Sistem Pembekalan Penerbitan, Mac 11, 2008

I decided to get down at KL Sentral and take a cab to PNM. I was not sure about the time of the meeting and it was too early to call Nor (later I found out Nor was actually on leave) so I just paid RM10 for the fare and took the next available cab. The driver maneuvered the cab across the morning traffic at a frantic pace. Not that I did not like the speed as I would do the same as well but his driving was not smooth that made reading almost intolerable.

After three Director Generals since the last time I was at the National Library not much has changed. I seriously hope the mentality and culture have changed for the better though. As I walked up to the Auditorium Yazid, my former student, was walking down, we exchanged pleasantries and remarked we’ll see each other at breakfast table given by PNM.

I did not have any great expectation coming to the meeting but would want to learn as much as possible about the system and the mechanics of it. My learning objectives were;

1. To understand and explore the possibility of contributing more to the system.
2. To understand the issues related to SPP
3. To understand and learn the electronic system of SPP
4. To network and identify potential collaborative partners
5. Help to instill the concept of CoP within the participants
6. To meet the new DG, En Raslin to discuss on the possibilities of strategic collaboration.

The hall was three quarter filled when I looked around. With my laptop on and typing this I was one sore thumb, further more I was sitting practically alone on one side of the auditorium. It was not my intention to do so but I wanted to be nearer to the power source just in case I need it. Beside Yazid I was very sure there were a few more that I know in the hall. At least I saw Munazzah walking about the stage making sure everything was in order for the day.

The session started a bit late. As Raslin started on his speech my handphone buzzed in my pocket and it was The Boss. I walked out to answer it and to cut story short I had to go back to the office after lunch.

The gist of the DG’s, Raslin, speech was focused on to consider more on technology to enhance the SPP process. He mentioned that KIK (Katalog Induk Kebangsaan) would be launched in the 3Q and with it would be new way or doing things plus new opportunities for SPP. I did not get to talk to Raslin as he had another meeting to go to. So I did not achieve my sixth learning objective.

While waiting for the meeting to start Mek Lah and few other familiar faces came to say hello. My former student Adilah also walked up to me to say hello and to ask few other things. With that kind of scenario I began to miss attending events like that where I got to meet old and new acquaintances. I resolved to be part of the circuit again and now I have a very good reason to do so.

The meeting went on just like any other Mesyuarat Agong persatuan. Minutes were read, debated and new issues raised. But what I found refreshing was that most of us want to collaborate more. The subject of Library Group was discussed and mentioned were the Medical Library Groug (MLG) and Law Library Group (LLG). It was suggested that similar LGs to be formed in the area of;

1. Islamic Finance & Banking
2. Islamic Library Group
3. Consumer & NGO Interest Group
4. Science and Technology

To me what they were talking about was obviously CoPs and by just listening to the discussion I was convinced we were on the right track with all these.

We were also briefed on the KIK project under the Perdana umbrella. I was glad that the Perdana project is still alive and kicking and I sincerely hope have gone one better than when we started off. With RM10m investment the KIK project strated off with 102 participants and will slowly include all libraries. The KIK was modeled according to OCLC. KIK can currently be accessed at kik.pnm.my. As part of the Perdana big project it will act as the clearinghouse for Malaysiana collection. The project also has an open invitation to those who wish to digitize their special collection. Unfortunately, although it is one of the objectives, we could not use KIK for SPP simply because none of the library systems are Z39.85 or 7 interlibrary loan protocol compliance.

In the end I achieved my other five learning objectives by just listening to the discussion. I was hoping I could be more involved after lunch but then I had to leave.

Next action plan:

1. To join the Islamic Library Group
2. To seriously start the Islamic Banking & Finance and Banking Groups.
3. To set and appointment with the DG to share our vision and explore opportunities for further collaboration

Now I know why I unconsciously like to go home a bit late. The uninterrupted train ride home which was a bit quiet created an environment that made me relax and to think a bit more clearly. It was like the train flew into the night passing all stations without stopping. I was at Bangi station in no time just like that.

On The Train (Was at CoP get-together), Nov 12, 2007

I was in Shah Alam this morning attending the CoP, Klang Valley 2007, Get Together at Seminar Room, PTAR, UITM Shah Alam, organized by UiTM/Paradigm Systems. It was meant more for ILMU users. I have several reasons to be there.

To network with fellow practitioners to share our experience and to market ourselves
Since the topic was actually and introduction of CoP and I knew would be a new thing to most. I wanted to help to make sure we are doing and introducing it properly so that the community would be effective
Also, since the subject of competency was another topic of discussion our experience would be very useful to share
Lastly, to at least help to give the true picture of what KM is suppose to be.

