Reflective Note on the Library Tour

 Reflective Note on the Library Tour

 

On 16th May, our class participated in a focused tour of the Samtse College of Education library, facilitated by our module tutor and the college librarian, Mr. Sangay Dawa. Although we previously attended a general orientation, this session placed particular emphasis on the reference section—an essential resource for academic inquiry, especially within the field of History.

Mr. Dawa familiarized us with the Dewey Decimal Classification system, highlighting the 900 series assigned to historical texts. He introduced key titles such as Vanished Civilizations and 100 Years of World War I, both highly relevant to our academic discipline. He also referenced a collection of rare and valuable publications—what he fondly termed the “rare species of books”—alongside world atlases and secondary-level textbooks useful for teacher trainees.

The history section is systematically categorized, including general history (900), biographical collections (920–929), and regional histories, such as Bhutanese history (954–955). Books are alphabetically arranged, with Western authors filed by surname.

We also visited the Manjushri Room—a quiet, contemplative space for independent study—and adjoining discussion rooms available for group use. Overall, this experience reinforced the library’s role as an indispensable academic resource, promoting research, reflective thinking, and deeper engagement with scholarly material.

   Written by Chimi Zangmo, B.Ed. Year I