cookbooks offer interesting insights into the oft-overlooked domestic space of British Malaya, shedding light on how women saw themselves and how feminine ideals from the West were propagated in the colonial era.(PDF)

Spicy Nation: From India to Singapore
From fish head curry to Indian rojak, Indian food in Singapore has evolved over time, drawing influences from the various local cultures, and finding its place in the hearts of Singaporeans.(PDF)

Into the Melting Pot: Food as Culture
Through the lens of that unique Lunar New Year creation yu sheng, find out how the simplest dishes can be canvases upon which cultural and national identities are inscribed.(PDF)

On the Dining Table: Changing Palates Through the Decades
What we eat is often shaped not only by culture and tradition but also society and government policies. Through one family’s changing palate, find out how all these factors have influenced what appears on the dinner table.(PDF)

In Cookery We Trust: The YWCA Cookery Book (1932–1964)
Updated and republished nine times, the YWCA Cookery Book is a treatise on the changing culinary styles, domestic practices and eating habits of Singaporeans over three decades.(PDF)

1900–1801, 康有为在南洋—读邱菽园后人王建先生藏康有为致邱菽园信函及其他历史文献
Kang Youwei’s activities in Southeast Asia between 1900 and 1901 can be traced from his letters to Khoo Seok Wan, his own poems and other related historical resources.(PDF)

NLB eResources: Your Gateway to Rich and Trusted Information
The National Library Board’s eResources website connects members to more than 70 databases covering a comprehensive range of subjects ranging from the arts to finance to health.(PDF)

Singapore Comics Showcase
A showcase of comics from the 1920s to the 1980s.(PDF)