Unfortunately, due to my early morning meeting I was late getting there. I actually left the office at 1046 and reached the Seminar room around 1130 when the second session was already coming to an end. Thus I could not contribute much. Reading the handouts I had my worries.

Firstly, the slides on the introduction to CoP was too academic and not properly contextualize to the audience. Secondly, I found out the KM framework that was used to contextualize the concept was too limiting. I doubt it brought clarity to explain what CoP means to librarians. Thirdly, the second paper on competency also was a bit academic and did not incorporate the real world needs. With all due respect to all I am not trying to belittle the efforts but more trying to help as for so many times already we missed opportunities just because we did not understand enough of the new things and apply them appropriately within the profession. Fourth, I was told the workshop on Competency for Librarians after lunch was a repeat of what they have done in PD. This is the fallacy of Best Practices that we have to be aware. What works before do not necessarily will work again and this time certainly failed to me. I would have preferred for the session to be an open discussion. It was so unfortunate as well that I had to leave the session early after lunch for my teleconference session at the office.

The other observation that I could make was that the seminar room arrangement was not suitable for session like we had. It would have been better if it was horse shoe of half moon to give opportunity for everyone to face each other. The arrangement was not audience friendly. The way the session was conducted could also be improved by doing it in a discussion and conversation mode rather than just presentations. This is something I believe we need to improve urgently.

On The Train (Sharing common objective), June 27, 2007

Another long day for me and I foresee it will continue to the rest of next week. Just like the old MSC IAP days where nights and days are the same, only difference is either dark of nights and clear daylights. I know it cannot be like this all time as this kind of things that I ran away from. So far my family are fine with this arrangement, I guess because I still come home smiling and full of jokes, funny or otherwise.

I took the 2210 train home and as I described before I went home with the other office or construction workers that decided to call it a day. One thing about this bunch is that we are a bit discipline as we fully aware there is no use creating unnecessary stress for everyone. Also, I can see and feel the trust level among us is quite high. This is really important as it creates a compromising and relax environment of trying to achieve common objective – to get home without much trouble. This got me thinking somehow, if we create, maybe force, an environment where several people have to be in one place at certain fix time trying to achieve almost the same objective they will develop enough understand and trust to be a successful community. I would not say collaborative community but it is a start. Let say in an office environment we create a space or situation where people with more or less sharing common goals, without giving them any structure, overtime they will develop into a good community. I do not know how long but it would be a good research to find out. You see all of us in the train are going home and all of us are doing our own things. I am typing, someone else would be reading, talking or even sleeping but all of us would share willingly about what we are doing or even talking about our private family life. All of us do not know each other by name but all of us recognize one another and even know each other stations. So we know each other enough for natural bonding to accour. I met my fellow commuters outside of the train carriage once and we click straight away. I guess in an office environment we just bring possible groups together and let them loose to discover each other. Our KMC is one good example.

Old Boys Network, SDARA78 TT Klang Valley, June 12, 2007

It has been awhile since we had our last TT and up until then several had already sounded me that we need to have one immediately. We planned to have the TT with Tam as he was back from Jeddah for his holidays but Allah decided otherwise. In the end only Arzman Aziz, Amy, Hatta, Shahrin, Mede Ribut, Balong, Cintu and myself turned up at Siraj Restaurant near Cintu’s place. Everything was organized within 24 hours. Abd Rahman Song was in Stockholm when he received my text message, Bodger texted back stating his absence, Mahali reported at last minute ‘bini tak bagi’ (actually mentua dia datang rumah), Nuri’s son not feeling well and the rest no notification of existence :)). In any case we understand fully why some could not make it. Even Tam himself had to go back home to Jelebu at the last minute and in the end could not come. Of course as usual the TT did not go to waste and as usual the stories flow like Nigeria Falls. What did we talk about you ask me? Well for these midlife approaching ‘youngsters’ the same stories that been told before but we enjoyed and laughed all the same, even louder. Mede Ribut as usual very Ribut with his entertaining stories about his time in the army and Timor Leste. Actually this was how the flow of the stories went, firstly catching up on each other especially Arzman that some of us have had not met for years, stories about others that were not there (ngumpat la ni lol), Timor Leste, gathering, Timor Leste, old stories, Mede Ribut’s sad story of his wife passing away due to cancer, old stories, Timor Leste and the cycle continued until the mamak chased us out at around 1230 hours.

Hey! You still do not get my point huh? Let me tell you.

The five or six years that we had growing up together tie us up in a special bond. The bond is so strong that I am very sure would remain forever. We understand and trust each other and at some points in our life would even willing to die for each other. Our network is so strong and it would take a lot of energy to break the bond or change us within our community and it is also would be easy to penetrate us if one managed to get in the good book of any of us. Apart from real life family relationship what we have is the most powerful relationship known to mankind. In this kind of relationship any form of Knowledge Sharing would be natural.

Some photos below. Sorry to Amy and Balong as I failed to remember to get both of you in among the shots.

Mede Ribut. Shahrin, Hatta

Mede Ribut, Cintu, Shahrin, Hatta

Arzman Aziz

This is a bonus photo. There is a free gift ff you can guess the third person

On The Train (Sense of Belonging or Is It CoP?), Feb 27, 2007

I arrived at the station at the same time as the 0646 train and decided to miss it. What I mean is that I could have still make it if I rushed a bit but not wanting to start a day on a stressful level I just walked towards the station on my own usual pace. I was late because of a trailer blocking our path on the other side of the bridge crossing the railway track. I knew by then I would be late of at least would barely made it. Fortunately I was relaxed waiting for the trailer to move aside to create a path for us to pass through.

Obviously the platform was empty when I walked on it towards my usual waiting area. I sat myself on the bench and waited doing nothing. I did not know what to expect really knowing the crowd on the 0646 train I could be standing all the way to the office on the 0704 one but I was bullish. I confidently felt that I would get a seat nevertheless. One after the other commuters started to emerge and walk pass by me until I realized I was actually seeing a different set of commuters from the one that I am used to in the morning. Suddenly I felt like an outsider encroaching on another territory. The feeling was compounded when I actually inside the train when people, those awake anyway, started to look at me strangely. As simple or mundane as commuting on the train I could feel that way, sense of lost and detached from my own community, and feeling threaten by a new one. That was certainly a powerful realization for me.
Strangely though I never had the same group of commuters going home everyday. Regardless whether I am late or early it would be a different set of people. Well a least I have that feeling.

On The Train, Feb 23, 2007

I was at the meeting today helping one government agency with their ‘knowledge centre’ initiative. As usual they started out with the right set of problem statements to necessitate KM program but tried to find solution with technology. I can understand where they are coming from and I can certainly understand their predicament as it is not their fault to think that way. If I were to be in their position I would think and do the same as well. The attendance of the meeting was interesting to me by itself as it got me connected with my colleagues from past working lives. We are definitely connected socially and getting the meeting going and to come out with great dissuasion and input was easy. In a way we are communities of practice that just got together by the situation and invitation. Because of the connectedness as well the environment was conducive for knowledge sharing and transfer to happen.

At the meeting as well I got to know that more or less our organization is the benchmark in Malaysia as far as KM is concern. I would want to believe it is because of our holistic implementations which internally some of us do not understand still. Otherwise we are a good talker and seller of what we are doing to the outside world. The lack of this understanding probably we do not see how far we have gone with our initiatives.

On The Train. Mar 7, 2005

I was at a briefing session on online database services today at Hilton Sentral, KL and as usual the occasion double up as a reunion gathering of old friends of sort for our community – information professionals. Everyone seems to know one another or at least connected to one another by the profession. Just to name a few Ariff, Fauziah, Linda (I used to teach her), AniJ, Maizan, Haslidah, Hasbullah, Noraini and Azman. That is our network both social and professional. Well, I am not going to write about that now. No, not that it is not interesting but I want to write something else about people on a train. During lunch somehow the topic moved to a discussion about me taking the train everyday to work. My friend Arif made a joke that I was the one/character in the advertisement on TV concerning social etiquettes of riding a train. You know the one that shows a character refusing to surrender his seat to a pregnant lady and eventually even to a blind man. We had a laugh talking about it especially my friends around the table making a big case of how I really look like that character. Seriously, I said there are indeed people like that on the train as I observed so many times already. Some of them actually pretend to be sleeping when they see pregnant lady boarding the train. This is rampant especially in the early morning. This is really pathetic and I am sick every time I see this. I was really pissed off once when I saw from a far a woman actually quickly offered her seat when a man sitting close by just sat and watched for others to react first.

I was on the train as usual this morning and disembarked at KL Sentral very early. As usual as well KL’s rat racers were crossing each other and sometimes bumping into each other going to work like robots. One thing I realized was how KL Sentral has developed to be a true hub for day, short and long distance travelers. With the two business hotels built business travellers began to increase in numbers. Now people in business suits walking around KL Sentral is a common sight. Still, we are a long way to go mentally.